A whirlwind of a trading deadline — 18 swaps on July 31 prior to 4 p.m., Eastern — has made for some fun opportunities for players, prospects, and the pros moving to new teams.
Of course, we all know that Steve Pearce can be as hot as he can cold and that Manny Machado would play everyday for the rest of the season no matter what comes the Dodgers way.
That said, a cluster of top youngsters did make debuts this last week, and another cache grabbed some stats and relative attention. So, let’s see who we are looking at this week.
Kolby Allard (P, Braves): Atlanta’s #1 selection in 2015, Allard is just one of an arsenal of killer pitching prospects who have already begun surfacing in the Braves rotation. Allard had some jittery looking control issues his first start, going five innings, allowing four runs, but scoring a win. The Southpaw, who was 6-4, 2.80 in the minors this year, cannot really prove much more in the minors, but, as part of a pennant race has to show a bit more composure. Still, 323 minor league whiffs and a 1.19 WHIP over 353 frames suggest potential success. In a deep NL format, grab away. Otherwise, track judiciously.
Chance Adams (P, Yankees): The search for pitching depth in all possible directions continues in the Bronx, though this time the spoils are home grown in Adams, a fourth-rounder in 2014 drafted out of high school. The right-hander’s first start was not unlike Allard’s: five innings, three runs, a walk and a pair of whiffs, on top of his 3-5, 4.50 line at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Adams has been a good strikeout guy in the minors (426 strikeouts over 411 innings) — his issue is the Yankees have a lot of pitching depth, even with Adams in consideration.
Jalen Beeks (P, Rays): Traded from the BoSox as part of the Nathan Eovaldi deal, Beeks is a hard thrower with 491 punchouts culled over 515.2 minor league frames. Beeks, a 12th-rounder in 2014, was having a strong season at Pawtucket (5-5, 2.89, with 117 whiffs over 87.1 innings) and came up for a start at Fenway, only to get clobbered (6.1 IP, 12.79 ERA), but things should be different in Tampa. Beeks should be a little more relaxed where he is expected to show what he can do rather than the pressure of each pitch potentially pointing to the post-season.
Ramon Laureano (OF, Athletics): Whoa, last week it was Nick Martini, this week Laureano? Drafted in the 16th round in 2014 by the Astros and swapped to Oakland last year, Laureano, 24, posted a .297-14-35 with 11 swipes at Nashville. Certainly the Laureano/Martini duo has sent Dustin Fowler packing, and the pair of center fielders will likely at least platoon for now, batting leadoff and keeping the Oakland offensive juggernaut humming.
Ryan McMahon (1B, Rockies): After all the hype surrounding McMahon’s first promotion and debut in the Majors last year, it has been up and down for the first sacker who has a meager .212-2-11 line over 71 games thus far at The Show. Certainly the minors offer little challenge as witnessed by McMahon’s .290-11-48 line, and the sheen of being a hot prospect has worn off, which makes for a good time to pick up a player like him. Although McMahon’s on-base and strikeout numbers (242 walks to 669 strikeouts) are good for just a .366 OBP that converts to just .305 in the Majors, so be wary.
Phil Ervin (OF, Reds): Cincy’s first rounder in 2013 out of high school has a .289-5-38 line with 10 swipes at Louisville this season and has complemented with a .308-1-12 mark over 78 at-bats with the big club. With Jesse Winker out for the remainder of the season, Ervin could indeed get a chance to show what he can do for the last two months — meaning an everyday player with some speed who could certainly help an NL only team, and if the speed holds true, Ervin could be a nice cog on any team needing said legs.
Jose Leclerc (P, Rangers): OK, so saves have their flavor of the week in Leclerc, who bagged 24 in the minors while notching a 412 whiffs over 373 minor league frames. Texas has essentially jettisoned anyone with an established resume as a hurler at the trade deadline, and Leclerc has taken a step forward to grab the first post-deadline bullpen depleted save. The 24-year-old Dominican should reward your save treasury accordingly.
Brad Peacock (P, Astros): OK, this is a hunch for those in deep leagues, needing especially some whiffs and maybe some wins, but with Lance McCullers moving to the DL, and the season and races tightening, Peacock is an option. He filled in as a sixth starter last year with 21 starts. Houston had indeed been lucky, operating with a straight five-man rotation until this temporary shelving of McCullers. Peacock was 10-2, 3.17 as a starter last year (he was 3-0, 1.77 as a reliever) so it makes sense the team tries to stretch him out and take the ball Friday when McCullers would have had his next turn.
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