Today on Big Hype Prospects, we’ll consider the most important prospects dealt at the trade deadline. For a full recap, check out Mark Polishuk’s review of the American League and James Hicks’ rundown of the National League. C.J. Abrams has used up his rookie eligibility, so we’ll skip him.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Robert Hassell, 20, OF, WSH (A+)
346 PA, 10 HR, 20 SB, .299/.379/.467
James Wood, 19, OF, WSH (A)
236 PA, 10 HR, 15 SB, .337/.453/.601
The Nationals said they wanted a mix of Major and Minor League talent in return for Juan Soto, and the Padres obliged. Hassell typically finds his way into conversations about the Top 10 prospects in the league although most list-makers have him ranked around 25th-best. He’s young for his level and could get a taste of Double-A in the waning months of the season. Hassell combines discipline and an advanced feel for contact. He’s a high-probability future big leaguer, but he might not be an especially exciting one. Each promotion will be a test – can he continue to post an over-10 percent walk rate, sub-20 percent strikeout rate, while showing 20 home run power? Trent Grisham – prior to his absentee 2022 season – serves as a loose comp.
By production, Wood has played like a Hassell clone one-year back on the development curve. However, Wood is an absolute mammoth. Most young players of his size either have a sizable strikeout issue, or they’ve sold out for contact. Wood has looked comfortable in Low-A, hitting for power while demonstrating both discipline and a high rate of contact. One can dream on the size, athleticism, and precocious ability. There’s potential for a truly elite player here – one who might eventually justify dealing away Soto. Of course, with all of the challenging levels of the minors awaiting him, Wood is more concept than proven commodity. He should get a late-season trial in High-A.
Noelvi Marte, 20, SS, CIN (A+)
394 PA, 15 HR, 13 SB, .275/.363/.462
Edwin Arroyo, 18, SS, CIN (A)
410 PA, 13 HR, 21 SB, .316/.385/.514
Many analysts believe Marte was the best prospect traded at the deadline (excluding Abrams) while others wondered aloud if the Mariners know something we don’t. You may recall some earlier debate within this column. To summarize, the folks at Baseball America have cooled on Marte, bumping him down to 46 on their midseason Top 100. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Keith Law favors Marte with the 12th rank. FanGraphs lists Marte as one of their 13 60-grade (on the 20/80 scale) prospects. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 17.
On the face of it, Marte was quite a high price to pay for a season-and-a-half of Luis Castillo if the majority opinion turns out to be correct. Especially when considering the Mariners also sent well-regarded 18-year-old Arroyo (more on him below) and a pair of pitching prospects. Even if the more pessimistic Baseball America ranking is accurate, the Reds made out well in this trade.
Baseball America actually has Arroyo ranked one spot behind Marte. Other outlets are less enthusiastic about Arroyo. With Elly De La Cruz ranked in their Top 20, it’s a good time for shortstops in the Cincy system.
Interestingly, Arroyo is a switch-hitter and a switch-thrower. He throws right-handed as a fielder but pitched left-handed in high school. That latter element will only come into play if he has to convert back to the mound in the future, or if he injures his right arm and moves to the outfield. As a hitter, reports indicate Arroyo sells out for power but has a sufficiently compact swing to do so without painful strikeout rates. His swing from the left side has a classic lefty-loop to it. His bat path is flatter from the right side, though he still produces plenty of fly ball contact.
Ken Waldichuk, 24, SP, (AAA)
47.2 IP, 13.22 K/9, 4.34 BB/9, 3.59 ERA
Waldichuk emerged from the lost COVID season to post one of the most effective pitching lines in the minors last season. After he replicated his success early this season, he found himself landing on Top 100 prospect lists. Many premium pitching prospects have excellent stuff but need to learn more about the craft of pitching. Waldichuk, a southpaw, sort of comes from the other perspective. He’s polished and deceptive which allows him to outperform his stuff, although that’s not to knock his repertoire which is both deep and effective. His delivery has a reliever-ish look to it, but he has the weapons to thrive as a mid-tier starter. In particular, he has an excellent slider and changeup, both of which help his mid-90s fastball to play up. Sent to Oakland in the Frankie Montas trade, Waldichuk should get a taste of big league action in the waning months of the season.
Five More
Logan O’Hoppe, PHI (22): O’Hoppe was one of the most glaringly obvious trade chips. The Phillies have no apparent role for a quality catching prospect (though such things can change suddenly). O’Hoppe is well-regarded as both a defensive and offensive catcher who should one day be a league average starter. He’s benefitted from more time at Double-A than he needed in a particularly friendly offensive environment. The discipline and contact skills he showed this season exceeded anything he teased in the past. We’ll see if they withstand a move to the Angels system and subsequent steps up the ladder.
Jordan Groshans, MIA (22): After hitting just one home runs in 279 Triple-A plate appearances, Groshans is trending towards a super utility role. Once a well-regarded prospect, evaluators started grumbling about something missing – impactful power – shortly after he debuted in 2019. He continued to hit well enough for list-makers to conservatively continue including him in the Top 100, but that’s evaporated as he’s reached the upper levels of the minors.
Seth Johnson, BAL (23): A promising pitcher from the Rays system, Johnson will miss the remainder of this season and most of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery. He’s an interesting case for the Orioles. He’ll be Rule 5 eligible this winter, can be stashed on the injured list, and might hold his own in the bullpen when he returns in 2024. Will the Orioles roster him or try to pass him through the Rule 5 gauntlet?
Esteury Ruiz, MIL (23): Presumably, the Brewers acquired Ruiz to help complement Tyrone Taylor in center field. Taylor has played near replacement level, and Ruiz has impactful skills which could help win ball games. For now, he’ll build upon his legend in the minors. He has 60 steals in 379 minor league plate appearances. His 27 plate appearances in the Majors yielded little – a .222/.222/.333 line and one steal in three attempts.
Spencer Steer, CIN, (24): While not exactly a top prospect, Steer will soon grace a Major League roster and could lay claim to a regular role. He has a short, impactful swing and enough discipline to hold his head above water. Great American Ballpark is the ideal venue for him. He doesn’t have big raw power but hits a ton of fly balls. He might wind up as Eugenio Suarez redux.
Our AA and AAA coaching appears to be better than our MLB level coaching but that says more about our MLB staff than the one in the minors.
For instance, Detmers worked out his mechanical issue in one film session in AAA. Meanwhile a reliever was told by Trout, not the coaches, that he was tipping his pitches in Anaheim.
I have nice hopes for O’hoppe but “withstand a move to the Angels system” is a nice phrase.
I caught that phrase too. An interesting way to put it.
There does seem to be an odor that the Angels leave on people that come thru the system and even exit –
Dipoto still to this day is unfairly labeled
I look at a guy like Jose Igelsias from the player side
I keep harping about coaching in MLB organizations at all levels being a key to both individual players and a teams success in today’s game. The good franchises do it, and a fan watching games can easily see those teams that play smart, fundamental baseball. In time, those are the teams that bubble to the top.
Didn’t realize the situation with the Angels. Watched them a lot early in the season battling the Astros and they looked to me like 2 MLB heavyweights. A few injuries happened and the Angels nosedived. Good organizations don’t fall apart like that. Just because a team trades for or signs a player doesn’t mean that he continues on that trajectory – good or bad. It all has to do with the coaching today – analytics, video, etc. – the ability of individual coaches to analyze, impart and the individual players open to making adjustments.
I’ve not seen O’Hoppe play. While the write-ups on him are good, the public write up’s of all franchises top 20-40 players are always good. Catcher is the most difficult position to play and he’ll need some help adjusting to the highest level of competition. Mike Scioscia always had a catching factory going on there. I don’t know if he’s still involved. But Perry Minasian comes from the Braves that put in place one of the strongest coaching staffs throughout their organization even before Alex Anthopoulos was hired. It seems Mr. Minasian would have made that a priority.
HalosHeavenJJ;
I just read a few interviews that Mr. Minasian gave the past month and after the trade deadline.
He keeps saying he has to build a better roster.
You Angel fans are doomed.
Rotisserie League owners/GM’s/whatever and most of the writers and posters here want to build a better roster. The job of a MLB franchises top Baseball Ops person is to build a strong organization and culture which makes individual players better team players, and results in success for the ML team.
You look at Dave Dombrowski’s moves both last off-season and this in-season, and short of the glitzy Schwarber and Castellanos signings nothing particularly stands out. Yet since the first game of the season the Phillies bullpen has gone from one of the worst in MLB to at least in the top 1/3’rd; the starting pitching has been solid; the defense has improved; bench players are contributing; and while waiting for their top player (and Segura) to come back from injury the team has been competing for a Wild Card spot. They can peak in the stretch run and playoffs.
I wrote last offseason that the Phillies year would depend on the coaching staff. Changing the manager surely helped there, and was the best move Mr. Dombrowski made. As Bill Belichick puts it: “Do Your Job”. That includes the manager, coaches and instructors. The top person has to make that happen.
A few injuries…..Trout (again) Rendon (again) Ward Fletcher. Losing these players (especially Trout) decimated the offense. They have had two strong drafts and the Angels have some young help on the way. But our fanbase is bipolar and the teams Reddit page is full of hysterical gloom and doom.
Spot on w Arroyo. He’s reds #1 prospect
Elly De la Cruz is their #1 prospect. He is rocketing up the top prospect lists and will be Top 5 – Top 10 in all of baseball by the start of next season. The kid is amazing and just keeps getting better every game he plays. The Reds farm is better than its ever been at the moment and gives us Reds fans hope for a few years from now. They’ve never done a proper rebuild like they’re doing at the momentfor I have a lot of optimism for 2-3 years from now.
Completely agree…EDLC is the real deal. Very excited we added Marte and Arroyo as well. They should have a great core of young talent established going into 2024…
@Joe It All- it will be interesting to see who’ll have a better major league career, either Elly De la Cruz or Oswald Peraza? I would take Anthony Volpe right now, over both players, even though he’ll likely be a 2nd basemen in the majors. Like I said we’ll see what ends up happening.
O’Hoppe is a nice prospect but with JT he was expendable. Marsh gives us offensive upside and defensive CFer with 5yrs of control.
Marsh is 24 and especially for a man of his size is a slap hitter who has contact issues. He is very good defensively and he is a fan favorite.
Waldichuk has big Mark Mulder vibes, for the A’s fans….
I doubt he will be that good. Hopefully for you guys he will be, Waldi is not a Mulder or a Zito type. We’ll see. My guess he’s a #3 or a #4 at best. At worst a #4 or #5, or a bullpen piece. Nice power arm.
So where is Hayden Wesneski, most scouts thought he was better prospect than Waldichuck
@Jimbob 57- I like most scouts feel the same way about Wesneski. I think Hayden will be a #3 or a #4 in the Cubs rotation in a year or a year in a half. Waldichuk is a head of Wesneski as far as reaching the majors though. I would say he’ll likely get 3 or 4 starts for the A’s this season. If he struggles early don’t be surprised to see him end up in the bullpen this season. JP Sears is definitely ahead of Waldi and Wes.
So where is Hayden Wesneski , most scouts think he is better prospect than Waldichuck
The amount that Kyle Manzardo is under the radar would drill a hole through the earth. Guy is just mashing a 1.060 OPS in Hi A with 15% BB and 17% K but gets no respect from anyone or any publication. Oh well, lets talk about big market prospects I guess.
Tampa86…was he traded at the deadline like this story is about?
So where is Wesneski
Shut up
@south side hit men- hey you sound really salty. You seem jealous that Wesneski was traded to the Cubs? Nothing is wrong with getting a scouting report in regards to the prospect or prospects your favorite team just traded for is there? Smh
From the video I’ve seen and watched along with alot of the other prospect analysis I’ve read, I’ll disagree with the assessment on Robert Hassell III here. He may not have the power right now but he has all the tools and intangibles necessary to be a successful MLB player for a long time!
The Trent Grisham comp is puzzling.
In other words, “meh.” 😀
Grisham was known as Trent Clark when he was drafted 15th overall out of high school in 2015. Never thought he was ranked very highly as a prospect though. If I remember correctly he peaked about 5th in the Brewers system in 2016 and was an over 55 scouting grade prospect. I could be wrong. I will have to check.
Groshans will not be an everyday MLBer. No pop by now is beyond perplexing.
@Jal179- while Groshans might not display much power at the major league level, that doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player. I can definitely see him starting in a few years for a team in the majors.
Most of the guys you attributed to the the teams they went too. Not all though. Confusing.
Feel like Waldichuk wouldn’t be consider a top prospect if he came from a different farm system.
Why? He’s averaging less than 7 H per 9 and striking out nearly 14 per 9. Those numbers are phenomenal and he’s big league ready.
@Sky14- trust me that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Waldichuk is a power lefty with plus stuff, he would be a top pitching prospect in any organization in the minor leagues. The A’s will definitely like him, this was a really good pitcher that Oakland traded Montas for. They did a excellent job.
Robert Hassell is way too much of a HASSLE, man…