Braves Trade Rumors: What You Need to Know About Their Top 5 Prospects

While the rumor wires continue buzzing, the MLB trade deadline is approaching quickly. 

GM Frank Wren has remained virtually silent to the media, but behind the scenes, the Braves are gearing for the trade that will bolster the bullpen, add pop against left-handed pitching, and lock in a playoff spot. 

Atlanta is loaded with premium talent in its minor league system, and questions and predictions abound concerning these prospects.  Who will be dealt, who will stay, who may be called up for the playoff push, and why? 

This article will attempt to tackle these questions, and hopefully give Braves fans some insight into the names being tossed around trade talks.

Julio Teheran

The top prospect in the Braves system is unquestionably Julio Teheran. 

Listed at 6' 2'', 175 lbs, he has blown through the minor leagues, and got 2 spot starts for the Braves midway through the season. 

Scouts drool over his stuff, and for good reason.  His fastball is consistently 92-94, tops out at 96-98, and has great movement in on right-handed batters.  His changeup has improved with time, and features an 11 MPH difference from the fastball with great late movement.  His curveball is a work in progress at 76 MPH, and needs more consistency and perhaps a little more juice to be effective at the big league level. 

Teheran's delivery is very matured, staying tall at the top and exploding through the ball.  This results in excellent arm whip and less effort, reducing his risk for injury and increasing his ability to pitch deep into games in the future. 

In AAA Gwinnett, Teheran boasts a 1.70 ERA through 16 starts, with a K/BB ratio of just over 3/1.  Batters are hitting a meager .208 against the right-handed phenom, with 2 HR and 75 hits through 100 innings pitched. 

The sky is the limit for Julio, and he is virtually untouchable at the trade deadline.  Look for him to continue to physically mature into his frame and tighten up his curveball in AAA for the remainder of the season.  Since he has already been called up for a stint this season, in would not be unlikely to see him back with the big club towards seasons end.

Arodys Vizcaino

Mississippi Braves hurler Arodys Vizcaino is MLB.com 's #2 rated prospect in the Braves organization. 

After starting the season in the Carolina league, he was promoted to AA Mississippi midway through the season.  Vizcaino came to the Braves by way of the New York Yankees as part of the Javier Vazquez trade, and is still treading water at this point in the season. 

At 6'0'', 190 lbs., Vizcaino is by all accounts a power pitcher.  He relies on a fastball which can touch 95 MPH at its peak, but lacks the movement to be dominant at this point.  His curveball is his out pitch, but is inconsistent in location and velocity.  The pitch will waver from 76-82 MPH, and hangs too often to also be dominant.  His changeup needs the most improvement, but has the most upside.  As he learns the pitch, he will avoid "easing up" as he throws it, and hitters will no longer be tipped off to it.  His control of 2 pitches, coupled with the velocity of his fastball, are his biggest attributes. 

At his peak, he is virtually unhittable, demonstrated by his 33 2/3 scoreless streak for the Savannah Sand Gnats at the end of the 2010 season.  However, most scouts consider Vizcaino too much of a thrower at this point in his development. 

Almost 22, he may have peaked physically, and needs to add more power in the lower body to improve on his pitch movement and add velocity.  He also needs plenty of innings to learn how to pitch.  Therein lies the problem.  He has already been shelved for 2 months at Class A Myrtle Beach with injuries to his lower back and hamstring, so scouts are concerned about his long term durability. 

Vizcaino will require a lot of work in the minors to work out his kinks, so don't expect to see him with the big club any time soon.  The Mets have shown interest in him, and based on my research, a trade doesn't appear to be a bad idea.

Randall Delgado

Also with the AA Mississippi Braves, Randall Delgado is another young Latino pitcher making noise on the trade rumor wire. 

In 2010, he led all pitchers in the Braves minor league organization with 162 K's.  So far this season, he has a 3.59 ERA with 101 K's in 19 games.  He has a good fastball which sits between 90-93 MPH, and can touch 96 on a good night.  It has good movement down and in to right-handed batters, which bodes well for his future and progression.  His curveball, at 80-81 MPH, has good downward movement and excellent potential.  His changeup needs the most work.  Topping out at 78 MPH, it has excellent movement when he keeps it down, but inexperience leads him to leave the pitch up in the strike zone too often. 

Midway through the season, the Braves called Delgado up from AA to make a spot start against the Texas Rangers in Atlanta.  Some saw this as justification that Delgado on his way to the "Show" in the near future.  However, many baseball insiders feel that Frank Wren was showcasing his young talent at the big league level for a possible trade around the deadline. 

Delgado's downside is his control.  He has given up 105 hits, 10 HR, and walked an astounding 41 batters in 107 innings pitched for Mississippi this season.  However, at 21, his stuff is undeniable and control will come with time.  I personally rate Delgado ahead of Vizcaino based on his upside, mechanics, and lack of injury. 

At 21, he has been with the Braves organization since he was 16, and I believe the Braves proven track record of nurturing young pitchers could continue with Delgado.  Unfortunately, he is a very coveted prospect, and the Mets have shown interest in him as well as Vizcaino.  His name has cooled off the wire in recent days, so hopefully the Braves will be able to hang on to this budding superstar.

Christian Bethancourt

Lynchburg Hillcats catcher Christian Bethancourt has also made noise recently on the trade wire. 

The 19 year old has all the tools to succeed at the next level.  His defense is his best attribute, as he caught 39% of basestealers for the Single-A Rome Braves before being promoted to High-A Lynchburg.  He has unusual speed for a catcher with 6 stolen bases, and his 1.69 throw time to second base leaves scouts drooling for more.  Future Hall-of-Fame backstop Ivan Rodriguez threw the same time in his prime, so his defensive upside is undeniable. 

Offensively, Bethancourt had a breakout season in 2011, batting .303 with 4 HR, 10 doubles, and 3 triples in 54 games at Rome.  At the time of this posting, he is hitting a respectable .269 through 22 games in Lynchburg, although he has yet to leave the yard. 

Scouts feel that as he learns how to call a game, handle pitchers, and continues to learn how to hit, he will progress without any issue.  One thing he must focus on, however, is the ability to hit left handed pitching.  He hit a paltry .119 against lefties for Rome. 

Bethancourt's future with the Braves is intriguing.  In several years, when Bethancourt is ready for the big leagues, Brian McCann's knees may be giving way.  McCann moving to first base may be in order at this point, which begs the question "Where does Freddy Freeman go?" 

These questions, while years away, should be in the back of Frank Wren's mind as other teams "court Betancourt" into possible trade scenarios

Carlos Perez

Carlos Perez is MLB.com 's #5 ranked prospect for the Braves.  This 19-year-old lefty has not been included in many trade talks thus far, but his value to the organization will improve if the Braves decide to deal Vizcaino or Delgado. 

Perez has had a tough season in Rome to date, mostly due to his inability to spot his pitches and the shoddy defense behind him.  His stats simply don't reveal his potential.  He has a 4.98 ERA, with 40 BB and 110 hits in 97 innings pitched.  His K/BB ratio is just over 2/1. 

He is most effective against left handed hitting, but struggles at this point to find an out pitch against righties.  His fastball tops out at 93 and has great arm action coupled with his changeup.  When he throws either of these pitches in the strike zone, he induces a ton of swings and misses as well as ground balls.  When he doesn't, he is average at best.  His curveball is his biggest problem.  On the rare occasion he throws this pitch for a strike, it's 12/6 break is impressive. 

However, scouts cringe every time he throws this pitch to the backstop during warmups, and his teammates cringe every time he hangs it over the plate.  Perez obviously needs a lot of work, but the upside on him is incredible. 

The Braves are still toying with the idea of making him a reliever in the future, as he has seen action from the bullpen in recent weeks.  Perez's value for a trade right now is pretty low due to his shaky season, but since the Braves have taken #6 rated prospect Edward Salcedo out of trade talks, his value at the #5 spot may be enticing. 

Keep in mind also, when compared to Teheran, Vizcaino, and Delgado, he will come up short every time.

Conclusion

As the deadline approaches, expect these players to play a part for the Braves in one way or another. 

Atlanta is lucky to have a solid minor league system famous for churning out tomorrow's superstars each season. 

Since the All-Star Break, the Braves have shown the need for another piece to a championship puzzle.  By this weekend, we will know who that piece will be, and who we will have to give up to get it. 

I would like to thank Mike Newman of scoutingthesally.com, Bill Shanks of theatlantabaseballshow.com, and MLB.com for their excellent coverage of these young players.  Thank you for the read, and I hope to hear from you soon!