Ranking Connor Norby and the Top 10 MLB Prospects Traded at 2024 Deadline
The 2024 MLB trade deadline has officially come and gone, and while the major leaguers who joined new teams stole the headlines, the prospects involved in those swaps will determine who walks away as winners.
Ahead is a look at the 10 best prospects moved at this year's deadline, including where they ranked on Bleacher Report's most recent Top 100 prospect list, which was published immediately following the 2024 draft on July 17.
Only one player from the Top 100 list changed teams, but several others from the "Next 50" honorable-mentions list found new homes, and those are the players who could find their way into the Top 100 in the near future.
Let's start with a long list of notable prospects who didn't crack our Top 10 rankings.
Other Notable Prospects Who Were Traded
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Pitchers
LHP Samuel Aldegheri (PHI to LAA in Carlos Estévez trade)
RHP Mason Barnett (KC to OAK in Lucas Erceg trade)
RHP Jackson Baumeister (BAL to TB in Zach Eflin trade)
RHP Hunter Bigge (CHC to TB in Isaac Paredes trade)
RHP Bradley Blalock (MIL to COL in Nick Mears trade)
LHP Jacob Bresnahan (CLE to SF in Alex Cobb trade)
RHP Yujanyer Herrera (MIL to COL in Nick Mears trade)
RHP Brody Hopkins (SEA to TB in Randy Arozarena trade)
RHP Seth Johnson (BAL to PHI in Gregory Soto trade)
RHP Dylan Lesko (SD to TB in Jason Adam trade)
RHP Adam Mazur (SD to MIA in Tanner Scott trade)
RHP Kade Morris (NYM to OAK in Paul Blackburn trade)
RHP Jack Neely (NYY to CHC in Mark Leiter Jr. trade)
LHP Luis Peralta (PIT to COL in Jalen Beeks trade)
RHP Jun-Seok Shim (PIT to MIA in Bryan De La Cruz trade)
RHP Eric Silva (SF to DET in Mark Canha trade)
RHP Tyler Stuart (NYM to WAS in Jesse Winker trade)
Hitters
IF Alexander Albertus (LAD to CWS in three-team trade)
IF William Bergolla (PHI to CWS in Tanner Banks trade)
IF Jay Beshears (SD to MIA in Tanner Scott trade)
OF Homer Bush Jr. (SD to TB in Jason Adam trade)
OF Jonatan Clase (SEA to TOR in Yimi García trade)
IF Cutter Coffey (BOS to TOR in Danny Jansen trade)
IF Benjamin Cowles (NYY to CHC in Mark Leiter Jr. trade)
OF Matthew Etzel (BAL to TB in Zach Eflin trade)
1B Garrett Forrester (PIT to MIA in Bryan De La Cruz trade)
C J.D. Gonzalez (SD to TB in Jason Adam trade)
C Liam Hicks (TEX to DET in Carson Kelly trade)
IF Mac Horvath (BAL to TB in Zach Eflin trade)
IF/OF Matthew Lugo (BOS to LAA in Luis García trade)
IF/OF Graham Pauley (SD to MIA in Tanner Scott trade)
SS Eddinson Paulino (BOS to TOR in Danny Jansen trade)
OF Yohendrick Pinango (CHC to TOR in Nate Pearson trade)
OF Andrew Pintar (ARI to MIA in A.J. Puk trade)
SS Abraham Ramirez (NYY to MIA in Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade)
SS Rafael Ramirez Jr. (CLE to WAS in Lane Thomas trade)
OF RJ Schreck (SEA to TOR in Justin Turner trade)
IF Jared Serna (NYY to MIA in Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade)
C Jacob Sharp (SEA to TOR in Yimi García trade)
OF Aidan Smith (SEA to TB in Randy Arozarena trade)
SS Trey Sweeney (LAD to DET in Jack Flaherty trade)
OF Rhylan Thomas (NYM to SEA in Ryne Stanek trade)
IF Will Wagner (HOU to TOR in Yusei Kikuchi trade)
10. 2B Jeral Perez, Chicago White Sox
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Unranked
Acquired: via Chicago White Sox in three-team deal for Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham
It seems every year a breakout prospect emerges from the lower levels of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, and this year it has been second baseman Jeral Perez.
The 19-year-old is hitting .264/.380/.420 with 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 75 games at Single-A, and he earned a spot in the Futures Game as one of the youngest players on either roster.
With a 50-hit, 55-power offensive profile, Perez has the offensive upside to hit his way to the big leagues. And while he does have some experience at shortstop and third base, his best defensive position is second base.
He will go as far as his bat carries him, but this year's production has him trending up as much as any prospect at the Single-A level.
9. 2B Nick Yorke, Pittsburgh Pirates
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Unranked
Acquired: via Boston Red Sox in Quinn Priester trade
Nick Yorke was a surprise first-round selection when the Boston Red Sox took him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of the California prep ranks, but he quickly proved to be one of the better offensive prospects in the system.
The 22-year-old has steadily climbed the minor league ranks while flashing decent pop and some solid on-base skills, and now he is knocking on the door for his first taste of the big leagues.
In 83 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year, he is batting .278/.363/.422 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 46 RBI and 14 steals, and his solid 11.5 percent walk rate speaks to his polished approach at the plate.
Flipping him for another former first-round pick in right-hander Quinn Priester who went No. 18 overall in 2019 will give both players a welcome change of scenery, and both could spend the final two months of the season in the big leagues.
8. LHP Robby Snelling, Miami Marlins
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Unranked
Acquired: via San Diego Padres in Tanner Scott trade
Left-hander Robby Snelling was No. 31 on Bleacher Report's preseason Top 100 prospect list, and the 20-year-old still has the potential to return to that level, but it has been a trying 2024 season.
The No. 39 overall pick in the 2022 draft was a two-sport star in high school. He was a 4-star football recruit, and the San Diego Padres gave him an above-slot, $3 million bonus to add him to their system.
Snelling didn't pitch after signing, but he made a splash in his pro debut last year when he went 11-3 with a 1.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 103.2 innings across three minor league levels, closing out the year at Double-A.
The 6'3", 210-pound southpaw has struggled to a 6.01 ERA with a 67-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73.1 innings back at Double-A this year, but he offers significant upside and a change of scenery could prove beneficial.
7. LHP Alex Clemmey, Washington Nationals
5 of 11B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via Cleveland Guardians in Lane Thomas trade
The Cleveland Guardians gave left-hander Alex Clemmey an above-slot, $2.3 million bonus as one of the top prep arms in the 2023 draft class when they selected him with the No. 58 overall pick in the second round.
With a projectable 6'6", 205-pound frame, a high-octane fastball that bumped 99 mph and a curveball that flashes plus, he was one of the top prep pitchers in the 2023 draft, though questionable command made him a developmental boom-or-bust prospect.
The early returns in his pro debut this season have been encouraging, as he has posted a 4.67 ERA and a 97-to-47 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 69.1 innings at Single-A, and he just turned 19 years old a couple weeks ago.
In a Washington Nationals system loaded with position-player talent, he immediately becomes one of the club's top pitching prospects. And while there is a wide range of potential outcomes, his upside is huge.
6. 1B/3B Deyvison De Los Santos, Miami Marlins
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for LHP A.J. Puk
There might not be a more productive hitter in the minor leagues this season than Deyvison De Los Santos, though his long-term outlook also comes with plenty of question marks.
The 21-year-old spent spring training trying to play his way onto the Cleveland Guardians roster as a Rule 5 pick, but he was ultimately sent back to the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to the start of the season.
He is hitting .326/.378/.637 with 29 home runs and 86 RBI in 89 games between Double-A and Triple-A on the year, and he is 3-for-8 with a home run in his first two games as a member of the Miami organization.
That's the good news.
The bad news is he's the classic bat-only prospect who will not provide much in the way of secondary value outside of what he does in the batter's box. His production this season has also come at two of the most hitter-friendly parks in all of minor league baseball: Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno.
With all of that said, it's impossible to ignore the numbers De Los Santos has put up this season, and the Marlins need offensive production in the worst way.
5. C Thayron Liranzo, Detroit Tigers
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via Los Angeles Dodgers in Jack Flaherty trade
Signed for just $30,000 during the 2021 international period, Thayron Liranzo was a breakout prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system a year ago.
Playing at the Single-A level as a teenager, he hit .273/.400/.562 with 24 doubles, 24 home runs and 70 RBI in 94 games to emerge as a consensus top-10 prospect in a deep L.A. system.
The 21-year-old has taken a step backward offensively this year with a .700 OPS and 22 extra-base hits in 314 plate appearances over 74 games at High-A Great Lakes, but he still has significant upside at a premium position.
Liranzo has a strong throwing arm and good receiving skills, but he still needs further polish as a defender, and he has also started 24 games at first base this year.
The Tigers will no doubt give him every opportunity to stick as the catcher of the future.
4. RHP George Klassen, Los Angeles Angels
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via Philadelphia Phillies in Carlos Estévez trade
George Klassen is quickly shaping up to be one of the steals of the 2023 draft class after going in the sixth round following an injury-plagued collegiate career at the University of Minnesota.
After pitching just 7.2 innings during his first two years on campus while missing time to Tommy John surgery, he joined the rotation as a junior and posted a 5.72 ERA with 47 walks and 49 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.
His 70-grade fastball that touches triple digits was enough to make him a Day 2 selection. And while he didn't pitch last year after signing, he has been lights-out in his pro debut this season with a 1.97 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 89-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 59.1 innings between Single-A and High-A.
The 22-year-old has raised his stock as much as any pitching prospect in baseball this year, and even if he is never able to smooth out the rough edges to develop into a MLB starter, his power stuff gives him a high floor at the back of the bullpen.
3. RHP Jake Bloss, Toronto Blue Jays
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via Houston Astros in Yusei Kikuchi trade
Jake Bloss spent three seasons at Lafayette College before transferring to Georgetown as a grad student, where he went 8-4 with a 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 96 strikeouts in 76.2 innings last spring to emerge as one of the better senior signings in the 2023 draft class.
The Astros snagged him in the third round, and he made his MLB debut less than a year later after posting a 1.64 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 66 innings across three minor league levels.
The 23-year-old has been knocked around a bit in three big league starts, but a durable 6'3", 223-pound frame, polished repertoire and solid command give him a high floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter with the potential for a bit more.
Bloss was a great get on the Toronto Blue Jays' part for rental starter Yusei Kikuchi, and with both Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera both injured, he might be the best healthy pitching prospect in their system right now.
2. C Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins
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B/R Top 100 Rank: Next 50
Acquired: via New York Yankees in Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade
Catcher Agustin Ramirez has been turning heads in the New York Yankees system this year, and his hitting coach had the prospect world buzzing when he dropped this nugget in May:
The 22-year-old signed for $400,000 as part of the 2018 international class, then spent four years in rookie ball before finally breaking through last year with an .819 OPS and 18 home runs in 114 games across three minor league levels.
He has continued to impress in the upper levels of the minors this year, hitting .269/.358/.505 with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, 69 RBI and 18 steals in 87 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
It remains to be seen if Ramirez will stick behind the plate or eventually shift to first base, but he immediately becomes the top offensive prospect in the Miami system.
1. 2B/OF Connor Norby, Miami Marlins
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B/R Top 100 Rank: No. 86
Acquired: via Baltimore Orioles in Trevor Rogers trade
Somewhat lost in the shuffle of all the impressive young bats in the Baltimore Orioles system, Connor Norby has spent the better part of the last two seasons demolishing Triple-A pitching while waiting for his shot in the big leagues.
The 24-year-old hit .290/.359/.483 with 40 doubles, 21 home runs and 92 RBI in 138 games at Triple-A last year, and he returned to that level again this season where he has showed an improved approach at the plate.
His walk rate has climbed from 9.0 to 12.5 percent, and while he is also striking out a bit more frequently, a more patient approach will serve him well at the next level. Even working deeper into counts, he is still hitting .297/.389/.519 with 21 doubles, 16 home runs, 57 RBI and 13 steals in 80 games.
Norby has split his time between second base and the corner outfield spots this year, and he will likely always be a bat-first player, but that's exactly what the Marlins need given the current state of their lineup.
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