Top MLB Prospects Who Could Be Used in 2017 Blockbuster Trades
No MLB prospect is safe on an MLB contender eyeing a championship.
Last year, decorated minor leaguers Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, Lewis Brinson and Anderson Espinoza all moved before the trade deadline. More valuable young talent changed scenery in the winter when the Chicago White Sox jump-started their rebuild by acquiring mega prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and Lucas Giolito.
Of course, no responsible team wants to move a young player with superstar potential. Imagine how the Los Angeles Dodgers would feel if they had swapped Cody Bellinger last year.
But a short-sighted move is sometimes necessary when the World Series is within reach.
Each of the last two champions, the Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs, reinforced their rosters with significant transactions before the non-waiver trade deadline. This year's title hopefuls will try to accomplish the same feat, even if it means sacrificing a premier minor leaguer with a star ceiling.
As one of the top prospects on a World Series candidate, if not the top prospect, the following players may be pawned off before the deadline.
Walker Buehler, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Despite winning 17 of their last 19 games, the Dodgers have the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies sniffing right behind their newly earned National League West edge. The organization is also careful not to trade away premier prospects, and it's certainly a good thing it never placed Corey Seager or Cody Bellinger on the trading block.
If general manager Farhan Zaidi chooses to bolster a deep roster, he has plenty of prized young talent to peddle. Hitting .342 with more walks (30) than strikeouts (27) in Triple-A, 21-year-old outfielder Alex Verdugo is ready to contribute now. So is Willie Calhoun, whom one scout described as a "left-handed Jose Altuve" to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.
Yet the Dodgers have shown a higher willingness to move pitchers, sending three (Jharel Cotton, Frankie Montas and Grant Holmes) to the Oakland Athletics last summer before swapping Jose De Leon for Logan Forsythe during the offseason. They recently received a cruel reminder of the position's volatility when losing Julio Urias—whom they protected as carefully as possible—for at least a full calendar year to season-ending shoulder surgery.
They have two more marquee pitching prospects in Yadier Alvarez and Walker Buehler, whose values are trending in opposite directions. While the former sports a 5.05 ERA in High-A, the latter has accumulated 71 strikeouts over 52 innings in High-A and Double-A.
Buehler, who underwent Tommy John surgery months after getting drafted in 2015's first round, jumped to No. 27 in Joel Reuter's latest prospect rankings on Bleacher Report. Given his injury history, now might be the ideal time to cash out while sellers are blinded by upside.
Then again, the Dodgers are 52-27 with an MLB-best plus-138 run differential. If Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill settle down and stabilize the back of their rotation, they may not see the need to make any significant moves.
Erick Fedde, RHP, Washington Nationals
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The Washington Nationals didn't fret about losing top pitching prospects when they sent three (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning) to the Chicago White Sox for Adam Eaton. Even with their newly acquired outfielder injured, they should cruise to a National League East title.
Relief pitching, however, remains a gashing wound they must conceal by the postseason. They could once again negotiate with the White Sox, who will likely put veteran closer David Robertson on the trading block, but Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo will have fewer marquee prospects at his disposal.
Trading star outfield prospect Victor Robles for a reliever would be ill-advised, especially since this year's market won't match last year's crop of elite late-inning arms. The Nationals probably won't move their next-best young position player, Juan Soto, while the 18-year-old is sidelined with an ankle injury.
That means they may need to part with their remaining top pitching talent, Erick Fedde. Washington has shifted him into a bullpen role, indicating a desire to utilize him as a late-season fix. Having allowed four runs in five outings since getting promoted to Triple-A, the 24-year-old righty may not offer the short-term boost they crave.
MLB.com's No. 50 prospect is probably too steep a price for Robertson or any other of the available relievers, but the near playoff lock may overpay out of desperation to finally win a playoff series. If the Nationals want a high-impact reliever and/or healthy outfielder, Fedde is one of their top trade assets to avoid losing Robles.
Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago Cubs
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Unless Washington shops Robles, there's no more exciting minor league trade candidate than Eloy Jimenez.
The Chicago Cubs outfielder boasts power reminiscent of Roy Hobbs. At this year's High-A Carolina League Home Run Derby, he reenacted The Natural by hitting a ball into the stadium lights.
It's not batting practice strength either; the 20-year-old wields a .496 slugging percentage and seven homers in 33 games. MLB.com compared the No. 8 prospect's power upside to that of Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Back in February, Cubs senior vice president Jason McLeod also dared to dream of lofty heights to CSN Chicago's Patrick Mooney.
"Sky's the limit," McLeod said. "I think he's someone who can sit in the middle of a lineup and wreak a lot of havoc on some pitching across the major leagues. It's just a matter of him maturing as a hitter and understanding what pitchers are going to try to do to him."
Jimenez isn't the type of talent team president Theo Epstein typically moves, but he did relinquish Torres to the Yankees last year. That was for Aroldis Chapman, a relief pitcher on an expiring contract.
Now that the Cubs are barely treading water above .500 and trailing the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, they may need another major splash to play more November baseball. If the defending champs make a serious push for Sonny Gray or Gerrit Cole, the Oakland Athletics or Pittsburgh Pirates would probably want Jimenez in return.
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Triston McKenzie, RHP, Cleveland Indians
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A comfortable preseason pick to reclaim the American League Central and possibly return to the World Series, the Cleveland Indians are instead embroiled in an uncomfortably close division race with the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.
As the division's only team with a positive run differential (plus-50), they should ultimately salvage a playoff bid without locating any sizable upgrades. Although rookies Bradley Zimmer and Mike Clevinger have helped overcome injuries to Michael Brantley and Danny Salazar, they could still use another outfielder and starting pitcher if they're not healthy.
Although the mid-market franchise has developed nearly all of its roster from within, Cleveland showed some urgency last summer by sending a package led by Clint Frazier to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miller. Cleveland was also prepared to send Francisco Mejia to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jonathan Lucroy before the veteran catcher exercised his no-trade clause.
Since there's no high-profile catcher projected to be on the market this summer, the Indians will likely keep their 21-year-old backstop for a 2018 or 2019 arrival. If they want to make a major splash, Triston McKenzie is the guy sellers will want.
The 19-year-old pitcher has posted a 3.14 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 77.1 innings for Cleveland's High-A club. The righty should open 2018 much higher than No. 48 on MLB.com's prospect rankings. Reuter moved him up 27 spots to No. 19.
McKenzie is someone Cleveland would only move if going all in on 2017 with a major midseason acquisition. Dealing him or Mejia would significantly weaken a farm system that has seen its top talents traded or promoted.
Blake Rutherford, OF, New York Yankees
5 of 6The New York Yankees have plenty of solid prospects to offer for a corner infield rental or sturdy starting pitcher. Yet their American League East lead has evaporated after losing 11 of their last 14 games, so the Evil Empire might instead seek a summer blockbuster to snap their funk.
Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade, Dustin Fowler and Justus Sheffield could help them land a decent upgrade, but none would grease the wheels enough to land Sonny Gray or Gerrit Cole. Trading Torres, meanwhile, would make little sense given the shortstop's high pedigree and Tommy John surgery.
Frazier should be ready for an everyday role next year, so at least two-thirds of New York's outfield will be occupied by the time 20-year-old outfielder Blake Rutherford is ready. Aaron Hicks can lock down the last spot if he sustains this year's breakout, but Yankees fans may half-jokingly assert that the vacancy will belong to Bryce Harper.
Last year's first-round pick remains a high-risk, high-reward prospect with all the tools to succeed, but Rutherford is still searching for power. He's only hit four home runs in 365 career minor league plate appearances, so a trading partner would be buying upside.
He's young enough to warrant that gamble for a retooling franchise. For the Yankees, his volatile future should motivate them to move him and keep Frazier. They have displayed enough blemishes in June to envision a major transaction as necessary for a title run.
Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
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No team is in better position to buy than the Houston Astros.
Boasting a 12.5-game lead in the American League West with 10 more wins than anyone else in the AL, it'd take a major collapse for the Astros not to host a postseason division series. Although young stars have led their charge, they still boast a stacked farm system to leverage.
MLB.com places six Astros prospects within its overall top 100. That doesn't include A.J. Reed, a popular Rookie of the Year pick last year. They can exchange a couple without mortgaging a promising future.
At the moment, starting pitching represents their major need. That could change if Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh return healthy and as good as before getting hurt, but they may not love the idea that Morton, McHugh or Mike Fiers could start a playoff game.
They have tried filling the void with Francis Martes and David Paulino, but the young righties would better aid their short-term plans as trading chips. Franklin Perez and Forrest Whitley are also intriguing options for more patient sellers. And as he showed during a five-game tryout, outfielder Derek Fisher could help another club immediately.
The most exciting target may be the toughest to pry away from Houston. Kyle Tucker breezed through High-A this year, forcing a promotion by batting .288/.379/.554 in 48 games. The 20-year-old outfielder is now holding his own in Double-A, where he has collected six homers and four steals in 25 bouts.
While the smooth-swinging lefty would look great in Houston's 2019 lineup, he could also headline a package for Sonny Gray or Gerrit Cole. Even if they keep Tucker, expect the Astros to trade some young prospects for their pennant push.
Note: Stats and team records current through June 26.
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