Some Dodger chips to ponder –
OF
Alex Verdugo - An extremely advanced hitter for
his age, Verdugo excels at recognizing pitches, managing the strike zone and
squaring up the ball. He exhibits plenty of bat speed from the left side of the
plate and an affinity for using the opposite field. The only concerns with him
offensively are whether his line-drive approach will limit him to average power
and whether he makes contact so easily that it will cut into his walks. Though
Verdugo has just average speed, he has spent most of his pro career in center
field. His instincts help him make plays, but a lot of evaluators believe his
range will be better suited for right field in the long run. His well
above-average arm definitely will play there and allowed him to record 37
assists in his first two full pro seasons. ETA: 2017
2B
Willie Calhoun - Calhoun also finished second in
the TL in homers (27) and strikeout rate (one per 8.6 plate appearances),
demonstrating his rare combination of hitting ability and power. A left-handed
hitter, he has a quick bat and a knack for making contact, and he might do even
more damage once he learns to wait a little better for pitches he can drive. He
could be a .280 hitter with 20 or more homers per season at his peak. That
would be quality production for a second baseman, but Calhoun probably won't
remain in the infield. His quickness, hands and arm all grade as below average
at second, though he has worked hard on his defense. An outfielder and third
baseman at Yavapai, he's most likely to wind up in left field and has enough
bat to profile there. ETA: 2018
RHSP
Walker Buehler - Buehler usually operated with a
90-96 mph fastball in college, and he opened eyes by throwing in the mid-90s
during his brief pro debut and hitting 99 during instructional league. Though
he's unlikely to maintain that velocity while handling a starter's workload, he
has a definite plus fastball and an array of impressive secondary pitches. He
can miss bats with both his curveball and slider (and morph the latter pitch
into a harder cutter), and his changeup shows flashes of becoming an
above-average offering. Because Buehler has a slight build, there were concerns
about his durability even before his elbow gave out. His athleticism and strike-throwing
ability should help his cause, and he was able to repeat his delivery and
maintain his stuff into the later innings while at Vanderbilt. If he stays
healthy he should become a mid-rotation starter, and he could be more than that
if his increased velocity is for real. ETA: 2018
OF
Yusniel Diaz - With his quick right-handed
stroke and good hand-eye coordination, Diaz barrels balls easily. He focuses on
hitting line drives and using the entire field, displaying decent patience at
the plate. The Dodgers had him focus on incorporating his lower half more in
his swing while he was sidelined, though he won't be a big power hitter and
figures to max out at 12-15 homers per year. Diaz doesn't need to be a slugger
because the rest of his tools all grade as solid or better. He's a plus runner
whose still figuring out how to use his speed on the basepaths after getting
caught in eight of his 15 steal attempts during his debut. He has the range and
arm strength to man all three outfield spots and he's
capable of playing regularly in center field. ETA: 2019
RHSP
Brock Stewart - Stewart showed a strong arm as a
position player and continues to do so on the mound, working at 92-95 mph and
topping out at 97 with his fastball. He throws a two-seamer with sink and a
four-seamer with riding life, commanding both of them very well. The rest of
his arsenal has improved significantly as he has gained more pitching
experience, with his tumbling changeup showing flashes of becoming a plus
offering and his mid-80s slider/cutter serving as an effective third pitch. Stewart's
control also has gotten better as he has focused on pitching, with his Minor
League walk rate shrinking from 4.5 per nine innings in 2014 to 2.1 in 2015 to
1.4 in 2016. Though he surrendered four homers in his second big league start,
he usually does a good job of keeping the ball down in the zone. If he can
tighten his slider, he could become a No. 3 starter. ETA: 2017
4 comments:
I would even like this scenario
We trade Cabrera, Bruce and Reed/ Blevins for Catcher Francisco Mejia plus ?
I would love to see Reed dealt for one or two good prospects.......he's a FA at the end of the year and he is not in our future plans, so why keep him? The current edition of our Mets will likely finish below .500 with our without Addison, so trading him (or any of the other veterans in the last year of their contracts) is a moot point.
Of your list Mack, I like Calhoun the best (if he can stay at 2B).
Mike
How about Verdugo AND Calhoun?
After all, Reed, could really cement LAD as an odds-on WS winner, making them look better than the Mets' 1986 team. So he has really higher value to a team like LAD< I'd think
Mike -
So do I but the Mets could probably negotiate for an addition lower level chip in this deal
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