With Manny Machado heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the real possibility that he can return them to the World Series, it’s time to look at the five players the Orioles are getting back in the deal.
The prize of the haul is expected to be Yusniel Diaz, a 21-year-old Cuban outfielder. Diaz, who played in Sunday’s Futures Game, is batting .314 with six home runs and 30 RBIs for Double-A Tulsa.
Diaz has good plate discipline. He’s walked 41 times with 39 strikeouts, and his on-base percentage is .428. Diaz has played all three outfield positions this year, but most of his time has been spent in center and right.
One longtime talent evaluator said Diaz is a “plus athlete.”
He does have speed. This year, Diaz has stolen eight bases, but been caught eight times, too.
Breyvick Valera, a 26-year-old switch-hitter, is the only one of the five who has major league experience. Valera played five games for St. Louis last season and 20 with the Dodgers this year. He hit .172 with four RBIs.
Valera can play second and third and also has experience at all three outfield positions in the minors.
“Fair prospect, nothing special,” one longtime talent evaluator said. Another said, “bat control, versatile infielder minus power.”
Valera is being optioned to Norfolk
Right-handed pitcher Dean Kremer was Los Angeles’ 14th-round selection in the 2016 draft. In one game for Tulsa, Kremer pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed three hits. At Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, the 23-year-old was 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 13 games.
Rylan Bannon was drafted in the eighth round by Los Angeles in 2017. The 22-year-old plays second and third base. Bannon is batting .296 in 89 games at Rancho Cucamonga with 20 home runs and 61 RBIs. He’s struck out 103 times and walked 59 and has an OBP of .402.
Zach Pop is a 21-year-old Canadian reliever drafted in the seventh round in 2017. Pop is a combined 1-2 with a 1.04 ERA in 30 games at Low-A Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga.
Diaz, Bannon, Kremer and Pop have been assigned to Bowie.
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Not too impressive but they waited too long as usual. If Diaz has success as a major leaguer than it’s decent. To me the rest is just fodder, quantity over quality, but it had to be done. I’m surprised this dysfunctional regime could even get a trade done.
Not sorry to say I am NOT impressed. I was there Opening Day 1954. I went to many games and many scheduled double headers when the O's were pretty bad. I was there for the good years after so many not so good. Now I find myself sad that the team let Machado go but more sad that more than a few who have an office IN the warehouse are still employed there.
OK .. rebuild. But get a team of competitors in the front office 1st ... or sell the team.
It's hard to predict what these prospects will do. I am cautiously optimistic about this particular trade. I do feel better about these prospects than most of our own 4A types.
The key to this deal was getting Machado the hell out of the league.
Sigh...
thanks
It doesn't appear that the Orioles at any time in the last few years made an attempt to get an extension from Machado. And if that was going to be the case, they should have dealt him two years ago rather than pretending there was enough pitching on those teams to get them to the World Series. A team would have given up much more to get a full two years of Machado. It seems that perhaps Diaz has a chance to be decent, but the rest added together don't appear that they will collectively come close to Machado's value (or so it seems now at least). But the front office will certainly love the fact that they are and will likely continue to be inexpensive.
I'm a little more optimistic. Worst offense in baseball with Manny. Manny's had an up and down career until this season. Diaz could be something special. Infield depth in the minors finally. A couple of young upside arms. Good draft in June. First or second pick in 2019. A willingness to participate internationally. Yes it took rock bottom to achieve all this but we now have a direction---up!
Nice to hear from an optimist in this desert of skepticism.
I will address many of these comments in a post that you should be around 12 today.
Ugghhh..... I was always told to learn from your mistakes. Should’ve let DD walk a few years ago when he wanted to. Hopefully they rebuild around guys like Bundy, Schoop, Mancini and Gausman. Need to stock this farm system with talent and stay away from all the rule 5 guys every year. Hopefully they learn sooner than later or they’ll need to have a jersey or bobble head giveaway every night to draw a decent crowd
While I still think they could have received a better package in an earlier trade, the fact is that they were in a situation where they either deal him or get one draft pick. I suppose one way of looking at this is they now got five players instead of one. I wonder if LA will consider this a good deal if they don't win the World Series and Manny signs elsewhere next year. Suppose Diaz gets to be an Adam Jones-level player (high .280s avg, 20 HRs, 75-80 RBI .340 OBP-he walks more) and just one of the others at least becomes a productive major league player. The trade doesn't look so bad from the O's perspective then. I still can't get around the fact the the Orioles probably could have signed Manny long-term just by increasing the team payroll by $13 or $14 million over where it is now. And if they deal Britton, that's most of that money right there.
Based on the performance of the O’s Management (GM,Manager& Scouts) in what they have done with the O’s in past years , in scouting, signing and developing young
Players how , can we be impressed with this trade.
How can a poor group in charge of developing talent, which they have not done in recent years, suddenly become talented.
A new management must be installed to help these young players to develop.