You may have heard that Major League Baseball’s trade deadline ended on Tuesday night. (If not, you can use our handy trade tracker to catch up on all the moves over the last few weeks.) As such, this edition of Prospect Watch is predictably about ranking and analyzing the top five youngsters who have been included. in the offers.
Keep in mind that these drills are always more of an art than a science, and there were more than five worthwhile prospects traded at the deadline. Now, go ahead.
There’s a lot to like about Marte’s game. He is a left fielder with well above average walking average raw power who has kept his strikeout rate in check despite playing against competition that is several years older than him. The only big unknown that Marte has is his defensive position. He’s been very error-prone over the past two seasons, and may have to drop to third. That won’t be much of a negative if he hits the way he’s capable of hitting.
Hassell, the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, has already found success in High-A by hitting .299/.379/.467 with 10 home runs in 75 games. Scouts have praised his hit tool and approach that dates back to his prep days; alas, they’ve also wondered when (and how much) he’ll tap into his raw octopus and whether he’ll stay in the center. Those concerns remain, but now it’s up to the Nationals to help him find a good solution.
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3. Edwin Arroyo, SS, Reds (Luis Castell)
Arroyo had his share of fans in the 2021 draft thanks to a combination of his extreme youth and defensive ability at shortstop. It didn’t hurt that he showed enough upside at the plate for scouts to envision him moving up beyond utility player status. Still, Arroyo showed more offensive competence than his most ardent boosters would have expected by hitting .316/.385/.514 in 87 games in the Cal League, where his opponent average was, oh, more three years older than him. Arroyo is a couple of seasons away from major league relevance, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
4. James Wood, OF, Nationals (Juan Soto)
Wood, the other outfielder in the Soto trade, has the kind of raw power you’d expect from someone listed at 6-foot-7. However, he moves better than the Richie Sexsons of the world, and the Padres had primarily played him in the center field The main concern about Wood’s game as an amateur was that he would hit too often to maximize his pop. It is an encouraging sign, then, that he has been able to keep his seasonal stoppage rate below 20 percent. Wood could develop into a middle-of-the-order batsman if this trend continues as he climbs the ladder.
If the Angels were determined to get rid of Marsh, a former prospect who has struggled to make consistent contact in the majors, they could have done worse than compensate O’Hoppe in return. He has spent the season in Double-A, hitting .275/.392/.496 with 15 home runs in 75 games. O’Hoppe is a well-rounded, all-around backstop who could provide average or better offensive production. He looks Triple-A ready and should be able to make his big league debut in 2023.