MLB Dirt

Alonso

Well this deadline was very entertaining and exciting, but now that all the dust has settled, we can take a closer look at what exactly happened. With every trade, there is an impact on both the players involved and other players in the organization. Prospects were the center pieces of many trades at the deadline and with that some prospects’ stock has gone up. Here is a list of prospects who I think had their stock rise at the deadline:

The Astros Offensive Duo:

While neither of these players were a part of a trade, Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez are now playing on the Major League roster due to spots opening up. Altuve replaced Jeff Keppinger at second and Martinez replaced Hunter Pence.

Martinez had a huge block in front of him with Hunter Pence in the outfield who was still under team control for a few more years but with this trade, a spot has opened up for him. Martinez is a great hitter that was labeled as the best hitter for average in the Astros organization by BaseballAmerica. His level-plane swing will generate a lot of gap power and line drives.Martineztore up AA this year posting a line of .338/.414/.546 with 13 homeruns. He has gone 3-8 with an RBI double thus far in the majors.

While Altuve didn’t have a huge roadblock in front of him in Keppinger, it was what he has done with his promotion that has raised his stock. Altuve hit at each stop in the minors but the big question mark with him was his size, 5’7” 170lb. Altuve hit .361/.388/.569 at AA and has a career .327 average in the minors. Thus far, Altuve has hit .318/.326/.386 in the majors. Yes it is still very early and it’s a small sample size but he is off to a good start.

Yonder Alonso:

For Alonso, his stock has risen for the same reason as the other two; a position has opened up for him. Alonso has been at AAA the last two years waiting for somewhere to play. He was originally a first baseman but with Joey Votto there, Alonso slid to left field. The Reds traded Jonny Gomes to the Nationals and a spot opened up for Alonso in the outfield. The slugging outfielder should now have an opportunity to really be tested at the major league level and get good playing time down the stretch.

Jonathan Singleton:

Singleton was traded to the Astros as a part of the Hunter Pence deal. Singleton, originally drafted as a first baseman, had started being worked at the corner outfield spots a little since the Phillies have some guy named Ryan Howard at first. Singleton struggled in the outfield defensively and his offensive numbers also dipped, but now that he is in the Astros organization, he can move back over to first focus more on the offensive aspect which is what he is best at. The slugging first baseman becomes one of the best prospects in the organization and it also helps him that Minute Maid park is viewed as more hitter friendly than Citizens Bank Park.

Yamaico Navarro:

Navarro was traded to the Royals in a deal with the Red Sox that sent Mike Aviles toBoston. While Navarro isn’t a big name prospect, he becomes a lot more valuable with the Royals. Navarro would maybe play as a utility man inBoston, but with the Royals he has a chance to start. The current Royals second baseman, Chris Getz, isn’t playing bad but Navarro has a higher offensive ceiling. Navarro was placed on the big league roster but it is unclear on how he will factor in to the Royals plans yet but look for him to have a starting spot, somewhere soon. The 23 year old infielder has good plate discipline with the ability to hit for a decent average and solid power.

Another Pair of Astros:

Yes, yet another pair of newly acquired Astros prospects are seeing their stock rise. In the Michael Bourn deal, the Astros acquired starting pitching prospects Brett Oberholtzer and Paul Clemens as well as a few other guys. For any Braves minor leaguer starter not named Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino, or Minor; your shots at making the big league rotation aren’t looking too good. With Oberholtzer and Clemens now inHouston, they have a much better shot at finding a spot in the rotation.

The Padres New Arms:

The Padres acquired Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland fromTexasfor reliever Mike Adams. The Padres received two good pitching prospects that were both at AA. Both of these guys project as mid to back of the rotation starters but I believe they are more valuable playing in San Diedo. They moved from one of the most hitter friendly parks (Rangers Ballpark inArlington) toPetcoPark. I believe that increases any pitchers stock and they should find a spot in the Padres rotation sometime next season.

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, On the Farm - Prospects Tagged: | Brett Oberholtzer, Chris Getz, Hunter Pence, J.D. Martinez, Jeff Keppinger, Joe Wieland, Joey Votto, Jonathan Singleton, Jonny Gomes, Jose Altuve, Michael Bourn, Mike Adams, Mike Aviles, Paul Clemens, Robbie Erlin, Ryan Howard, Yamaico Navarro, Yonder Alonso