Selling High: Top Acquired Prospects Who Will Become Future MLB All-Stars

The MLB trade deadline always features two distinct storylines. 

The first and most immediate is the buyers' story. Which stars changed hands, and how will they impact the various postseason races?

The second story, however, is weightier and more intriguing going forward: Which of the traded top prospects will blossom into MLB studs?

Hindsight is the only true arbiter. But based on our own analysis, MLB.com's prospect rankings and a sprinkling of gut instinct, here are five blue chips who swapped uniforms ahead of the July 31 non-waiver deadline and appear ticketed for big league stardom.

2B Willie Calhoun

Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

MLB.com Prospect Rank: No. 69

Traded From: Los Angeles Dodgers to Texas Rangers

The Los Angeles Dodgers rented ace right-hander Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers and didn't give up any of their top three prospects. Put another way: The National League's best team got better without gutting its farm system. Kudos to them.

They did surrender an intriguing prospect in second baseman Willie Calhoun, though. The 22-year-old has flashed eye-opening power during his rise through the Dodgers' system, crushing 27 home runs in 132 games at Double-A in 2016 and 23 in 99 games at Triple-A this season.

Granted, his .931 slugging percentage might have been inflated by the offense-friendly Pacific Coast League. And, sure, the 45 errors he's committed in three minor league campaigns call his defense into question.

However, middle infielders with 20-plus home run potential don't grow on trees. Plus, assuming Calhoun stays with the Rangers and arrives in The Show, he will ply his trade at the fifth-most hitter-happy yard in baseball, per ESPN's Park Factors statistic. 

LF/CF/RF Dustin Fowler

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MLB.com Prospect Rank: No. 77

Traded From: New York Yankees to Oakland Athletics 

Dustin Fowler was having a stellar season at Triple-A, hitting .293 with 13 home runs in 70 games when the New York Yankees called him up.

In his first audition with the Yanks, Fowler blew out his knee on defense and never took a big league at-bat.

Now, the 22-year-old is in the Oakland Athletics system after being featured in the trade that sent right-hander Sonny Gray from the East Bay to the Bronx.

Fowler is still rehabbing his knee, but assuming he recovers, he's got the tools and makeup to shine for a small-market A's club that loves to promote and showcase young talent.

"Things happen for a reason," Fowler said, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media. "There's a reason for me to go to Oakland right now. So I've got to do everything I can to help them out."

CF/LF Blake Rutherford

MLB.com Prospect Rank: No. 45

Traded From: New York Yankees to Chicago White Sox

The Yankees jettisoned a number of intriguing prospects via trade. In addition to Fowler, general manager Brian Cashman cashed in resurgent infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo and injured-yet-intriguing right-hander James Kaprielian, among others, in his quest to upgrade the bullpen, offense and rotation.

Another prospect, however, rises to the top: outfielder Blake Rutherford.

Acquired by the Chicago White Sox in the trade that sent infielder Todd Frazier and right-handed relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Bronx, Rutherford hit .351 with a .986 OPS in rookie ball last season.

The 18th overall pick in 2016, the 20-year-old "has big raw power and will tap into it once he adds some loft to his swing," per MLB.com's scouting report.

He's yet another chip in a suddenly loaded White Sox system, and not the last one you'll meet on this list.

RHP Dylan Cease

MLB.com Prospect Rank: No. 67

Traded From: Chicago Cubs to Chicago White Sox

Hey, look, another White Sox acquisition.

This one is 21-year-old right-hander Dylan Cease, who has averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings with a 2.67 ERA across 135 minor league innings after recovering from post-high school Tommy John surgery.

Cease was shipped from the Cubs to the Sox in the Jose Quintana trade, and in the process he lost his chance to ascend the ranks of the defending champions.

To hear Cease tell it, he's OK with that.

"What the Cubs are doing is great, but I obviously didn't have anything to do with that," the 2014 sixth-round pick told reporters, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. "It's exciting to be in a system like this one where there are so many talented guys and the potential to do something great is there."

LF/RF Eloy Jimenez

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MLB.com Prospect Rank: No. 7

Traded From: Chicago Cubs to Chicago White Sox

Cease wasn't all the Cubbies surrendered in the Quintana trade. They also sent outfielder Eloy Jimenez to the South Side.

Jimenez raked in spring training before a shoulder injury sidelined his season. The 20-year-old Dominican eventually recovered and landed in High-A Myrtle Beach, where he hit well.

In nine games with the White Sox's High-A affiliate entering play Monday, he had tallied five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI along with a .452 average.

"Eloy is one of the most talented players I've ever seen, especially the fact he's only 20," Cease told reporters of his trademate, per Kane. "I expect he's going to do really big things."

The same could be said for Cease, and all of the other names featured here.

All statistics current as of Monday and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.