The three-team trade that resulted in the movement of 11 players on Wednesday featured mostly young prospects many have never heard of. The clear cut winner of the deal won't be known for a number of years, so let's look at who these players are and how much potential they have.
Let's start with the San Diego Padres, who received the player who has the most talent that's MLB-ready. Below is the list of players the team acquired:
OF Wil Myers from TB Rays: Although Myers has only played in 175 professional games, the 24-year-old won AL Rookie of the Year in 2013 after slashing .293/.354/.478/.831 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 88 games. He missed much of last season after he suffered a broken wrist, which significantly hampered his performance when he returned, but he should provide a good upgrade for the Padres outfield and offense.
C Ryan Hanigan from TB Rays: The 34-year-old was simply swapped for catcher Rene Rivera. Hanigan owns a .256/.353/.341 stat line with 25 home runs and 172 RBIs in 558 career games.
P Jose Castillo from TB Rays: Castillo is only 18 years old and has spent the past two seasons in the Rays' rookie league. In 15 games (three starts), Castillo is 2-2 with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. The Venezuelan signed a $1.55 million contract in July of 2012 because the Rays liked his velocity. His fastball hit about 93 mph when Tampa Bay signed him and he's reached 95 mph since, but there's still some work to do with his secondary pitches and control. Ben Badler of Baseball America writes:
"Castillo's secondary pitches are inconsistent, with scouts mixed on whether his curveball or his changeup is the better pitch right now. Castillo's control is also inconsistent, as he tends to fly open in his delivery, but that's something that should improve given the way his mechanics and arm work and how athletic he is for his size."
P Gerardo Reyes from TB Rays: Reyes is a 21-year-old from Mexico and hasn't much experience in the States yet. In 20 games in the New York-Pennsylvania League, the right-hander was 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. He struck out 39 batters and walked nine in only 33 innings of work. However, he only notched three saves in nine opportunities, so he has some work to do.
Next up are the Tampa Bay Rays. Their top acquisition was outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Washington Nationals, which is who we'll take a look at first.
OF Steven Souza Jr. from WSH Nationals: The 25-year-old only played in eight games with the Nationals before injuring his shoulder, but had a tremendous season at Triple-A Syracuse before returning to the big leagues at the end of the year. In 96 games Souza slashed .350/.432/.590 with 18 home runs, 75 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. He should be in the starting lineup for the Rays on Opening Day since he's clearly MLB-ready. There just happened to be no room for him in Washington with Bryce Harper, Denard Span and Jayson Werth occupying the outfield, so it was a good move for both parties.
P Travis Ott from WSH Nationals: The left-hander is only 19 years old and he's already made 20 starts in the minors. He's 4-4 in 23 games with a 3.96 ERA and 1.31 WHIP after stints with the Nationals' rookie league, Class Short-Season A (New York-Pennsylvania League) and Class-A Hagerstown. He's a young promising lefty who's expected to reach the majors by 2018. His former high school coach Dan Watkins told GAMETIME PA:
"I sat down there [at the pre-draft workout], with college kids there, and I said, 'He's going to tighten up and only throw mid 80s (miles per hour).' His first pitch was 89 and the guy scouting him said he walked away from the other scouts afterward knowing that was all he needed to see."
C Rene Rivera from SD Padres: Rivera was the catcher swapped for Hanigan. The 31-year-old has only played 224 games in six MLB seasons and is batting .228/.279/.358 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs.
P Burch Smith from SD Padres: The 24-year-old Smith has been in the Padres farm system since 2011 when he debuted in the rookie league. He appeared in 10 games (seven starts) for San Diego this past season, but was roughed up after a 1-3 record, 6.44 ERA and 1.65 WHIP. He's had a solid minor league career besides two shaky starts at Triple-A in 2014. He's 15-11 in 48 games (46 starts) with a 3.71 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in four minor league seasons. He struck out 246 batters in 228 1/3 innings. He also just pitched in the Arizona Fall League with little success, so perhaps 2014 wasn't Smith's best year.
1B Jake Bauers from SD Padres: The first baseman/designated hitter is only 19 years old and started his career in 2013 as a 17-year-old in the Arizona Rookie League. The lefty batted .282/.341/.374/.715 with 22 runs scored and 25 RBIs in 47 games. Last season, he played 112 games at Class-A Fort Wayne and slashed .296/.376/.414/.789 with 59 runs scored, eight home runs and 64 RBIs. According to Dave Chalk of FanSided, "Bauers actually performs better against left handed pitching. Against left-handers, he owns a triple slash line of .355/.461/.548 versus a triple slash line of .314/.381/.438 against righties." That surely can't hurt.
And finally, the Washington Nationals are the last team. Some have said they clearly won this trade, so we'll take a look at who they acquired.
P Joe Ross from SD Padres: Ross is the younger brother of Tyson Ross, who is a starter in the Padres rotation. The 21-year-old made his minor league debut when he was 18 in the Arizona Rookie League and has since made his way up to Double-A San Antonio. The right-hander is 15-18 in 62 games (60 starts) with a 3.90 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He's progressed well during the past two seasons, so the Nationals could see him hit the majors in 2016, which would be just in time since Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister might be gone after this year. Ross was selected 25th overall in the 2011 June Amateur Draft and was ranked the No. 6 prospect in the California League this year.
"Ross isn't afraid to work the inner half with his 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96. He has a quick arm, too, allowing his heater to jump on hitters," writes Jim Shonerd of Baseball America. "Ross' fading changeup works as a chase pitch, and he has the confidence to throw it in any count. His slider could be average at times but he had to work to not get around it and cause it to get slurvy."
SS Trea Turner from SD Padres: The 21-year-old Turner could be the successor to Ian Desmond, who becomes a free agent after this season. Desmond rejected a five-year, $90 million extension last offseason and has been the subject of trade talks this offseason. Turner was drafted back in 2011 by the Pirates but opted to attend college, so the Padres snagged him in the first round this past June. In 69 games between Class Short-Season A Eugene and Class-A Fort Wayne, the shortstop slashed .323/.406/.448/.854 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. According to John Manuel of Baseball America, Turner was rated the fastest runner and best defensive player of the 2014 draft class. He's expected to arrive in the big leagues by 2017, so perhaps the Nationals will sign someone in the short term if/when Desmond departs to prepare for his arrival.
