The Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday that they’ve traded outfielder Peter O’Brien, who had recently been designated for assignment, to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Sam Lewis.
The 26-yer-old O’Brien has drawn his fair share of attention over the years due to his gaudy power numbers in Triple-A. In 968 plate appearances at that level — split between the Yankees and Diamondbacks — O’Brien has compiled a career .270/.315/.530 batting line. Originally acquired by the D-backs in the 2014 trade that sent Martin Prado to the Yankees, O’Brien has slugged a total of 50 home runs in parts of two seasons in Triple-A.
While O’Brien began his career as a catcher, few scouts gave him much of a chance to stay behind the plate due to defensive concerns. Many scouting reports have suggested that O’Brien lacks any real position on the defensive spectrum, and he’s struggled in his brief taste of the Major Leagues to date (.176/.228/.446 with six homers but 32 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances). Still, he’ll give the Royals a potential power bat with multiple years of club control remaining. Unlike the D-backs, the Royals can simply elect to play O’Brien at DH in the event that he does eventually see his big league production more closely mirror the work he’s put in at the Triple-A level.
Lewis, meanwhile, turned 25 this offseason and returned from a 2015 injury to log 44 1/3 innings of 1.62 ERA ball across three minor league levels. However, impressive as that number seems, it should be noted that he topped out at Class-A Advanced, so he was working against considerably younger and less experienced competition. Lewis averaged 7.9 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 in his 2016 campaign while also posting a 47.5 percent ground-ball rate, per MLBfarm.com. Their notes on Lewis have his fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s. Lewis only totaled nine innings at High-A last season, and that was his first exposure to the level, so he could return there to open the 2017 season or be pushed to Double-A if the D-backs take a bit more aggressive approach. He’s made just nine minor league starts, so he’s likely viewed strictly as a reliever by his new organization.
Eventual replacement for Hosmer at first?
Doesn’t get rave reviews on his defense as a catcher or OF.
Doesn’t get rave reviews on his defense as a catcher or OF .
Nope. DH or LF in a pinch. He really has no position.
Nice guy, light tower power, but he is a AAAA Player or 4K per dayer.
Doesn’t get rave reviews on his defense as a catcher or OF .
So nice, had to say it thrice!
What kind of reviews does he get on his defense as a catcher or OF?
not rave.
Legitimately made me lol
Haha same here
I’ve read somewhere that they aren’t raving about his defense.
Raveless.
Notable for the absence of rave factor.
Ravelorn.
Bereft of rave.
As barren of rave as the bleak winter of Newfoundland is barren of bikinis.
that was just beautiful.
Doesn’t get rave reviews from the MLBTR reader with the username jwood on his defense at catcher or OF.
he doesn’t? I thought jwood was keen on giving rave reviews on his defense at catcher or OF. But on second reading, and after thinking about it over a drink and a cigarette, it does appear that indeed, the ballplayer in question that jwood is referencing does not get rave reviews on his defense at catcher or OF.
(I can’t help it. I’m bored.)
He does get rave reviews on the lack of defensive ability he has at SS/2B/CF.
Lol
LOL
Sometimes I just come back to this article to chuckle at these comments. They are still here, and still chuckle-worthy
A cautionary tale for any team considering home grown NYY prospects. As with O’Brien, Aaron Judge’s name keeps coming up in trade rumors for a reason.
The only time Judges name has came up in a rumor is for Quintana (and no, obviously not as the centerpiece)
You could say this about every team
Another Calvin Pickering….
Another failure of the disfunction dbacks
Another idiot from Cali…
So the Dbacks sold high on O’Brian.
Isn’t he Petes son , ex catcher for the Braves??
I think you mean Charlie, and no lol
Doesn’t get rave reviews from the MLBTR reader with the username jwood on his defense at catcher or OF.
Sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a young player. I hope that’s the case for him. I like to support both Missouri teams
Yes but will his rave reviews get better in Missouri?
Only time will tell
I think he’s actually Conan O’Brien’s son lol
are the Royals aware of the rave/not rave reviews?
The word’s getting around. It’s everywhere. I’m sure they’re vaguely aware
Now that he’s off my minor league keeper roster he’ll probably come up and hit 40 homers
Hope he finds success in KC. Always felt he could become a Russell Branyan type…
If u tell me all i have to give up is a 25 yr old AA reliever then sign me up for this deal
Source Confirms: Peter O’Brien doesn’t get rave reviews at catcher or outfield
CAFARDO’S LATEST
Among Nick Cafardo’s latest MLB scoops:
Newly acquired Royals farmhand Peter O’Brien is “absolutely getting rave reviews for his defense as a catcher and OF”, according to Cafardo’s high-ranking sources.
Cafardo is a raving lunatic.
what does Olney think? Then we’ll have a story!
I love how about half (if not more) of the comments are poking fun at the guy who posted the same thing multiple times lol
That poster is obviously not getting rave reviews for his posting ability.