10 MLB-Ready Prospects That Will Benefit Most from the Offseason Frenzy
While most teams are focused on improving their rosters during the offseason so that they can put a contending club on the field the following season, the futures of a club's top prospects are certainly considered with each and every move a general manager may—or may not—make over the winter.
In some cases, a team may let a free agent walk or look to move a player under contract so that they can make room for an up-and-coming, albeit inexperienced youngster. Others may look to acquire a blocked prospect to fill a hole created by a free-agent defection or a lack of options in their own system.
When things finally die down on the hot stove, however, it'll be these 10 prospects that have the potential to benefit the most from their respective team's moves this offseason.
Orlando Arcia, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
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Milwaukee is willing to listen to offers on all its players, with new general manager David Stearns telling CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that, "we're open to anything at this point."
To be sure, "anything" doesn't include trading away top prospect Orlando Arcia, who Stearns expects to open the 2016 season at Triple-A Colorado Springs. But things figure to change between now and Opening Day.
Arcia, who celebrated his 21st birthday in August, thrived in Double-A despite facing older competition. Over 129 games with Biloxi, he hit .307/.347/.453 with 52 extra-base hits (eight home runs) and 232 total bases, the Southern League's second-highest total.
Should Milwaukee trade incumbent shortstop Jean Segura, who, despite a down season, is signed to a team-friendly deal and is sure to garner interest from teams in need of an upgrade at the position, it would clear a path for Arcia to break camp with the Brew Crew.
Josh Bell, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Were it not for a knee injury that essentially robbed him of his first full professional season in 2012, when he was limited to 15 games, Josh Bell might already be Pittsburgh's everyday first baseman. But sometimes the best things are worth waiting for, and the Pirates' wait for Bell's arrival is almost over.
The switch-hitting Bell thrived against advanced competition in 2015, hitting a combined .317/.393/.446 with 40 extra-base hits (seven HR) with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. While his power is still developing, Bell showed an advanced approach at the plate, with a 65-to-65 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
A converted outfielder, Bell's defense at first base is still a work in progress. But it's hard to believe it'd be any worse than the glove flashed by current Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez, who graded out as baseball's worst defender at the position by any advanced metric you choose.
Trading Alvarez, who CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports the Pirates have made available—and who could be attractive to an American League team in need of an upgrade at the designated hitter spot—would clear the way for Bell to take over at the position in 2016.
Byron Buxton, CF, Minnesota Twins
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Byron Buxton got his first taste of the big leagues in mid-June, but lasted only 11 games before landing on the disabled list with a sprained thumb, an injury that cost him more than a month of the regular season. He'd finish the season hitting .209/.250/.326 with 10 extra-base hits (two home runs) over 46 MLB games.
Injuries, which have been an issue for Buxton ever since the Twins selected him with the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, have certainly slowed his development. There's a strong argument to be made for him to start the season at Triple-A, regardless of how he performs during the exhibition season.
But Buxton is an elite talent, one that Minnesota is going to give every chance to break camp as its starting center fielder in 2016. Any doubts about that were silenced when the Twins traded Aaron Hicks to the New York Yankees, removing the team's only experienced option at the position from the roster.
Marco Gonzales, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
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A shoulder injury limited Marco Gonzales in both effectiveness and workload in 2015, as the 23-year-old southpaw pitched to a combined 4.69 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 80.2 minor league innings of work—mainly at Triple-A—while he allowed four earned runs over 2.2 innings in his lone MLB appearance of the season.
With John Lackey set to depart as a free agent and Lance Lynn out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Gonzales is, at the very least, in the mix to fill a spot in the Cardinals' 2016 rotation, along with Tim Cooney and Tyler Lyons.
While St. Louis could look outside the organization to fill the void in the rotation, it seems far more likely that they'll give one of those three youngsters a chance to win the job in spring training. Armed with the best stuff and highest ceiling of the three, Gonzales would seem to have the inside track on the job.
Sean Newcomb, LHP, Atlanta Braves
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The centerpiece of the three-player package the Braves received from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for shortstop Andrelton Simmons, 22-year-old Sean Newcomb finds himself in a situation where he has a legitimate chance to break camp as a member of a major league rotation.
Atlanta is expected to make current ace Julio Teheran available at some point this winter, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, while nobody would argue that Williams Perez, currently penciled in as the Braves' No. 5 starter, is a better option than the team's newly acquired top prospect.
Newcomb reached Double-A in his first full professional season and was utterly dominant at every level he pitched in 2015, pitching to a 2.38 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 168 strikeouts over 136 innings across three minor league levels.
What makes those numbers even more impressive is that he posted them despite walking five batters per nine innings of work. So long as he shows improved command in the spring, Newcomb could quickly emerge as Atlanta's No. 2 arm behind Shelby Miller.
Rob Refsnyder, 2B, New York Yankees
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The Stephen Drew experience in the Bronx has mercifully come to an end and the other name often mentioned as a potential starter at second base for the New York Yankees, Jose Pirela, has been traded to the San Diego Padres.
That makes prospect Rob Refsnyder, 24, the last man standing at second base. A converted outfielder, he looked good down the stretch for the Yankees in 2014, hitting .302/.348/.512 with five extra-base hits (two home runs) and a pair of stolen bases over 43 at-bats.
Questions about his defense remain, but with the Bronx Bombers focused on getting younger, more athletic and less expensive, Refsnyder will have to play his way out of a job in the spring for the club to look outside the organization for its everyday second baseman in 2016.
Corey Seager, 3B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Including Corey Seager might elicit responses of "Thank you, Captain Obvious," but the 21-year-old is still classified as a prospect, and he certainly belongs on this list.
With Jimmy Rollins departing Los Angeles via free agency and the team's other option at the position, Enrique "Kike" Hernandez, likely taking over for the Howie Kendrick/Chase Utley combination at second base, Seager is going to be the Dodgers' everyday shortstop in 2016.
Sure, he's probably destined for third base at some point in the not-so-distant future, but with Justin Turner manning the hot corner, it's not going to be next season.
Advanced metrics didn't love his defense, but whatever shortcomings he may have in the field he more than makes up for at the plate. Over 113 plate appearances spanning 27 games, Seager hit .337/.425/.561 with 13 extra-base hits (four home runs) and 17 RBI.
Seager will enter the season as the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, something the Dodgers last won in 1995, when Hideo Nomo became the fourth consecutive Dodger to take home the honor, joining Eric Karros (1992), Mike Piazza (1993) and Raul Mondesi (1994).
Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals
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Ready or not, Ian Desmond's pending departure as a free agent ensures that Trea Turner will be Washington's starting shortstop in 2016.
The 21-year-old was rather unimpressive at the plate during a late-season promotion, hitting .225/.295/.325 with two extra-base hits (one HR) over 40 at-bats, but lost in that is the fact that he reached the big leagues in only his second full professional season.
That's impressive, as is the .322/.384/.454 triple-slash line he posted over parts of two minor league seasons. A patient hitter at the plate with blazing speed and excellent instincts when he gets on base, Turner has all the makings of a future high-end leadoff hitter; one that has some pop in his bat as well.
Washington figures to bat him near the bottom of the order in 2016, trying to limit the pressure they put on his shoulders while he continues to develop his all-around game.
Christian Walker, 1B/DH, Baltimore Orioles
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Christian Walker wasn't nearly as productive in 2015, his first full season in Triple-A, as he was in 2014, when he split time between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.
But the 23-year-old still managed to produce decent numbers, hitting .257/.324/.423 with 52 extra-base hits (18 HR) and 74 RBI over 138 games, and he remains Baltimore's best option to replace Chris Davis' departing power at first base.
To be sure, Walker has been unimpressive in the 31 MLB plate appearances he's made over the past two seasons, hitting .148 (4-for-27) while striking out nearly 42 percent of the time.
The Orioles are a team that relies heavily on the long ball to win, however, and nobody disputes Walker's power potential, which could see him develop into a 25-to-30 home-run threat annually; albeit one that doesn't hit for a high average and comes with plenty of swing-and-miss that is common among sluggers.
Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds
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Jesse Winker has been compared to Jay Bruce, Cincinnati's two-time All-Star right fielder who happens to be blocking the 22-year-old's path to the big leagues. But the Reds are open to trading Bruce—and nearly everyone else on their roster—per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, which would clear the way for Winker.
Winker has flown under the radar for the better part of two seasons despite putting up some impressive numbers down on the farm. Last season, his first full one with Double-A Pensacola, Winker hit .282/.390/.433 with 39 extra-base hits (13 HR) and 55 RBI.
He's also got a terrific approach at the plate, posting a 83-to-74 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a strong, accurate throwing arm. Winker recorded 15 outfield assists, a new career high and something you look for in a corner outfielder, especially one that projects to spend the bulk of his time in right field.
There's a case to be made for the Reds to keep Bruce and install Winker as their everyday left fielder, and that's certainly a scenario that could unfold in spring training if the Reds choose to do nothing. But should Bruce be playing elsewhere, Winker's odds of breaking camp with the club would increase substantially.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
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