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December 7, 2012

Prospect Push

Ranking the Traded Prospects

by Jason Churchill

Each offseason—and occasionally during the season, especially in July—clubs acquire proven big-league players by sending prospects to their tango partners as part of the return. There already have been a handful of such trades since the end of the 2012 season, and there are numerous rumors suggesting more could be in the offing.

Let's rank those that have been moved to date.

Note: Players who have yet to reach 130 plate appearances or 50 innings pitched in the majors are eligible, with no regard to service time.

Traded
1. Alex Meyer, RHP
Meyer brings No. 1 starter upside, and despite the chance he lands in the bullpen, is a better bet to reach top-end value as a major leaguer. He employs a plus fastball that has touched the upper-90s with above-average movement. He's tinkered with a two-seamer to help him stay down in the zone, but the changeup remains a below-average pitch. His best pitch is a hard slider in the 85-88 mph range that dives down and in on left-handed batters. It’s among the better breaking balls of any pitching prospect in the game. His mechanics aren't sound—he twists early to the plate—but his arm still works well. If Meyer is moved to the bullpen, he could see the big leagues as early as August, but the Twins should give him every shot to stick in the rotation.

2. Jake Marisnick, CF
Marisnick is a terrific athlete with average or better tools across the board, but while he has shown he can handle center field and works hard, his development in terms of his approach at the plate lacked progress in 2012. His home-run power also did not take a step forward as the Blue Jays hoped by moving him methodically through the system. The Marlins may have their center fielder of the future here, but Marisnick is unlikely to be one that approaches All-Star levels of performance.

3. Justin Nicolino, LHP
Nicolino lacks frontline upside but has good secondary skills, including a repeatable delivery that creates natural deception from a true three-quarters arm slot, aiding his fastball-changeup combination into missing some bats despite his heater typically sitting in the 89-92 mph range. I've seen him sit 90-93 and touch 95, but the pitch has more movement in the low 90s, and that allows him to command it to both sides of the plate. His breaking pitch is a 1-7 curveball with depth and late break, but its effectiveness varies by start.