Cleveland Sports Forum

Grading Cleveland's Side of the Deal

Don't sleep on Cleveland. This is the right move for the Indians, too. They are once again in the thick of a pennant chase, with an elite starting rotation leading the way. So why did they deal their second-best starter? Because they have silenced opposing hitters without needing Clevinger, who has made just four starts this season due to his team-issued timeout.

Cleveland traded a strength to address a few weaknesses. Josh Naylor, a 23-year-old former first-round draft pick, can play the outfield and first base and should provide some lefty pop to a lineup that has underperformed so far this season. Naylor didn't get regular at-bats in the San Diego lineup, but he should see plenty of action in Cleveland against right-handers. The Indians have the worst outfield OPS (.572) in the American League; Naylor has a .732 OPS.

Catcher Austin Hedges, one of the best defensive backstops in the game, has never developed as a hitter like the Padres would have hoped, but his 67 OPS+ this season is actually better than that of both Indians catchers, Roberto Perez (24 OPS+) and Sandy Leon (46 OPS+). All three are having poor offensive seasons, but Hedges is the best hitter of the three defense-first catchers.


Right-hander Cal Quantrill has been quite good in relief for San Diego this year, posting a 171 ERA+ in 17 1/3 innings (10 games), and will add some depth to the dependable Cleveland bullpen.

As for the three prospects, the one that jumps out is shortstop Gabriel Arias, who MLB.com ranked seventh in the San Diego system. If the Indians have to let Francisco Lindor walk as a free agent after next season, Arias could be their shortstop of the future.

This feels like what Cleveland did at last year's deadline when it traded Trevor Bauer to the Reds (a three-team deal that also included San Diego). Both Bauer and Clevinger carry some baggage, but don't read too much into their blemishes. The Indians dealt both pitchers because they could afford to do so and not lose much due to the strength of their rotation.

We won't know if this trade truly is a win-win until we see how the Cleveland prospects fare when they become big leaguers. But, even if this isn't as even a deal as an Aroldis Chapman-for-Gleyber Torres type of swap, Cleveland is still playoff caliber in 2020 without Clevinger. And due to their deep rotation, the Indians will be a scary matchup for any of the great American League lineups come October.

Grade A-

BY MATT MARTELL

In some ways, this is reminiscent of Cleveland’s bet on first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers, but the club will hope for better results out of Naylor than they’ve received from Bauers so far. There’s certainly everyday upside present with Naylor, who can be controlled all the way through 2025, but it does seem a bit surprising that Cleveland brass didn’t focus on a more established young hitter.



What ever happened to Bauers? Despite all the terrible OF performances this year he's stayed put in Eastlake.

Arias could be their shortstop of the future.

Maybe for a year or two before Rocchio arrives; although I thought Freeman is a fine gap filler until that time and then Tyler'd move over to second unless or until Aaron Bracho is ready for the majors. He's a 2nd baseman with a very big bat.

I wasn’t supposed to be anything’: How a kid from Hawai’i named Joey Cantillo became a valued MLB prospect

Written by: Brady Lim
Follow us on Twitter @TheFFChronicle
Joey Cantillo is not loud. He’s big — 6-foot-4, 230 pounds — but not overbearing. He thinks before he speaks and chooses his words carefully. Every response is thorough and expansive. In today’s world, extroversion has increasingly become conflated with leadership. More words mean more knowledge, and whoever speaks the loudest has the best ideas.

Cantillo dispels that notion in a conversation that lasts just 15 minutes. The goals are bold, the belief is strong, and the voice is simultaneously confident and understated.

“One of the best to ever do it,” he says matter-of-factly when asked how he wants to be remembered in 20 years. “I want to be known as a competitor and a worker. And I think I am.”

But before he was Joey Cantillo the highly rated prospect, he was simply Joey Cantillo the kid. The one from Kailua, Hawai’i with big dreams on a small island. He knew he wanted to make it to The Show, but didn’t have many baseball players to emulate that came from where he came from. That all changed when he met Kirby Yates, a journeyman-turned-All-Star who is now the best closer in the game.

“He was never a huge name out of Hawai’i,” Cantillo said of his teammate. “He worked his way up, grinded his way through the system. And he’s done really well for himself the last couple years. A lot of guys are looking up to him — I’m certainly looking up to him.”

“We see each other in the complex every day and once in a while we’ll talk stories for a little bit.”

But those stories aren’t just about surfing and sunshine. They’re about work, they’re about struggle, and they’re about how a kid from an island in the middle of the Pacific can become an All-Star in the biggest baseball league on the planet. Those were lessons that Cantillo already knew, but it just meant more coming from someone who has summited a peak that he wants to one day reach himself.

Credit to: Lance Brozodowski
Credit to: Lance Brozodowski

He’ll eventually be one of the best to ever do it. He’s sure of it. But for right now, he’s got other things to worry about.

It’s 2017, and Cantillo has just been signed by San Diego and assigned to the Arizona League. The AZL Padres are on their way to play their fourth night game in a row, and they’re doing so on a bus not too different from the yellow ones kids with backpacks and lunch pails take to school. Surely, catching up on sleep on a bus somewhere in the middle of the Sonoran Desert isn’t exactly what high schoolers picture themselves doing fresh off signing a professional baseball contract. Cantillo didn’t expect it either, and he occasionally feels the urge to complain rising to the surface. But before that happens, there’s something that stops him.

“It does take a toll on you,” he says. “Long bus rides, early bus rides; day game, then night game, night game, night game, night game. Going to bed at different times, waking up at different times. But I love it. You’ve gotta love it, right?”

You’ve gotta love it, right?

That right there is what makes players great. Fastballs with movement and disappearing changeups help, but the core of stardom is in the mentality — loving the work to get to the top more than the notoriety that comes with reaching that point. That’s what Cantillo understands at just 17 years old.

“I was young. I was 17, and I was ready mentally,” he said. “My maturity level was there to handle living on my own and playing pro ball.”

It’s part of the reason he passed up a scholarship to play high-level college baseball at the University of Kentucky. He could’ve gone to Lexington and enjoyed the rest of his teens on campus like a lot of kids want to do. But a lot of kids don’t have the goal to be the best to ever do it. Cantillo does, so he chose to start his professional career as soon as possible.

“Some guys need college — they need college to grow up. I’m obviously still growing up, and we’re all growing up, but I didn’t need to go to college for those reasons. I was ready to be an adult.”

Left to right: Luis Patiño, Manny Machado, Taylor Trammell, Owen Miller, Joey Cantillo Credit to: Joey Cantillo
Left to right: Luis Patiño, Manny Machado, Taylor Trammell, Owen Miller, Joey Cantillo

Credit to: Joey Cantillo

It’s now February of 2020, and he’s legally an adult. Twenty years old to be exact, in big-league spring training, brushing shoulders with the likes of MLB ace Chris Paddack and Baseball Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman. About one in every 6,600 high school baseball players — or 0.00015 percent — make it to the major leagues. Those are roughly the same odds as a thief guessing your PIN on the first try. And Cantillo is on the mainland, playing with those guys, increasingly being talked about as the next product of San Diego’s renowned farm system.

So while guessing a PIN on the first try was never one of his goals, making the big leagues always was. An invite to major-league camp is a significant step in that direction, and Cantillo knows it. It’s a fine line, as he puts it, between appreciating how far he’s come while staying focused on what’s in front of him. At this moment, the 20-year-old kid from a small town on the east coast of Oahu is managing that line with the wisdom of someone 15 years older.

“I haven’t accomplished my end goals,” he says. “It is good to take a step back and say, ‘Hey, I have come a long way’ — and I do that sometimes — but you check it off the box and you’re constantly looking ahead.”

Cantillo reasons that his upbringing on the island is part of what gives him that rare perspective at the ripe age of 20. Nobody makes it out of Hawai’i in one fell swoop. Rather, stacking goals one by one and slowly but surely accomplishing them is the blueprint that he’s laid out, and it’s the one he’s going to follow.

Before the major leagues were ever a real possibility, his father spent hours with him on the fields, pushing him “in ways I didn’t understand as a kid.” On those days, his only goal was to be better than he was the day before. Fifteen consecutive years of those days has blossomed a kid with a dream into a kid with a chance.

His goal now? Make the most of that chance. It’s the one that’s currently in front of him, and he’s been making the most of the chances in front of him for over a decade.

“We got a lot of eyes on a lot of people,” he said of spring training. “A lot of minds, a lot of brains to be picked. I want to continue what I’ve done and grow on it.”

There it is again, that quiet confidence shining through. Everyone is watching him, and that’s a good thing. Spring training isn’t a test to be dissected. No, no, no. To Cantillo, it’s an opportunity to showcase 15 years of hard, tireless work — work others didn’t want to do. After all, there’s a reason why he’s here and they’re not.

“I wasn’t supposed to be anything. I’m confident in my abilities — it’s something I’ve always known — but it’s about continuing to prove the other people wrong.”

SAN DIEGO PADRES 2020 TOP-25 PROSPECTS
JANUARY 18, 2020 BY ERIC CROSS | ERICCROSS04


San Diego Padres Prospects

That’s right, Padres time! Over the last few years, the Padres have risen to become one of the gold standards when it comes to farm systems. We’ve already seen some of that talent recently with several top San Diego prospects debuting at the Major League level in the last year or two. Around this time last season, GM A.J. Preller said they were going to put their 25 best players on the opening day roster. He wasn’t lying either. When the opening day roster was announced, both Fernando Tatis Jr and Chris Paddack were on it. They also promoted Adrian Morejon from Double-A later in the season and have promoted fairly aggressively in general. That can be a risky tactic, but when you have prospects like this, it can work out.

All in all, this is arguably the most talented and deepest farm system in baseball. On both sides of the ball too. Even after dealing one of their top-5 prospects in Xavier Edwards earlier this offseason. But enough intro, we got a lot to cover here with this stacked system so let’s get right into it.

Overall System Grade: A


Top-25 San Diego Padres Prospects – 2020
1. MacKenzie Gore, LHP


All hail Gore the great! On the pitching side of things, 2020 is going to be the Gore tour in the National Leagues as the stud southpaw is likely to make his Major League debut early in the season. Yes, even with only five starts and 21.2 innings at the Double-A level. The San Diego Padres have shown that they aren’t afraid to promote aggressively and did so last season by placing Fernando Tatis Jr and Chris Paddack on the opening day roster. Now, it takes a special kind of prospect for this to work, and without question, MacKenzie Gore is special.


As I said in my tweet, Gore checks off all the boxes of a future ace and perennial Cy Young award contender. We’ll get to the arsenal in a second, but let’s start with everything else. At 6’3/195, Gore already has a strong frame with some physical projection still left on it. He’ll work out of a 3/4 arm slot with his pattened higher leg kick and arm raise to start his delivery. Gore uses a strong push off to create plus extension towards the plate with exceptional arm speed. It’s a very athletic delivery, but one he’s shown he can repeat consistently.

Alright, time to talk about this beautiful and dynamic arsenal. Gore already sits in the 93-96 mph range consistently with his fastball and could realistically end up in the 95-98 range with some added bulk. The fastball also features strong riding life and Gore can turn it over into a two-seam around 92-94. Offsetting the fastballs are a trio of secondaries that all project as 55-grade offerings or better. In fact, his slider is the only one I’d grade as 55 with Gore’s big curveball and changeup both projecting as plus pitches or better. And to put a nice, little bow on this arsenal, Gore has a good feel for all of his pitches and possesses above-average to plus command and control. C’mon MacKenzie, that’s just not fair.


With this arsenal, command, and pitchability, Gore has a ridiculously high upside to go along with one of the highest floors around for current pitching prospects. He’s my #1 overall pitching prospect right now and inside my top-10 overall. TINSTAAPP be damned!

2. CJ Abrams, SS


There might not be a more exciting prospect from the 2019 draft class than C.J. Abrams. The highly-athletic shortstop prospect was taken 6th overall and wasted zero time making the Padres look like geniuses for taking him there. In his professional debut in the Arizona League, Abrams annihilated opposing pitching to the tune of a .401 average with 23 extra-base hits and 14 steals in just 32 games before he was promoted to the Single-A Midwest League for a couple of games. You can’t ask for a much better start than that to begin your professional career.

As you probably could guess from the stats and verbiage I used above, Abrams is incredibly fast and a legit 80-grade runner. Assuming he continues to show good instincts on the bases, there’s no reason why he can’t be an annual 40-steal threat and one of the league leaders in steals year in and year out. And while the speed is impressive, the real beauty about Abrams as a prospect is that he’s far from just a speedster. He can provide a ton of value with the bat as well.


From the left side, Abrams has displayed plus contact skills with a quick and smooth swing through the zone. he uses a moderate leg kick to time pitches and has a stronger lower half than his size would suggest. There’s not a ton of loft at present, but Abrams does possess at least average raw power and could be a 12-18 homer guy with some added loft and bulk.

All the tools are here for Abrams to develop into a fantasy monster with a Trea Turner like impact. Whether that comes from shortstop is the question. But even if Abrams has to move to center field, this offensive profile makes him one of the most exciting prospects in baseball and one of the top dynasty prospects around already.

3. Luis Patino, RHP


Having two top-10 pitching prospects in the same system almost isn’t fair. In basically any other system, Luis Patino would be the top guy and get even more prospect love than he already receives in dynasty leagues, which is a lot. This is even a guy that has the chance to be the top pitching prospect in baseball in 2021 once Gore and others graduate to the Majors. There’s always been excitement surrounding Patino, but over the last year or two, Patino has made strides and really developed into one of the premier arms in the minors.

A big reason for that is the development of his secondary offerings, mainly his changeup. Patino now has three secondaries in his slider, curveball, and changeup that project as Major League average to plus offerings. He’s shown a good feel for all three and both breaking balls have good shape to them and miss bats regularly. Those two are still ahead of his changeup, but Patino developing that changeup into a 4th Major League average or better offering has been big for him. And like with Gore, Patino now uses a bigger leg kick in his delivery and is able to create solid extension toward home plate.

With all that said, I haven’t even gotten to Patino’s best pitch. Patino’s fastball sits in the mid-90’s and can get up into the upper-90’s with life. He’s able to generate that type of elite velocity with his arm speed rather than pure size and strength. Because if you missed it, Patino is only 6′ and 190 pounds.

Overall, Patino isn’t quite on Gore’s level. But honestly, who is? Patino’s command and control, while at least average, are a bit behind Gore’s as well. But does all that really matter in the grand scheme of things? No, not really. Patino is one of the most electric arms in baseball and a top-10 pitching prospect overall. Seeing him, Gore, and Chris Paddack in one rotation within the next year or two is going to be fun to watch as a baseball fan.

4. Taylor Trammell, OF


Say it with me, “Taylor Trammell is still a great prospect.” It’s funny what one down season can do to a prospect’s stock. Especially one that has been considered one of the top prospects in baseball over the last couple of seasons. The Padres showed their confidence in Trammell and his potential when they acquired him in the three-team trade with Cincinnati and Cleveland last summer. A change of scenery didn’t turn Trammell’s season around, but we can’t forget the raw tools he has that made him a top prospect.

First and foremost, Trammell is a plus athlete with plus or better speed. That speed has served him well on the bases and in center field, although, Trammell hasn’t been too efficient on the bases over the last two seasons. Still, there’s 25-plus stolen base upside here. Trammell shouldn’t have much trouble reaching that level either with his speed and high OBP. Even when his average dips to .234 as it did in 2019, Trammell was still able to record a .340 OBP thanks to a 13.0% walk rate. That type of walk rate has been the norm for Trammell who has a 12.2% career walk rate and hasn’t been below 12% in any season since his debut back in 2016.

While the speed and OBP are strengths, Trammell’s contact skills and power took a step back in 2019. After peaking with a .172 ISO in 2017, Trammell has declined there in each of the last two seasons down to .116 in 2019. In addition, his average estimated fly ball distance dropped nearly 10 feet last season. He’s also been very pull-happy, pushing 50% in each of the last three seasons. While Trammell has around average raw power, he doesn’t have the type of power to support a pull-happy profile like this.



Trammell has displayed above-average contact skills in the past, but he’s going to need to start using the whole field more to sustain the averages he had prior to 2019. As long as Trammell can get back up into the .270-.280 range, his OBP should be high enough to project him as a leadoff or #2 type hitter longterm. And when you factor in his speed, Trammell has the chance to be a dynamic leadoff hitter capable of .280/.380/15/30 seasons.

5. Luis Campusano, C


Typically, I usually don’t rank caching prospects very high in fantasy-focused lists. There is only a handful of catching prospects that I believe have the offensive skill set and pure upside to warrant a high ranking. Luis Campusano is one of them. While Trammell had a tough 2019, Campusano excelled and saw many of his tools and metrics take big steps forward. Most notably, his power. And yes, the California League is more of a hitter’s league, but improvements were made that support his power rise, proving this wasn’t just due to him receiving a boost from the league’s parks.

From 2018 to 2019, Campusano’s ISO rose from .079 to .186, slugging from .373 to .511, and his estimated fly ball distance grew nearly 20 feat from 279.3 to 297.5. On top of all the power gains, Campusano’s batting average, OBP, and strikeout rate improved for the second straight season and his walk rate rose 4% up to 10.7%. With the rising walk rate and dropping strikeout rate, Campusano’s walk rate now is nearly identical to his strikeout rate. You got to love a hitter than walks more than 10% of the time while keeping his strikeout rate very low.

Now, it’s not like Campusano has come out of nowhere. He was a 2nd round pick in 2017 as the first catcher off the board and 39th pick overall. His offensive skills and strong throwing arm were a big reason for that high draft slot and those offensive skills are now really beginning to blossom. I’m not expecting any of this to change either. Campusano has a fluid swing with plus bat speed and quick hands. He drops his hands a bit during load giving him a slight uppercut swing path. His above-average raw power really started coming out this past season just as he began getting more loft and driving the ball in the air.

This is a 55-hit, 55-power catcher in the making capable of hitting around .280 or so with 15-20 home runs annually. And while he’s not a standout defensive catcher, he’s shown adequate receiving skills and a strong arm which should keep him behind the plate moving forward. With Austin Hedges under contract through 2022 and Francisco Mejia on the roster as well, the Padres are going to have a tough decision on their hands fairly soon as Campusano should be ready to contribute at the Major League level before Hedges contract is up.

6. Adrian Morejon, LHP


With the dynamic duo of Gore and Patino in this system, Adrian Morejon has really flown under the radar. Yes, he’s still thought of highly in most places, but the spotlight seems to have dulled on him over the last 12-18 months. Morejon has never really dominated any level, but he’s more than held his own while being quite young for every level he’s been at. He even skipped Triple-A when the Padres surprisingly called him up from Double-A last season. In his two starts and three relief appearances, Morejon got smacked around, but the long-term outlook remains bright.

In another surprising decision, the Padres got Morejon some additional work in the Arizona Fall League. And by that I mean one start spanning two innings. I was actually in attendance for that start and came away pretty impressed, especially with his secondary offerings. Working out of a high 3/4 arm slot, Morejon has a smooth delivery with minimum effort. He’s shown that he can repeat his delivery and doesn’t let his mechanics get out of wack. And that higher arm slot allows him to get plenty of depth on both his curveball and changeup which are shown below. The first is a changeup away to strike out Jonathan India and the second a curveball to strike out Dodgers first-rounder, Michael Busch. For me, both pitches grade as plus with the CH bordering on double-plus.

Video Player

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In addition to the two secondaries, Morejon has a above-average to plus fastball as well that sits in the low to mid-90’s with some arm side run. It would be a locked-in third plus offering with better command and control, which has been the main thing holding Morejon back from really skyrocketing up prospect rankings into the top-50 overall. That type of potential is there if he can refine that command and pound the strike zone more. In my live look, he seemed to be trying to nibble around the corners too much, something that has limited Eduardo Rodriguez throughout his career.

Those concerns about him potentially being more of a reliever to due to his smaller size can be silenced with improved command. Morejon is still a buy for me in dynasty leagues as he’s still pretty young and has the upside of a high-end #3 starter.

7. Hudson Head, OF


The Hudson Head prospect stock is heading in the right direction already. See what I did there? A 3rd round pick out of the Texas High School ranks, Head is already looking like a steal for the Padres. Now, that hasn’t come through in terms of big statistical production yet, but Head wowed scouts in the Arizona League, flashing his all-around skillset. Included in that is Jason Pennini, current pro scout for the Minnesota Twins and former co-founder of Prospects Live, who said Head “may have been the steal of the draft.” That’s high praise and certainly one I believe in myself.


When you watch Head, one this that is immediately obvious is his electric bat speed from the left side of the plate. He starts with a slightly-opened stance and hands behind his head. His hand movement through load is quick and fluid before exploding through the zone. Quick-twitch is a great way to describe Head at the plate. There’s also some natural loft created by his swing, which combined with his above-average raw power, could lead to 20-25 home runs down the road with the speed to match it, especially if he adds a little bulk to his 6’1 frame.

This is a prospect to target now before the price tag inevitably begins to soar. Head has the tools to develop into a 55-hit, 55-power, 55/60 speed outfielder that can hit near the top of the order. He truly looks like a future #2 hitter to me. Think with your head and try to acquire Head in dynasty leagues. Okay, I’ll stop. Let’s head on to the next prospect.

8. Gabriel Arias, SS


Now we’re getting into the section of my rankings with three of my favorite prospects in the system that I expect to rise up rankings in a big way in 2020. Let’s start with Gabrial Arias. After modest production in his first two professional seasons, the 19-year-old Venezuelan shortstop broke out in a big way in 2019. In 120 games, Arias slashed .302/.339/.470/.809 with 21 doubles, 17 home runs, and eight steals. Again, some might say it was a California League boost, but as I said with Campusano above, it’s not all due to that. And additionally, Lake Elsinore was the least hitter-friendly park in the hitter-friendly league.



Did you see who was 8th above? The above image shows the top estimated fly ball distances for prospects under 20 years old. You have a lot of the usual suspects near the top and then Mr. Arias sneaking in at #8. In 2019, Arias’ estimated fly ball distance rose nearly 20 feet while his fly ball rate and ISO also rose a fair amount. His groundball rate, in turn, dropped from 53.7% to 44.4%.

Known for his defensive skills when signed back in 2016, Arias’ offensive skills are now beginning to catch up. He’s displayed above-average contact skills and close to plus raw power from the right side. A slight change in his swing mechanics seems to have done wonders for him as Lance Brozdowski of Prospects Live displayed very well below.


As Lance mentioned, the two-strike approach changed. Arias has always had plenty of swing and miss tendencies, but that seems to be heading in the right direction, dropping from 29.4% to 25.0% in 2019. He’ll need to continue improving his plate discipline and remaining more patient at the dish if he wants to fully capitalize on his offensive tools. The end result could be a 55-hit, 55-power, 50-speed shortstop, with .280/20/10 upside, and maybe even a bit more power into the mid-20’s.

9. Tucupita Marcano, 2B


Tucupita Marcano is a hard prospect to rank as the pros and cons are very pronounced here. To start, Marcano possesses two plus tools in his hit tool and speed. From the left side, Marcano has a very controlled and compact swing with exceptional barrel control and strike zone awareness. His 8.9% strikeout rate was the highest of his three-year professional career. The HIGHEST, not the lowest. In fact, 2019 was the first season when Marcano struck out more than he walked.

While I mentioned his plus speed, that comes with a caveat. That caveat being that Marcano is still very raw as a base stealer. He’s only converted on 60.6% of his attempts in his career and got caught over 50% of the time last season. It doesn’t matter how fast you are, if you’re running consistently into outs, the green light isn’t going to shine on you tht often. He’s still young and has time to adjust and improve, but that is an area that’s going to need some major refinement if Marcano is going to take full advantage of his plus speed.

Another aspect that will determine just how impactful Marcano can be in the fantasy world is how much power develops. He’s flashed at least some raw power, but a linear swing path and ground ball heavy approach limit what power he does have. Lastly, Marcano isn’t a great defender and doesn’t have a concrete long-term defensive home at the moment. There’s still a lot of work to be done here, but the upside is intriguing if Marcano can put it all together.

10. Reginald Preciado, SS


Remember when I said that three of my favorite breakout/rising prospects were in this middle section? Here’s the third one. To start, Reginald Preciado is a 6’4, 16-year-old shortstop. If that doesn’t get your blood flowing, I don’t know what will. Of course, size isn’t everything, but you got to love this type of projectable frame. And from what I’ve seen so far, Preciado has some solid skills on both sides of the ball.

At the plate, Preciado is a switch hitter that has displayed plus bat speed and a good feel for hitting from both sides of the plate. At present, he has more power from the right side, but just wait. I’d be shocked if bulk wasn’t added over the next few seasons. We’ll have to wait and see, but the potential for plus power is certainly in the conversation,

Preciado is also an above-average athlete with decent range at short and at least average foot speed. With his current size and age, questions about if he can remain at shortstop will always follow him. But even if he gets forced over to the hot corner, Preciado has the raw tools to project just fine there.

11. Edward Olivares, OF


After a lackluster three years in rookie ball, Edward Olivares broke out in 2017 and has never looked back. Over the last three seasons, two with San Diego and one (2017) with Toronto, Olivares has averaged around 16 home runs and 25 steals while hitting between .269 and .283. The 2019 season went down as the best of Olivares’ career with a .283/18/35 line in 127 Texas League games. Even with his power trending up, there still might be a tad more power to be had. Olivares’ fly ball rate has been hovering in the low to mid-30% range over the last several seasons. With his raw power, I believe he could get into the low-20’s if he starts driving the ball in the air more.

While I don’t question the power growth or the plus speed he’s shown, I do question if the average can remain at this level. Olivares has shown average to above-average contact skills, plus bat speed thanks to quick hands, and doesn’t strike out too often, but his aggressive approach is one that can be exposed by the best pitchers in the world. Even if Olivares’ average dips more into the .250-.260 range, his 20/25 upside is worth targeting in dynasty leagues.

12. Ryan Weathers, LHP


The 2018 Gatorade National Player of the Year and second-generation pitcher, Ryan Weathers has one of the highest floors you’ll find in this system. He doesn’t have the upside to match the guys above him, but Weathers’ combination of arsenal, command, and pitchability gives him the upside of a solid mid-rotation arm. Weathers isn’t overly tall at 6’1, but has a strong frame, especially in his lower half. His delivery is smooth and repeatable from a slightly lower 3/4 arm slot but lacks a ton of extension.

As for the arsenal, Weathers works with a fastball/curveball/changeup mix with all three projecting as Major League average or better offerings. None of them truly stand out as a plus pitch, but Weathers has shown a good feel and above-average command of all three, which all project as 55-grade offerings. With this type of arsenal, command, and size, Weather looks like a workhorse #3 starter in the making that should make his debut in San Diego by 2022.

13. Esteury Ruiz, 2B


You can pretty much copy and paste the first sentence from Marcano’s section here. Over the last few seasons, Esteury Ruiz has flashed an enticing skill set, but is still very raw as a prospect. To start, Ruiz is a plus athlete with easy plus speed and sneaky above-average raw power. The speed hasn’t had any issues translating into game action, but the power output has been inconsistent, pretty much ever since he came to San Diego from Kansas City. He’s shown above-average raw power in batting practice, but outside of 12 homers in 2018, that power has rarely shown up.

That’s not for a lack of loft though. Ruiz has a slight uppercut swing path with plus bat speed and has regularly had a fly ball rate above 40%. No, what has held him back is his aggressive approach. Ruiz doesn’t walk a whole ton and tends to chase more pitches outside of the zone than he should, which led to a 15.1 SwStr% in 2019. If he can be more patient and wait for a pitch to drive, I believe we could see Ruiz get up into the teens for home runs to pair with 30-plus steals. Even if the contact skills don’t progress much and the average remains below .260, there’s still some solid upside here.

14. Ismael Mena, OF


In a system chalked full of talent throughout, Ismael Mena just might have the biggest breakout potential in 2020. The 6’3 Dominican outfielder is highly athletic with double-plus speed and plus range in the outfield. Even if he adds bulk as he gets older, I can’t see Mena sliding down below at least plus speed in the future with 25-plus SB potential. He’s far from just a speedster too. Mena has shown good bat speed from the left side of the plate with a fluid swing. Although, his swing can get a tad long at times. But that’s nothing that can’t be cleaned up over time.

Mena has shown a solid feel for hitting for someone his age and can make hard contact to all fields with close to average raw power at present. Still only 16, Mena has plenty of physical projection left on his 6’3 frame, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up as an above-average to plus raw power type to go alonge with his speed and above-average contact skills. There’s major breakout potential here making Mena a great dynasty target now before his price tag soars.

15. Owen Miller, MIF


In general, Owen Miller isn’t the flashiest player around. But man, does the guy just produce. If you looked up the word “gamer” in the dictionary, the description would simply say his name. A 3rd round pick in 2018, Miller hit .336 in 2018 and .290 last season while adding 13 home runs and five steals in 130 games. That stat line is telling and misleading at the same time.

First, Miller possesses above-average to plus contact skills with a quick and compact right-handed swing. He’s able to keep his weight balanced and hands inside the ball with an all-fields, line0drive approach. The power upside isn’t more than 12-15 taters annually, but his contact skills and feel for hitting should lead to high batting averages annually, likely in the .280-.290 range.

Then, on the flip side, Miller has much more speed than his five steals would indicate. That’s why you can never fully trust a minor league stat line. Miller’s speed grades as above-average to plus and I’d expect more stolen bases out of him moving forward. So, all in all, we have a rock-solid, yet unspectacular prospect that is more of a high-floor hitter than a high-ceiling one. Think something along the lines of Kevin Newman. The Padres have promoted him aggressively so far, skipping high-A altogether. Expect him to continue moving quickly with a late-2020 debut in the cards.

16. Hudson Potts, 3B


This is a prospect I want to rank higher. And frankly, he’d likely be top-10 in most farm systems. But there are some concerns around Hudson Potts that might ultimately limit his future value. With that said, one area I’m not concerned with is his power. While he hasn’t put up any big home run totals yet, Potts has consistently displayed plus raw power and has been steadily increasing his estimated fly ball distance, up to a career-best 318.3 feet in 2019. But a declining flyball rate has offset that and kept him right around 20 homers each season. If he can get that fly ball rate ticking back up near 40% or so, there’s 25-homer pop in Potts bat.

Outside of the power, that’s where it gets a tad murky. Both Potts’ contact skills and plate approach grade as below average. He can get overly aggressive at times and chase pitches outside the zone. In addition, Potts has a pull-happy profile and rarely goes the other way, which leaves him vulnerable to pitches on the outer half until he shows he can go the other way. I’m not sure this is more than a .250 hitter in the Majors and one that is currently blocked thoroughly at the hot corner by Manny Machado. Maybe Potts is a trade candidate over the next year or two.

17. Jeisson Rosario, OF


This is another prospect that would rank a few spots higher in most other farm systems. The Padres signed Jeisson Rosaion out of the Dominican Republic back in 2016 and the results have been mixed since. One area that Rosario has really stood out in is his plate approach. Rosario has consistently poster higher walk rates including a robust 16.6% rate in 2019. This type of approach has salvaged his OBP and even kept it high despite a .242 average in 2019.

If you’re looking for a good buy-low prospect in this system, Rosario is one of the top candidates. He’s displayed a good feel for the barrel with the ability to make hard contact to all fields. His power is more of the gap to gap variety at present, but there’s enough raw power to get into double-digit home runs if he begins driving the ball in the air more. Longterm, Rosario has the upside of a 50/55-hit, 45-power, 55-speed outfielder with .275/10/20 upside with maybe a touch more power and speed at peak

18. Joey Cantillo, LHP


After hinting at a breakout in the Arizona League in 2018, Joey Cantillo fully broke out in 2019. The big 6’4 lefty from Hawaii posted a 2.26 ERA and 11.6 K/9 across 22 starts, mostly in the Single-A Midwest League. So why isn’t he higher? Well, to be honest, I’m still not in love with his arsenal. Cantillo arsenal runs three pitches deep with an 89-93mph fastball, above-average changeup with fade and depth, and a fringey curveball. Fringy is putting it nicely too.

That changeup is Cantillo’s best pitch, bordering on plus at times with solid depth and velocity separation from his fastball. Speaking of the fastball, it showed improvement, both in terms of command and velocity in 2019, but is still only an average pitch in my eyes. Rounding things out is a very inconsistent curveball that Cantillo hasn’t shown an overly good feel for. If he can continue the gains with his fastball and develop the curveball into at least an averge third offering, Cantillo could blossom into a mid-rotation arm. If not, he’s more of a back-end starter.

19. Jake Cronenworth, SS/RHP


Without question, Jake Cronenworth was the most difficult prospect on this list to rank an was in the Rays system as well before coming over to San Diego in the Tommy Pham trade. In 2019, Cronenworth was another two-way prospect in the Rays system and one that didn’t get nearly as much buzz as Brendan McKay. But unlike McKay, Cronenworth actually has some offensive upside with a nice little power/speed mix and at least an average hit tool. That was all on display last year with a .329/10/12 line in 91 games, mostly for Triple-A Durham. He’s more hit/speed over power at the plate, but there’s enough power to reach double-digits over a full season.

On the mound, Cronenworth has shown his worth as a reliever in 2019 with an above-average to plus fastball and curveball with depth. He’ll also mix in a serviceable cutter. He’s likely nothing more than a middle reliever, but when you add in the offense it gets a little interesting. With players like Cronenworth, their long-term role is always cloudy, but there are enough skills on both sides of the ball for you to at least monitor the situation.

He’s ready to contribute at the Major League level too. If there’s an injury to any of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, or Jurickson Profar, Cronenworth could get a shot.

20. Michel Baez, RHP


Not too long ago, Michel Baez was considered a top-100 overall prospect by many. What the heck happened? Well, moving to a bullpen role certainly had something to do with that. There was always some bullpen risk for the big 6’8 Cuban right-hander and with his command not progressing, the Padres made the decision to put him in the bullpen this past season. Now, this isn’t necessarily a permanent decision, but for now, Baez will help the Padres out of the pen.

After his callup in 2019, Baez worked mostly with a fastball/changeup mix, throwing the duo a combined 91.9% of the time. His fastball averaged 96.1 mph with some riding life with the slider exactly 10 mph below that. The velocity separation and fade/depth make Baez’s changeup a plus pitch and maybe even his best pitch overall. And although he didn’t throw it much with San Diego, Baez flashed an above-average slider in the minors as well.

Moving to the bullpen certainly caps Baez’s upside in the short-term, but by no means is it time to give up on him in dynasty. With an arsenal like this, Baez still has the upside of a mid-rotation arm longterm. But to do so, he will have to refine his command, especially with his fastball. If not, Baez will likely remain in the bullpen where he has the stuff to pitch late in games.

Gabriel Arias has the tools to be successful at the next level
PROSPECTS
Written by: Logan Whaley
Follow us on Twitter @TheFFChronicle

The San Diego Padres continue to find themselves at the peak of the prospect cliff, lauding some of the best young talents around. MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, and Luis Campusano lead the way of a stacked system that is on the brink of turning things around for good. Apart from the group is a kid who many may not be familiar with: shortstop Gabriel Arias.

Arias is a product of San Diego’s 2016 international class, signing a $1.9 million bonus. Baseball America ranked Arias as tied for the 16th-best prospect as part of that class, sharing the spot with another shortstop in Yunior Severino and a right-handed pitcher out of Cuba named Johan Oviedo. Arias was just 16 years old when he signed with San Diego, and, now, has shown he can be successful as he moves through the pipeline.

According to MLB.com’s Top 30 prospects ranking of the Padres, Arias currently ranks in at No. 8 overall sandwiched between Michael Baez at No. 7 and Ryan Weathers at No. 9. Arias is an exciting player in his own right. He just turned 20 years old and already has three professional seasons under his belt. It helped that he signed at such a young age.

Arias began his career playing in the Arizona Summer League, where he played 37 games. At 17 years old, Arias more than held his own against the competition and slashed an impressive .275/.329/.353 with a 91 wRC+. Strikeouts were a significant weakness of his game as Arias posted a 30.4 percent strikeout rate, but, with his age relative to the competition, it should not be that big of a surprise.

Midway through the 2017 season, San Diego opted to promote Arias to Class-A Fort Wayne. As many figured would happen, Arias struggled. He slashed .242/.266/.258 and saw his wRC+ cut in half. Positively, Arias managed his swings and misses as his strikeout rate dropped almost five percent. Allowing Arias to get his feet wet and enjoy a cup of coffee seemingly helped him, however.

In 2018, Arias began his season at Fort Wayne. This time there was no funny business as Arias was all business slashing .242/.302/.352, improving on his wRC+ again as he brought it up and also found some power. Arias hit six home runs in his 124 games, which, considering he showed little-to-no power previously, was a great sign. The strikeout rate rose once again, pushing 30 percent, but Arias improved his patience at the plate still, strengthening his walk rate.

Last season Arias completely took off at Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore. He somehow slashed .302/.339/.470 and improved his wRC+ to a well-above-average 120. In four fewer games, too, Arias smashed 17 long balls as the ISO jumped from .112 the year before to a whopping .168, which should excite fans across the board.

Fangraphs has given Arias a Future Value of 40+, laying way to the potential from a broad spectrum of bench player to the far reaches beyond an everyday contributor. He has above-average-to-plus raw power as well as plus throw power, which should make him a viable candidate moving forward as long as he can continue to progress.

At the very least, if Arias continues to pack on muscle (he is currently 6’1”, 220), he can be a stud in the infield and can provide as a nice trade chip for the Padres. Whatever the case may be with Arias, he is worth noting as one to follow in the coming year and gives more hope to an already loaded farm.

Some older prospect scouting reports

Left this in as he was traded to us last year

Logan Allen (LHP) is the closest to MLB service out of all of the pitchers on this list. The 21-year-old has steadily worked his way up through the Padres organization since coming to the team from the Boston Red Sox in the Craig Kimbrel trade. He commands four pitches with mature sequencing and mound composure and is a candidate to break camp with the Opening Day rotation for the Padres. Baseball America listed him at #67 last fall, presumably due to his high floor and proximity to MLB action. MLB Pipeline listed him at 76, presumably for the same reasons. Fangraphs’ writers aren’t as favorable, currently listing him at #123, which is likely due to a lack of ceiling. Allen doesn’t have the dominant stuff to match others on these lists, but he makes up for it with durability and command.


Josh Naylor (1B/OF) has bounced around the back end of Top 100 listings throughout his career. When he came to the Padres from the Marlins in the Andrew Cashner trade he was still listed on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, but doubts about his body as well as his character dropped him from consideration for many writers. A solid 2017 and an excellent 2018 have now brought him back into the picture. Kyle Glaser described him by saying that he “has a heavyset frame at 5-foot-11, 250 pounds with a protruding belly, but he crushes baseballs.” Nobody doubts whether Naylor can hit (he absolutely can and the bat will carry him to the Majors) but the questions surrounding him focus on his defensive position and long-term conditioning. In AA San Antonio in 2018, the longtime first baseman spent the majority of the season manning leftfield, and he showed progress at the position throughout the year. He’s surprisingly agile given his bulk, but most consider him a 1B/DH prospect. With Eric Hosmer signed long-term, Naylor’s path to the majors appears to be blocked. Regardless, the talent with the bat cannot be ignored, as he posted a .297/.383/.447 for an .830 OPS with a very nice 69:64 K:BB ratio as a 21-year-old, still young for the level in AA. Baseball America listed Naylor at #78 in September, but other sites still left him outside their Top 100’s. His 2018 season was full of health and success, so there’s no reason that he should drop, but there are plenty of doubters left for him to convince.


Cal Quantrill (RHP) came to the Padres with a heavy burden of expectations after being drafted eighth overall in the 2016 draft. The Stanford alum has pedigree (his father Paul had a 14-year MLB career, including a season in San Diego) and he came to the Padres with a reputation for a lively fastball, a devastating change, and quality breaking pitches, but he also came with a fresh scar on his elbow from Tommy John surgery. While he’s been building his workload up ever since, the results haven’t been anything special when looking at the stat lines. Even so, Padres player development staff have seen enough promise and maturity to push him all the way up to AAA ball last season. At times he can look dominant, but often he struggles to finish batters off, and he’s particularly vulnerable to left-handed hitters. Evaluators maintain confidence in Cal’s ability, citing concerns with sequencing and reserving judgment until he appears to be fully recovered and strong. Baseball America did not rank him last September, but Kyle Glaser listed him at #10 on his organizational list, ahead of the unranked Michel Baez. Cal ended the season with a respectable stretch in El Paso, so perhaps the strong finish can bump his stock up a little bit.

and Hedges

Austin Hedges Scouting Report: The Best Catching Prospect No One Knows About
MIKE ROSENBAUM
NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Courtesy of MiLB.com
Courtesy of MiLB.com
Widely regarded as the top defensive catcher in the 2011 draft class, many teams were scared off by Hedges' strong commitment to UCLA and demand for a well-above-slot signing bonus.

Those concerns caused him to fall to the second round where he was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 82nd-overall pick. Although Hedges held out until the Aug. 15 signing deadline, he ultimately agreed to a $3 million bonus. But with the minor-league season nearly complete, Hedges played in only nine games in his pro debut, including four games for Short-Season Eugene.

Due to his all-around defensive package and present game-calling ability, the organization handed the then-19-year-old an aggressive assignment to Low-A Fort Wayne to open the 2012 season. At the same time, the Padres’ decision was questionable, as skeptics doubted whether his bat would develop. But with the potential to become one of the top defensive catchers across all levels, his prowess behind the plate would always seemingly outweigh a lack of production.


And then Hedges began to hit. Like, a lot.

Playing in 96 games for Fort Wayne this past season, the right-handed hitter batted .279/.334/.451 with 38 extra-base hits, 14 stolen bases and 62/23 K/BB. In his first full professional season, Hedges led all Midwest-League catchers in doubles (28), RBI (56) and stolen bases (14).

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At 6’1”, 190 pounds, Hedges, who was named Prospect Pipeline's No. 50 overall prospect following the regular season, is a surprisingly good athlete who showcases agility in all directions behind the plate. The 20-year-old is already a plus receiver and blocker, and he commands a similar respect from his pitchers and managers for his knack for calling a game.

With a quick transfer and release as well as a legitimate plus arm, Hedges hosed 47-of-149 basestealers (32 percent), which will inevitably improve as pitchers learn to control the running game, and he consistently registered pop times under 1.85-seconds. Furthermore, in addition to his stellar defense, Hedges’ aggressiveness behind the plate (88 assists, 9.05 range factor-per-game) already distinguishes him from every other lower-level catching prospect.

The right-handed hitter’s bat was the big surprise this past season, as he showcased a short, simple swing that resulted in hard contact to all fields. He also exhibited a more advanced approach than was expected, as well as the ability to work counts in his favor and spit on close offerings.

Although he posted a double-digit home run total, it’s difficult to see Hedges hitting for more than average power. But if he begins to leverage his swing without sacrificing contact, then it’s possible that the right-handed hitter could launch 20 home runs in his best season.

Owen Miller

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Everywhere he's played baseball, Owen Miller has hit, and that didn't stop when the Padres selected him in the third round of the 2018 Draft out of Illinois State. Miller made his professional debut with Class A Short-Season Tri-City, and he tore through the league with a .335 batting average and .835 OPS. He was promoted to Class A Fort Wayne for its run to the playoffs, and he starred there, too, upping his average to .336 and his OPS to .846. Miller finished his debut season with 100 hits -- no small feat for a June draftee who only saw time in 75 games.

Miller has a knack for making solid contact from the right side the plate, producing line drives from line to line with his compact stroke. He also boasts a strong feel for the strike zone, even if he probably won't offer much power in the long-term.

Miller is an above-average runner but has gains to make as a base-stealer, where he needs to improve his reads and jumps. At shortstop, Miller boasts solid range and solid hands. But his arm checks in as below average. Miller played some third in his debut season, and he could see time at second as well. But for now, San Diego plans to give him every chance to stick at short.

oey Cantillo | Rank: 15 (Preseason: NR)
Team: ETA: 2021
Position: LHP Age: 20 DOB: 12/18/1999
Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6' 4" Weight: 220 lb.
Drafted: 2017, 16th (468) - SD
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Under general manager A.J. Preller, the Padres have had success with mid-to-late round pitchers. Cantillo might be the latest steal. A 16th-round selection from Kailua High School in Hawaii, the left-hander was one of the youngest players in the 2017 Draft. He signed for fifth-round value at $302,500, and it's been money well spent for the Padres, who pried him from his Kentucky commitment.

As an 18-year-old in rookie ball in 2018, Cantillo struck out 58 hitters over 45 1/3 innings while notching a 2.18 ERA. He finished the year with a singular start at Class A Fort Wayne, and he opened the '19 campaign there, where he continued to post excellent strikeout numbers while limiting baserunners.

A 6-foot-4 lefty with an athletic frame, Cantillo's frame has projection. His delivery is somewhat quirky, but he repeats it easily, and he's honed his mechanics nicely since his arrival in pro ball. Cantillo's fastball sits around 90 mph with movement, and his changeup is an excellent complement. He'll need to improve his command of his breaking pitches, however.

Bowden: Handing out grades for the Padres-Indians eight-player blockbuster


By Jim Bowden 5h ago 50
San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has been the rock star of the 2020 MLB trade deadline, wheeling and dealing and improving the Padres to the point they now can be considered serious World Series contenders. Preller has been the most active GM at the deadline so far, landing first baseman and designated hitter Mitch Moreland from the Boston Red Sox, closer Trevor Rosenthal from the Kansas City Royals and catcher Jason Castro from the Los Angeles Angels, then swinging a seven-player deal with the Seattle Mariners, acquiring two right-handed pitchers and another catcher in Austin Nola.

However, on Monday he completed the biggest move of the deadline thus far, an eight-player blockbuster that landed them the best starting pitcher on the trade market in right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians. Preller also was able to get back a quality extra outfielder in Greg Allen, who has phenomenal speed and range in the outfield. The Padres had to give up a lot of quantity in this trade because they refused to include any of their top prospects like MacKenzie Gore, Luis Patiño, C.J. Abrams, Luis Campusano, Michel Báez, Adrián Morejón or even Ryan Weathers. It’s incredible when you consider that they’ll control Clevinger for two more years, and didn’t have to part with any of those top prospects.

Here is my analysis of the eight-player blockbuster trade:

San Diego Padres
Overall grade: A
The addition of Clevinger combined with Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet and Zach Davies gives San Diego a starting rotation good enough to go deep into the postseason.

Padres get:

RHP Mike Clevinger
Clevinger is 42-22 in his five-year career with a 3.20 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 10.0 SO/9 rate and 3.5 BB/9 rate. Last year he was 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts and in 2018, he was 13-8 with a 3.02 ERA. This year he was 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA. Clevinger is pretty consistent with what he brings to every start and that will play well in the Padres clubhouse. Clevinger’s fastball is 94-96 mph with above-average life, his slider comes in at 82 mph and he throws it 25 percent of the time, his curveball drops at 78 mph and is used 14 percent of the time and his deceptive change-up comes in at 87 mph. He’s also used a cutter this year at 89-90 mph. He can start at Game 1, 2 or 3 in a playoff series and can match up with the best starters in the game. He’s a game-changer for the Padres and boosts their chances of holding on to second place in the NL West and doing serious damage come October.

OF Greg Allen
Allen is a solid fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield positions. His best two tools are his speed and range in the outfield. Allen, 27, is a switch-hitter who has a career slash line of .239/.295/.344 with 31 stolen bases in 37 attempts over 220 major-league games and 614 plate appearances. He could be a valuable piece coming off the bench down the stretch for San Diego both as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner who can steal a base with the game on the line. He’s also a strong, positive clubhouse presence who brings energy and enthusiasm to the ballpark.

Cleveland Indians
Overall grade: B
The Indians get a strong package of quantity from the Padres, but without getting a Top-5 caliber prospect in the trade.

The Indians are expected to make the postseason, whether it be in first or second place or even a wild-card berth. They have the starting pitching to actually run the table and win a championship, but the trade they made Monday lessens those chances. Dealing away Clevinger is a huge loss: Since 2017, he has the seventh-best ERA in the sport with a minimum of 50 starts behind the likes pitchers like Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander. That’s the company he’s been in when healthy. However, the Indians, being a small-market team, always have to think about their long-term future, and this trade certainly increases their volume of prospects and overall talent. The disappointing part of the transaction is they didn’t get any of San Diego’s elite prospects in the deal. But the Indians are still good enough to get to the postseason after this trade and they can do damage when they get there thanks to their depth of starting pitching and the recent emergence of rookie right-handed pitcher Triston McKenzie, who has the potential to take up where Clevinger left off.

Indians get:

SS/3B Gabriel Arias
Arias is the headliner in this trade for the Indians as they prepare for the eventual departure of Francisco Lindor, either through a trade over the next 11 months or in free agency in the fall of 2021. Arias is an above-average defender at shortstop with a strong arm from the hole. Last year, he slashed .302/.339/.470 in the California League with 21 doubles, 4 triples, 17 home runs and 75 runs batted in. He should be major-league ready in 2022 and the Indians’ long-term solution after Lindor.

LHP Joey Cantillo
Cantillo might be the sleeper in this trade for Cleveland. He has a strong pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 224, and has loose arm action with above-average extension. His fastball is in the low to mid-90s and he has a knee-buckling 12-6 curveball and mixes all of his pitches well, including a slider and change. His delivery is deceptive, but he does have some developing to do.

RHP Cal Quantrill
Quantrill never quite lived up to expectations after being selected by the Padres in the first round of the 2016 draft. Last year he made 18 starts for the Friars and five relief appearances, finishing with a 6-8 record and 5.16 ERA. This year, they moved him to the bullpen (although he did make one spot start) and he’s pitched much better in that role, appearing in 10 games with a 2.60 ERA. That’s probably his best role going forward. His fastball is 93-95 mph, he throws his hard slider 36 percent of the time and he mixes in a change-up 11 percent of the time.

LF/1B/DH Josh Naylor
Naylor, 23, was the Marlins’ first-round pick in 2015. His best tool is his bat, but he has yet to have it translate at the major-league level. In Double A in 2018, he reached base at a .383 clip with 17 home runs and 74 runs batted in. In 2019, he reached base at a .389 clip with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in Triple-A El Paso. However, at the major-league level, he’s slashed just .253/.315/.403 with 9 home runs and 36 runs batted in over 289 at-bats. He’s a below-average defender in left field. With this move, he will be reunited with his brother Bo, who is a catcher in the Indians organization.

C Austin Hedges

Hedges is an elite defensive catcher who can shut down the running game, knows how to put down the right fingers and is a strong pitch framer. His problem is that he just can’t hit, with a career .199/.258/.333 slash line in 1,339 plate appearances. Despite that, he does have some power, hitting 46 home runs since 2017.

SS Owen Miller

Miller’s best role will be as a player who can be slotted in all over the diamond — he’s played all four infield positions in his career. Last year, he spent the entire year at Amarillo, the Padres’ Double-A affiliate in the Texas League, and he slashed .290/.355/.430 with 28 doubles, 13 home runs and 68 runs batted in. He struggled a bit in the Arizona Fall League, batting just .176 in 72 plate appearances for Peoria. Still, Miller profiles as a manager’s dream who can come off the bench and play whatever position you need while putting the ball in play at the plate, using the whole field and take what’s given to him by opposing pitchers. He’s a winning utility player.

Law: Thoughts on the Padres’ shopping spree and the prospects on the move


By Keith Law 5h ago


The Padres swung three trades between Sunday and Monday, one of which included their No. 5 prospect, Taylor Trammell, as they tried to shore up their rotation and bullpen and to address their offensive void behind the plate. It’s a huge set of moves for the Padres, who are on track to reach the playoffs in A.J. Preller’s sixth year as general manager, as they use the tremendous depth in their farm system to improve their major-league roster — which is exactly what you do when you have a system like they compiled.

The first big trade sent Trammell (No. 43 overall), right-hander Andres Muñoz, catcher Luis Torrens, and utilityman Ty France to the Mariners for catcher Austin Nola and relievers Dan Altavilla and Austin Adams. The inclusion of Trammell is the big surprise here, as the Padres had just acquired him last July and seemed very high on him, especially since they worked with him to restore his old swing from before the Reds had tried to alter his launch angle. He’s limited to left field by his arm, but he’s a very intelligent, disciplined hitter with good bat and foot speed and strong instincts on the bases. His 2019 was a disappointment, however, as he struggled in the first half with the swing change, and after the trade showed more power but continued to strike out at a much higher rate than he had before. He’s one of the top prospects who was most hurt by the lost minor-league season, as he needed reps to work on restoring his old swing and to demonstrate to the industry that his 2019 season was an outlier. The Reds and Padres both raved about his makeup and his overall feel for the game, and it’s possible or even likely that the Mariners just did what the Padres did last July, buying low on a top prospect who hasn’t produced and in this case didn’t even get a chance to produce for his new organization. With Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez potentially manning center and right, respectively, in the future, the Mariners have an entire outfield of Top 50 overall prospects on the way.

Muñoz is out while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he is a high-upside reliever who’s been hitting 100+ mph since he was 18 years old and throws plenty of strikes, missing bats with a plus slider in the mid-80s. France is a useful bench piece who can fill in at multiple corner spots with above-average power He’d posted a .395 BABIP in 61 PA this year for the Padres, so his line really isn’t indicative of his offensive ability, although he should hit enough to hold down a reserve role.

Torrens made his professional debut in 2013, but still has fewer than 2,000 pro PA due to a shoulder injury that wiped out his 2015 season and the way he’s been used since he was a Rule 5 pick before 2017. He’s barely played in the majors since his Rule 5 year, but he raked in Double A last year and I don’t see any reason why his swing wouldn’t work against major-league pitching, including good velocity. He’s also thrown better as time has gotten him further away from the surgery, and if the Mariners just let him play regularly he still has the upside of an everyday catcher who gets on base with some pop.

That seems like a strong return for the Mariners for players who weren’t likely to contribute to their next playoff team, although all three help the Padres right now. Austin Nola is an organizational catcher gone good, as he went from a senior sign in 2012 who didn’t hit for an average over .261 until his sixth year in pro ball or slug .400 until his seventh. He has developed average power in his late 20s (he’s 30 this year) and as he’s gotten stronger his high contact rates have translated into more production. He’s just keeping the spot warm for prospect Luis Campusano, but as the Padres try to break their postseason drought and perhaps get a higher seed in the playoffs, Nola’s a big upgrade over the below replacement-level production they’ve gotten so far from Austin Hedges, Francisco Mejía, and Torrens.

Adams is returning now from knee surgery but is expected to be able to join the major-league roster shortly, and he was dominant last year for the Mariners with a plus-plus slider that hitters swung and missed on 23 percent of the time. He could be a big weapon for a Padres bullpen that lacked a knockout right-handed option, and his addition likely made it easier for them to include Cal Quantrill in the Clevinger deal. Altavilla hasn’t thrown enough strikes to be more than an up-and-down reliever, but it is interesting that he has a career-long reverse platoon split despite being a hard-throwing fastball/slider guy.

The Padres then swapped six players to Cleveland for starter “Typhoid Mike” Clevenger, outfielder Greg Allen, and a PTBNL, but they did what smart teams do in these situations — they dealt from the middle of their farm system, rather than from the top, trading quantity to avoid giving up any of their elite prospects. That makes it a solid return for Cleveland but perhaps a little underwhelming for fans of the team-that-must-change-its-name who hoped they’d at least land a marquee young player in return for one of their best starters.

Cleveland netted the Padres’ No. 7 prospect, shortstop Gabriel Arias; No. 9 prospect, infielder Owen Miller; No. 13 prospect, lefty Joey Cantillo; and major-leaguers Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, and Austin Hedges. (All rankings are from prior to the season and don’t include this year’s draft.) This could turn out to be a huge haul for Cleveland if Arias and Naylor hit their ceilings, but I think a median forecast would be that they get good value spread across the entire package without any one player really “making” the deal. Arias is a plus defender at short who has already come into above-average power at age 19 and should see more, but he has a lot of holes in his approach, with just 23 unintentional walks last year in High A (where he was one of the youngest regulars). If one guy in this trade turns out to be someone we can’t believe Cleveland got in the return, I’d bet it’s him — he has youth, tools, and good feel on the defensive side of the ball all working in his favor.

Naylor might be the biggest individual beneficiary, as he gets away from the logjam of Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and now Mitch Moreland, and ends up in the same system as his younger brother Bo, a top 100 prospect who was Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2018. Naylor is a patient hitter with power who got crushed by Petco — he slugged 104 points better on the road since his recall last year, and even had an 86 point OBP split — but who has everyday upside even if he ends up as a DH. He worked hard to improve his conditioning before 2019 and Cleveland should send him out to left field for now, since they’ve gotten no production there while their DH, Naylor’s former teammate Franmil Reyes, has been solid at that spot thanks to a big jump in his BABIP this year.

Miller should at least develop into a utility infielder but has the upside to be a regular at second base with his ability to make contact, although he lacks the home run power to be more than an everyday guy. Cantillo is a deception lefty with a very funky delivery and plus changeup, more likely a swingman or reliever but worth developing as a starter for now to see how this unusual combination works as he moves up the ladder.

Quantrill has moved to a one-inning relief role and has shifted to more of a sinker/slider approach from his prior four-seam/changeup plan. His slider has crept up to be more than an average pitch and his sinker is definitely more effective than his flat four-seamer, and I’d stretch him out a bit more than one inning at a time since he has a plus changeup and can use it effectively against lefties. Hedges is what he is at this point, a premium defensive catcher with power who has never posted even a .290 OBP in the majors, making him a very good backup but not someone who should play every day.

The Padres’ rotation has been a disappointment even as the team as a whole has played well, with just two starters, Zach Davies and Dinelson Lamet, producing at or above league-average levels. Chris Paddack has struggled with the long ball, in part because he still doesn’t have an average breaking ball and right-handed hitters are sitting more on his four-seamer. Clevinger immediately becomes their No. 1 starter even if, as seems likely, he’s more like his 2017-18 self than the 2019 version. He was off to a rough start for Cleveland; in four starts this year he’s had more trouble keeping hitters off his four-seamer, giving up five of his six homers off the pitch and missing fewer bats with it than he did last year. He’s moving to a better pitchers’ park, at least, and four starts is a small enough sample that it shouldn’t weigh too heavily given that his velocity and other pitch characteristics seem the same. Allen is a great extra outfielder and pinch-runner but lacks the bat to play semi-regularly, perhaps more of a tactical weapon for the team in the playoffs than someone they’d use often in the regular season.

Before those two deals, the Padres swung a smaller one to grab Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox for two lesser prospects, neither of whom was in San Diego’s preseason top 20.

Wil Myers has destroyed left-handed pitching this year, with a .429/.487/.943 line in 39 PA so far, and Moreland can be his platoon partner from the other side, as he has long shown he can hit right-handers for power and has been even better against them since the start of 2019. The Padres are good enough on the offensive side that they should be thinking this way, trying to patch any small weaknesses (or large ones, like behind the plate) by using excess prospect depth from their farm system.

Hudson Potts was a first-round Padres pick in 2016, a year when San Diego had three picks in the top 25, and after this week’s binge they’ve now traded all three of them (Potts, Quantrill and Eric Lauer) as well as their fourth overall pick from that year, Buddy Reed. Potts has real power but just fringy bat speed, and Double-A pitchers started attacking him with velocity inside, especially up and in, to which he couldn’t adjust. He’s a mediocre defender at third who probably has to move to first. He’s 21 years old, but if his bat speed is the real issue here, that’s not something that just improves with age, and he hasn’t shown the propensity to make real adjustments in the last few seasons. Jeisson Rosario is a plus defender in center who controls the zone but has grade-35 power, if not less, slugging just .314 last year in a good hitter’s park in Lake Elsinore. He drew 87 walks in 2019, the third-highest total in the minors, but that’s not going to stand up if he doesn’t show he can drive the ball and pitchers realize they can attack him with impunity in the zone.

What the Mike Clevinger trade-deadline deal means for the Cleveland Indians


By Zack Meisel 5h ago 59


Even before his escapades in downtown Chicago three weeks ago, Mike Clevinger was on borrowed time with the Indians.

His name was destined to populate trade rumors this winter. With a seemingly endless supply of starting pitching depth and a seller’s market at hand, Cleveland’s front office opted to instead pounce a few hours prior to the in-season trade deadline.

They turned to a familiar friend, the Padres, a team with which the Indians have now completed five trades in the last 25 months. For the third consecutive year, the two sides united to execute a significant deadline deal.

To the Indians: Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges, Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo and Owen Miller

To the Padres: Clevinger, Greg Allen and a player to be named later

In a span of 13 months, the Indians have shipped out three top-line starting pitchers: Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and now Clevinger. And yet, their rotation remains a strength, thanks to the evolution of Shane Bieber from college walk-on to undisputed ace and the development of Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac.

“With the way the Indians do things — which is, they’re there to win every year — anybody has a price,” Clevinger said Monday afternoon. “Everybody has a price tag and I think everybody in that organization knows that. There’s no one that’s really untouchable over there, so you have that in the back of your mind. There wasn’t really a timer on it, but I knew it could be very plausible this season or this offseason.”

Given the Indians’ standing atop the AL Central and in prime position to earn a ticket to the postseason, the deal might leave some scratching their heads. But this is the type of trade the Indians have attempted to master in recent years, swapping out a starter for pieces that will aid both their immediate and future causes. One National League front-office evaluator raved at the surplus value the Indians obtained, saying, “Cleveland crushed this.”

That surely has more to do with the future than the present, but that’s how the Indians operate. Over the last few years, they have transformed one of the oldest rosters in the league into one littered with youth. Their aim is to never rebuild, to never descend into the pit of misery that forces fans to focus more on hopes, wishes and minor-league box scores than tangible, big-league results. So even when it might make sense to address a present-day need — and their outfield was desperate for an upgrade — they always have an eye on the next few years.

Whether the team is better equipped to make a run in 2020, however, is both a valid and important question. A rotation anchored by Bieber and Clevinger certainly would have granted the Indians advantages in October, but an outfield flaunting a .186 average and .287 slugging percentage had grown tiresome. If any team can absorb the loss of a pitcher with Clevinger’s ability, it’s the Indians, who deliver skilled starting pitchers to the big-league roster with Amazon Prime-like haste. But that places a hefty burden on a handful of inexperienced hurlers in Civale, Plesac and Triston McKenzie.

Naylor will add some thump to the lower half of Cleveland’s oft-punchless batting order. He dropped about 30 pounds since the start of last season so he can move around better in the outfield, but his glove still leaves much to be desired. He could potentially replace Carlos Santana at first base, though that’s a conversation for another year. The former first-round pick is under team control through the 2025 season. His younger brother, Bo, is one of the organization’s top prospects.

Naylor, Quantrill and Hedges are expected to join the big-league roster. Quantrill pitched in relief for San Diego this season, primarily because the Padres bullpen has set fire to a bunch of leads. Hedges has received plaudits for his defense behind the plate, but he hasn’t produced much at it.

Arias, Cantillo and Miller will join a farm system that has vastly improved over the last few years. Cantillo, 20, is said to possess a highly effective change-up, which explains how he limited hitters to a .179 average and .502 OPS last year. He posted a 2.26 ERA with 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his time split between Class-A Fort Wayne and High-A Lake Elsinore.

Arias registered a .302/.339/.470 slash line as a 19-year-old shortstop with Lake Elsinore last season.

Miller, a third-round pick in 2018, batted .290 with a .785 OPS at Double-A Amarillo last year. He bounced around the infield, playing second, short and third. The Indians have a plethora of similarly aged middle-infield prospects, headlined by Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio and Aaron Bracho.

Our Keith Law ranked Arias as the No. 7 prospect in the Padres’ system, with Miller at No. 9 and Cantillo at No. 13. And that’s for one of the top systems in the league, so individual rankings are all relative.

Last summer, the Indians, Reds and Padres sorted out the final details of their seven-player trade as Cleveland players filtered out of the clubhouse following a game against the Astros. Bauer emotionally embraced teammates as word spread from locker to locker. Yasiel Puig, part of the trade, participated in an on-field brawl as his final act in a Cincinnati uniform, as Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff watched, horrified, from Terry Francona’s office.

A few days after the Winter Meetings in San Diego in December, the Indians dealt Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to the Rangers for Emmanuel Clase and Delino DeShields. Kluber logged one inning for Texas this season before the injury bug bit him once again. Clase tested positive for a banned substance and won’t offer the Indians anything in 2020.

The Indians and Padres progressed toward an agreement on the Clevinger deal late Sunday night. A handful of other teams expressed interest, including the Braves, White Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays. The Padres have hastily reshaped their roster this week with a slew of trades. Now, they have a front-end starter to lead them into the postseason for the first time since 2006.

Clevinger has produced 11.0 fWAR and a 3.20 ERA since breaking into the majors in 2016. He ranked seventh in fWAR among American League starters last season despite missing two months with an upper back strain. He’ll turn 30 in December and can become a free agent after the 2022 season.

Clevinger and Plesac ruffled feathers in the Indians clubhouse when they left the team hotel in Chicago, sans permission, on Aug. 8 for a night out. Clevinger flew back to Cleveland with the team before knowledge of his involvement surfaced. The team exiled both players to the club’s alternate site in Eastlake, Ohio. Clevinger returned to the active roster on Wednesday, when he pitched the Indians past the Twins in his final start with the club that once acquired him from the Angels for the last 21 innings of Vinnie Pestano’s career.

Ironically, Plesac will replace Clevinger, his close companion, in Cleveland’s rotation moving forward. The Indians are placing faith in youngsters Plesac, Civale and McKenzie, who will all contribute to a rotation that ranks first in the majors in ERA (by a relatively wide margin). Adam Plutko, Logan Allen (another former Padre) and Sam Hentges could provide some depth if needed.

Lloyd: Why did the Indians have to trade Mike Clevinger right now?


By Jason Lloyd Aug 31, 2020 44
The Indians have one of the smartest front offices in all of sports. They are terrific at extracting value, and they have earned the benefit of the doubt on every trade they make.

It’s important to keep reiterating that because a first-place team in baseball just traded one of its two best starting pitchers. It’s weird. Can we all agree on that? It’s weird.

There has to be more to it. This can’t be the whole story regarding Mike Clevinger.

Chris Antonetti talked Monday about making trades with the short-term and long-term views in mind, something all small-market teams certainly must consider. It’s hard to see the short-term value in this. It’s hard to see how this makes the Indians better in 2020 when they’re in first place and have a legitimate chance to win a World Series.

Josh Naylor is an upgrade in left field, sure, but that’s a pretty low bar right now. Any warm body could be an improvement over whatever they’ve trotted out there this season. But he has a .720 OPS and nine home runs in 120 career games. You mean the Indians couldn’t pick off a lesser prospect from their system and find a comparable bat to upgrade the offense for this season, then make this same trade over the winter? And still have Clevinger to throw in the playoffs this October?

The Indians traded a top-10 pitcher in the American League and didn’t significantly bolster their offense in a year when they’re contending.

What about the return from this deal screams it was something the Indians had to do right now? That’s the only point I’ve made these past few days. Trade Clevinger this winter if you must because of the incident in Chicago or for payroll reasons or because you have the depth to withstand it, but not during the regular season. Not when you’re trying to win a World Series. And not when the catastrophic financial losses from this pandemic really take hold over the winter and probably force you to make a number of uncomfortable decisions for next year.

Take your shot now. This trade still would’ve been there in December.

The Indians have one of the smartest front offices in all of sports. They are terrific at extracting value, and they have earned the benefit of the doubt on every trade they make.

The expanded postseason format for this year made buyers of more teams than normal at the trade deadline. Antonetti said there were fewer sellers and it was tougher than usual to acquire a bat. I believe that, but it’s hardly enough reason to justify trading a guy who has brought 12.7 WAR over the last four seasons in a deal that brings little help for the present.

This isn’t to pile on or even criticize the front office. If anything, all of this is to highlight what must have been a toxic situation gurgling beneath the surface. There is no other way to spin it. The incident in Chicago by itself is not enough reason to trade away premier pitching in baseball. It’s just not.

That’s why there’s more to it than this. There has to be.

Antonetti and Clevinger said Monday that they didn’t believe the incident in Chicago had any impact on the trade. That can’t possibly be true. Of course it had to be a factor. But it had to be more of a final straw than a first strike.

It’s unfair to measure any trade on the day it’s made. A deal like this can’t really be evaluated for three to five years. If Naylor hits his ceiling and Gabriel Arias becomes the heir apparent to Francisco Lindor at shortstop in a couple of years, this trade might eventually make a lot more sense.

Right now, it looks like the Indians got a better return last year for Trevor Bauer, who had less team control remaining, than they did for Clevinger. For Bauer, at least they received Franmil Reyes, an intimidating middle-of-the-order bat who is under team control for a long, long time.

The Padres traded a higher-ranked prospect, Taylor Trammell, to the Mariners on Sunday for a 30-year-old catcher. Trammell, at least according to the prospect rankings, is better than anything they gave the Indians.

The Indians have one of the smartest front offices in all of sports. They are terrific at extracting value, and they have earned the benefit of the doubt on every trade they make.

The Trammell trade is curious. It’s the second time he was dealt essentially within the past year, which should be some sort of warning. So the fact the Indians didn’t get any of the Padres’ top prospects isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. The Padres’ system is so loaded that guys ranked Nos. 7-11 in San Diego would be ranked Nos. 3-7 on most other teams.

I trust Antonetti and Mike Chernoff and Terry Francona. I trust they got this right because they almost always get it right. The fact that they can trade Corey Kluber, Bauer and now Clevinger within 13 months and still be in first place with a dominant pitching staff is evidence of how right they almost always get it.

But it’s weird. Can we all agree on that? It’s weird.

Are the Indians dealing the right way with the reality of baseball in Cleveland? Talking to myself -- Terry Pluto


Updated 7:59 AM; Today 5:00 AM

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Talking to myself about the Indians trading Mike Clevinger and outfielder Greg Allen to San Diego for six guys:

QUESTION: How can you like this trade? How does it make the Indians better right now...remember we’re talking about the FIRST-PLACE Indians?


ANSWER: It probably doesn’t. But I’m not sure it makes them that much worse.

Q: Are you really buying the party line from the Tribe?

A: Let’s start with reality. The “party line” for the Tribe in trades like this tends to be the team explaining why it made moves that work out in the long run. The front office of Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff is good at these kinds of deals. I trust them.

Q: The Indians gave up one of their best starters in Clevinger and they got a decent reliever (Cal Quantrill), a backup catcher (Austin Hedges) and a guy who probably is a part-time first baseman/OF (Josh Naylor). The Indians need a big-time bat and they didn’t get it.

A: This trade was mostly about the next few years, not 2020.

Q: Don’t they want to win the World Series this year?

A: Do you really think the Indians have a World Series-winning team right now? Batting .221 with a .681 OPS, 14th out of 15 American League teams?


Q: It’s possible, right?

A: Yes, it’s possible. But doubtful. Not with their lack of hitting. And if they kept Clevinger, they still wouldn’t hit. I’d rather play Josh Naylor than Domingo Santana, who was mercifully cut. The entire outfield is batting .193. Naylor is going to play left field. He’s 23 years old. He has a career .253 average (.720 OPS) in 112 MLB games over the last two seasons.

Q: Be still my heart. He’s 5-foot-11, 250-pounds. Sounds like he’s a first baseman.

A: They’ll play him in the OF. Antonetti said: “He has a track record of hitting in the minors (.303 with an .850 OPS between Class AA/AAA). He puts the ball in play consistently and makes hard contact.”

Q: That’s what he said, and you say...


A: Give him a chance. Quantrill will help in the bullpen. But this trade really isn’t about this year.

Q: Isn’t it about money?

A: It’s about money and Moneyball, in terms of what a smaller-market team has to do to keep competing -- the reason the Indians have had the best record in the American League over the last seven years.

Q: Party line again...

A: And it’s why they are on their way to their eighth consecutive winning season...

Q: Oh, please...

A: And their fifth trip to the playoffs. Just imagine if in the last eight years, the Browns had eight winning records, five playoff teams and a loss in the Super Bowl.


Q: That hurts...

A: The Indians have consistently won with modest payrolls. They not only draft and develop their own prospects, they also make trades like these for good minor leaguers from other teams. Cliff Lee became Carlos Carrasco. C.C. Sabathia became Michael Brantley. Jake Westbrook became Corey Kluber.

Q: Here it comes...

A: Vinnie Pestano became Clevinger. Casey Blake became Carlos Santana.

Q: For heaven’s sake, Casey Blake???

A: Shin-Soo Choo became Trevor Bauer. Now Bauer became Franmil Reyes. Most of those trades involved other prospects who didn’t make it, but others did as the Indians were patient.


Q: The poor Indians playing in a league with no salary cap and an ownership that won’t spend...

A: Can we have a logical discussion beyond the “The Dolans are cheap” narrative? Because of baseball’s lack of a salary cap, certain teams are going to be at a competitive disadvantage...Period.

Teams such as Oakland, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Kansas City and the Indians are going to be in the bottom 10 of the 30 MLB payrolls most seasons. They don’t have the local cable TV contracts that compare with the larger markets, and this is a huge source of revenue for teams in larger markets.

Q: Don’t you think they traded Clevinger because of that night on the town in Chicago?

A: The Indians were seriously thinking of dealing Clevinger after he turned down a contract extension offer in the spring of 2019. Then he had a significant back/shoulder problem last season, costing him 10 weeks.


Q: He does have a violent delivery.

A: He also showed up in spring training with a knee problem and needed minor surgery. There are questions about his durability. He was going to cost about $8 million next year. The Indians have lots of starters, young and cheap. He was expendable.

Q: Quantity is not always quality in trades.

A: According to MLB.com, the Indians received prospects rated as No. 7 (shortstop Gabriel Arias), No. 9 (pitcher Joey Cantillo) and No. 11 (infielder Owen Miller) in the Padres organization. While not prime prospects, they are highly regarded. Some will make it, some won’t. Remember how Matt LaPorta was the big name in the Sabathia trade and Brantley was the rather yawner of a Player to be Named Later. LaPorta had major hip problems. Brantley became an All-Star.


Q: And they were too cheap to keep Brantley...

A: Just stop that. The Indians don’t want to rip everything down and lose 100 games. They want to stay in contention over the next few years, even after they trade Francisco Lindor (I know, that really hurts) in the offseason. Trades like this can help that happen.