I’ve covered the prospects involved in several of the higher-profile deals at this year’s trade deadline, but there were some other notable names moved in a few of the lower profile deals. Below are a couple of quick hits on some other deals involving good or interesting prospects…
Marlins grab intriguing infielder in Huascar Brazoban deal
The Mets sent infielder Wilfredo Lara to the Marlins for reliever Huascar Brazoban, making for one of the most interesting guys the Fish acquired at the deadline. Lara was No. 16 in the Mets’ system coming into the year, then started slowly due to a hamate injury.
He can hit, though, and the lack of power this year is almost certainly due to the injury. He hit .244/.349/.343 in High A as a 20-year-old with a 22.6 percent strikeout rate, after hitting .264/.362/.452 last year in the Low-A Florida State League. He’s played shortstop more than any other position this year, but that is just not happening; he’ll have to work just to stay on the dirt.
He has everyday ceiling with a very good chance to be a bench bat who plays the four corners.
Giants add high-upside lefty Jacob Bresnahan, trade away righty relief prospect Eric Silva
The Giants traded one minor-league pitching prospect away and added another in a different trade.
Eric Silva went to the Tigers in a trade for Mark Canha, the one major-league addition San Francisco made at the deadline. Silva moved to the bullpen this year in Double A, even though he’s just 21, as his stuff dipped last summer and he wasn’t having any success as a starter. He’s missing more bats this year thanks in large part to a plus slider, with a shot to be an average one-inning reliever or better thanks to the shapes of his two breaking balls.
Lefty Jacob Bresnahan came to the Giants for Alex Cobb. He was the Guardians’ 13th-round pick last year out of a high school in Washington state, pitching extremely well in the ACL this summer until a promotion just this past week to Low A.
#Guardians 19yr old LHP prospect Jacob Bresnahan struckout Columbia batters over 4.0 innings of work allowing just two runs in his (Low-A) debut tonight in game two of a doubleheader for Lynchburg.
Line – 4.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 3SO (69 Pitches 43 Strikes)#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/zE4qfsDrdM
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 26, 2024
He sits in the low 90s with a 55 slider and 45 changeup (out of the 20-80 scouting scale), with some projection left on his 6-foot-4 frame. It’s a long arm swing, but he gets to his front side alright and has a consistent three-quarters arm slot.
Longtime readers of Baseball America might recognize the name of the area scout who signed him — former BA writer Conor Glassey.
Angels get Matthew Lugo, three others in Luis García deal
The Angels got four minor-leaguers from the Red Sox for right-hander Luis Garcia — not that one … no, not that one either, but the longtime reliever, now heading to his sixth team in his 12-year career.
The best of the four prospects is infielder Matthew Lugo, who had a mild breakout in the first half while repeating Double A, then has been just adequate in Triple A, hitting .250/.340/.452 on top of the hill in Worcester with a 27 percent strikeout rate.
It’s above-average power and he can play a bunch of positions, so he could be a utility infielder for the Angels next year. The Sox had moved him to the outfield this year because of their logjam in the infield, so he actually hasn’t played on the dirt this year, but the Puerto Rican native is a natural shortstop who can play third or second.
The obstacle he faces to be an everyday guy is to hit for enough contact and thus for a high enough average.
Right-hander Yeferson Vargas is a hard thrower without an average second pitch yet, with a very stocky build for a 19-year-old. Niko Kavadas has had a great year in Triple A, but he’s 25 and doesn’t have much bat speed, which is part of why he’s punched out in a third of his PA this year. Reliever Ryan Zeferjahn is also in the deal.
Phillies add two minor league righties with lively fastballs
The Phillies sent reliever Gregory Soto to the Orioles after a year and a half of replacement-level work from the erratic left-hander, getting back right-hander Seth Johnson in return.
Johnson is in his first full year back from 2022 Tommy John surgery, and it’s been a mixed bag, as the stuff is mostly there but his command hasn’t been. Johnson is sitting 93-96 now, with two breaking balls, a big old-fashioned curveball and a harder but much shorter slider. His new splitter seems to have given him the weapon he lacked for lefties. He’s a converted infielder who fields his position and repeats his delivery well, so the hope has to be that the strikes will come back with more time. If you want to be an optimist, he ended June with a couple of bad outings, but in his last four starts, he’s walked just two guys in 17 innings.
The Phils also picked up right-hander Moisés Chace, who sits 94-95 but will be a reliever if he’s anything at all, as he has maybe 40 command if you’re kind, and as a starter neither his slider nor his changeup is plus.
Cubs grab two prospects in trade with Yankees
The Cubs traded reliever Mark Leiter, Jr., to the Yankees for infielder Ben Cowles and right-hander Jack Neely. Cowles can hit, enough to see him as a potential utility guy, with a really good swing and enough strength to think he’ll at least hit for enough average with some doubles power to stick on a roster. He’s mostly played shortstop this year with reps at second and third, although he’s not going to stick at short. Neely’s got a good arm but he’s a non-prospect.
(Photo of Wilfredo Lara: Mike Janes / Four Seam Images via Associated Press)
