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I'm not buying the idea that this is going to convince any player that the front office is still trying to win.  You get basically a half-time player (admittedly, one still with some pop left) who is not going to change this team much.  You give up a player with an interesting upside.  You're not going to get much after this year from Branyan so it is probably a rent a player type of situation.  You're not going to get anything for Kotchman (who should have been gone, anyway) so I suppose you keep him (I'm in Minnesota  for a day or two more and haven't seen what the corresponding roster move looks like).  Branyan WAS a nice player...but he's a player at the end of a career with a terribly tricky back.  Heck, he might bet less than 40 games in for the m's the rest of the way.  That's at least as likely as him getting 55+ in.  So...Unless you think Branyan is going to pull a Manny and pack this team up a huge hill into the playoffs this year....I don't get it.
I wonder if this move was player initiated.  I wonder of a Cliff Lee wandered in and said, "if you want to have any chance at keeping me, show me you want to win today."
But I doubt it.  Lee knows the  process.
I hope it works out.  But unless this team makes a huge run AND Carrera flames out, then this was a desperate move.  Very little has changed in evaluating Branyan since the spring.  Healthy, he can hit.  Can he stay healthy?  The answer there is no!  if you DH him fulltime then Bradley plays left fulltime and Saunders sits most of the time.
Perhaps there is another move to go with this one.  Perhaps...
Without it, I give this one two thumbs down.
moe