For 3 prospects from Boston ... details to follow
Gerson Bautista | Rank: 28 (Preseason: 17)
Team: Salem Red Sox (A Adv)ETA: 2019Position: RHPAge: 22 DOB: 05/31/1995Bats: R Throws: RHeight: 6' 2" Weight: 170 lb.Signed: April 1, 2013 - BOS
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45
Though he signed for $350,000 out of the Dominican Republic in April 2013, Bautista didn't make his pro debut until 14 months later because he tested positive for an anabolic steroid and served a 50-game suspension. He compiled a 1.91 ERA in two years of Rookie ball as a starter, then became a full-time reliever in 2016 and reached low Class A while hitting triple digits with his fastball.
As with most pitchers, Bautista saw his stuff step up a notch when he moved to the bullpen. His fastball, which sat around 90 mph when he signed and at 92-94 mph when he was a starter, now operates at 94-97 mph with sink and run. His slider also added velocity and now parks in the mid-80s with sharper bite.
Bautista has a split-changeup from his rotation days but while it has some potential, he really doesn't need it in his new role. Though he has made some strides with his control and command, he'll need to smooth out his delivery and make further refinements. If he can, he could develop into a set-up man.
Jamie Callahan | Rank: 23 (Preseason: NR)
Team: Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)ETA: 2017Position: RHPAge: 22 DOB: 08/24/1994Bats: R Throws: RHeight: 6' 2" Weight: 230 lb.Drafted: 2012, 2nd (87) - BOS
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
The top high school prospect in South Carolina in 2012, Callahan signed for $600,000 as a second-round pick. He hit the wall as a starter in Class A, posting a 7.32 ERA in 2014 and early 2015, and moved to the bullpen for good after giving up eight runs in one-third of an inning in a May 2015 start. He keeps getting better with experience as a reliever, excelling in the Arizona Fall League after last season and earning a promotion to Triple-A this May.
After working with a low-90s fastball out of the rotation, Callahan now operates with a 94-96 mph fastball in shorter stints. He also has transformed a slider that often was slurvy into an upper-80s cutter that keeps hitters from sitting on his heater. He had an ineffective changeup as a starter but doesn't need it in his relief role.
Callahan had major control issues as a starter in Class A and struggled to find the strike zone at times last year. Then he seemed to turn a corner in the AFL and didn't issue a walk in 10 Double-A appearances before his promotion this spring. If he continues to deliver strikes, he should be able to help Boston in a middle-relief role later this season.
Stephen Nogosek | Rank: 18 (Preseason: 24)
Team: Salem Red Sox (A Adv)ETA: 2019Position: RHPAge: 22 DOB: 01/11/1995Bats: R Throws: RHeight: 6' 2" Weight: 205 lb.Drafted: 2016, 6th (178) - BOS
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
A star quarterback in high school, Nogosek excelled as a reliever at Oregon, compiling a 1.88 ERA in three seasons and ranking fourth in NCAA Division I with 16 saves in 2016. He gave the Ducks a reliever taken in the top 10 round for the fourth straight year -- following Jimmy Sherfy (Diamondbacks), Jake Reed (Twins) and Garrett Cleavinger (Orioles) -- and signed for a slightly below-slot $250,000 as a sixth-rounder.
Nogosek has more pitches than a typical reliever, using two versions of a fastball and both a slider and a cutter. He can sink a two-seam fastball in the low 90s and has more success with a four-seamer that reaches 96 mph and has an excessive spin rate that allows it to dodge bats up in the strike zone. Both his mid-80s slider and upper-80s cutter can be plus pitches at times, and he also can mix in a changeup with some fade.
Nogosek's control of his pitches fluctuates at times, but he generally throws enough strikes to keep himself out of trouble. The Red Sox pushed him to low Class A in his pro debut, and he pitched well there with the exception of one six-run outing. If he continues to miss bats like Boston thinks he can, he'll advance quickly.
Not a stud in the lot of them...quantity over quality isn't a business strategy. At the risk of sounding like a certain orange haired political leader, terrible job, Sandy. You're supposed to use your prime trade chip to make the Mets great again.
ReplyDeleteShaking my head
ReplyDeleteActually Jim Bowden said it was a fairly good return. I would of preferred 1 top 5 prospect instead of the 3 we got.
Delete3 top 30 prospects in a loaded Boston pipeline for an expiring contract.
ReplyDeleteGreat deal.
What did you guys expect? Base Ruth?
Totally agree Mack.
DeleteReed is NOT Chapman or Miller and when all is said and done, he's a good reliever that Sandy originally got in an August deal for Matt koch and Miller Diaz.
To get the production the Mets have gotten out of him and then turn him into 3 quality arms, all under team control for years, is a big win. This is how you keep systems stocked. This is how you can build a good bullpen WITHOUT having to spend 75 million on one relief pitcher.
Sandy will never spend big money on an all star reliever. So he's gone about finding young power arms that could hopefully be in the mix next spring. Good deal.
I'm pretty stunned with some of the exspectations some of the fans had in this deal. Reed was never getting some team's top 5 prospect. To get 3 top 30 prospects is great.
Mack, I agree. Some people find fault with everything. I think this is a great move to secure the future of the bullpen. This off season you can look for one or two main pieces for next year.
ReplyDeleteIf one of those 3 arms gets to bigs I will be happy. All we lost was two months of a rental player during a non-contending season And acquired 3 very lively arms in the deal! Good deal.
ReplyDeletewe could say we never know but there are people in the Business who's job is to know...
ReplyDeleteYour telling me that the best we can do is a top 18 prospect on a 22 ranks farm system?
The return on the surface is trash... And if this is really the best we can do then fire Sandy simply on having assets that have no value...
If you look at the numbers posted by these three pitchers, they're underwhelming. Granted, one of them is still in his teens so he has room to develop, but the others are in their 20s and have more of a mediocre track record already. Of the three, the best numbers come from Nogosek who, at age 22, is still in A ball.
ReplyDeleteAnd btw- 2 other teams dropped out of the building because they did not like the way they felt Terry over used Reed this year & now they will have trouble moving Cabrera possibly until August. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteYou could say teams were Terry-fied of trading for Reed!
ReplyDeleteHeyman says scouts love Mets return on deal for Reed!
ReplyDeleteJonathan Mayo likes deal a lot
ReplyDeleteTons of potential
Nogasek best one he thinks
From MLB trade rumors:
ReplyDeleteDespite prior indications that the Mets would find a taker for Asdrubal Cabrera by the deadline, the team is “way less optimistic” of that possibility today, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). Indeed, that may well extend to other veterans (beyond those already dealt, of course), per Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter). As Sherman explains, hanging onto Cabrera past the deadline doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be traded, as he and other Mets veterans carry large enough salaries (on short enough terms) to clear waivers in August. Of course, making deals after the non-waiver deadline generally means working under additional constraints with reduced leverage. And in the Mets’ case, keeping the veterans would complicate the club’s roster plans.
Teams are not falling over themselves to take our impending free agents and give us anything of value. That seems to be the case with most teams right now as well. I am hearing that at least seven trades that were being worked on very heavily with other clubs fell through as well so the Mets are not the only organization in this boat.
ReplyDeleteThe bullpen has been re-stocked. Hopefully all three will turn out to be quality relievers. They really are none coming up out of the Minors in 2018 so we have been restocked between them and Drew Smith
ReplyDeleteExactly Tom
ReplyDeleteAnd we all know how many relief pitchers started out as having at least one or two defects in their game and ended up figuring it out by the time they finally got promoted or not long afterwards. Tampa & BoSox are both loaded with prospects so I think Sandy did an admirable job of restocking the minor league bullpen in a handful of days!
Looks like they got 1 guy who should be in the bulpen next year. One guy who might be ready later in the season. One guy who is a lottery. All three throw hard and have potential. dont get caught up on rankings, non minor league closers just dont get ranked high, bc they are limited in ceiling even if guys who pitch the 8th inning now make 8 mm a year in mlb.
ReplyDeleteGMs just dont trade top 10 prospects for rental players that arent elite. If reed had another year of control theyd have gotten more back, but Gms just are too smart to overpay for 2 months of a non elite (Chapman type). if the guy you trade isnt going to get 100m in free agency youre not getting a big prospect back anymore.
I dont know enough about these guys but i like that sandy is rebuilding a part of the club that clearly is lacking in depth and options.
All 3 prospects are relievers?
ReplyDeleteMeh.....
This is so disappointing when you look at it through the lens if the past 10 years.
All of these years to rebuild the Mets and not only do they fizzle out like a dud firework......they can't even turn their expiring contracts and pkayers being moved aside to make room for younger players into anything of worth.
I am embarrassed when I look across town to the Yankees that were able to rebuild much more efficiently.
Last year they were finally out of the playoff picture.
The Met farm system was supposedly stacked while the Yankees farm system was supposedly pitiful.
Last year trading deadline the Yankees were able to turn their veterans into prospect gold sticking their farm system.
1 year later the Yankees are back in the playoff hunt.
Met fans are left wondering what is going on with a dud major league team.
A broken major league starting rotation with no assurance it will be anything like what was imagined.
And a minor league system that outside of 2 promising prospects seems unready to help the major league roster anytime soon.
This stuff just can not be made up.