Getting to Know the Prospects Acquired From the Winter Meeting Trades

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been among the most active teams in the Majors with their wheeling and dealing leading up to and during the Winter Meetings from San Diego. Over the course the season, I like to take a look at the progression of the top prospects in the D-Backs farm system. Below are the prospects they received in their recent trades who are future Dbacks on Deck and most of which could be placed in as some of the top-20 prospects in the organization going into the 2015 season.

Didi Gregorious traded to the Yankees. In return, the Diamondbacks received from the Tigers in the three-team deal:

–Robbie Ray, left handed starting pitcher, 23 years old, 6-2, 195 pounds: This is the second time Ray has been a part of trade. He was originally drafted by Washington but was dealt to the Tigers organization in the deal that sent Doug Fister to the Nationals. He split time last season between the Tigers, his first Major League action, and Triple-A Toledo. In 9 games (6 starts) for Detroit, he went 1-4 with an 8.16 ERA (26 ER in 28.2 IP). In his first three starts, he allowed just one run in his first 12 innings of work. He entered 2014 as Detroit’s number four prospect according to Baseball America and reportedly had a monster showing in this past Arizona Fall League.

–Domingo Leyba, switch-hitting infielder, 19 years old, 5-11, 160 pounds: Scouts rave about the upside of Leyba. Last season, he hit .323 (84-for-260) with 18 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers and 24 RBI in a combined 67 games at Short-Season A Connecticut and Single-A West Michigan. He saw action in 48 games at second base and 20 games at shortstop. That followed a 2013 season which saw him be named Tigers’ Dominican Summer League Player of the Year. Going into last season, Baseball America had him tabbed as the Tigers number nine prospect.

Miguel Montero traded to the Cubs. In return, the Diamondbacks received:

–Zack Goldy, right handed relief pitcher, 24 years old, 6-3, 235 pounds: Played two seasons in the Cubs’ organization starting in 2013 where he went a combined 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.74 ERA (25 ER in 82.0 IP) and 105 strikeouts in 54 relief appearances. He was originally was selected by the Cubs in the 10th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee.

–Jeferson Mejia, right handed starting pitcher, 20 years old, 6-7, 195 pounds: Played parts of 2 seasons in the Cubs system in the Arizona Rookie League in 2014 and with the Dominican Summer League Cubs in 2013. In career 15 games (5 starts), he was 2-4 with a 2.57 ERA (14 ER in 49.0 IP) and 51 strikeouts. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2013. He is said to be able to hit 97 mph on the gun and was the Cubs’ number 17 prospect according to MLB.com

Wade Miley traded to the Red Sox. In return, the Diamondbacks receive according to reports as the deal is not yet final:

–Rubby De la Rosa, right handed starting pitcher, 25 years old, 6-1, 205 pounds: Rubby was a key prospect the Red Sox received in return in from the marquee Dodgers in the deal that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to LA. Over the last two years he pitched in 30 games for the Red Sox and started 18 of them sporting a 4.54 ERA (57 ER in 113 IP) with 80 strikeouts to 37 walks. A cool story about him is that his Grandmother used to nanny for Pedro Martinez. He credits Pedro for teaching him how to pitch.

–Allen Webster, right handed starting pitcher, 24 years old, 6-2, 190 pounds: Broke into the majors for the first time in 2013 and in 2014, pitched 21 games in Triple-A and 11 at the big league level for the Red Sox. He went 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA last season in 11 starts. He was also a member of the Gonzalez and Beckett deal to LA and went into both 2013 and 2014 as Boston’s number four ranked prospect according to MLB.com. Was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 18th round in 2008 and broke onto the scene in 2010 when he recorded the third lowest ERA of anyone in the Midwest League (full season A ball).

Rule-5 Draft:

The D-backs had the number one pick in Thursday’s Rule-5 draft which is made up entirely of players not protected on a team’s 40-man roster. Fans around here may remember that Dan Uggla was once a rule-5 player whom was taken from them by the Marlins. 

Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com wrote an informative Rule-5 draft column which explains that teams pay $50,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of this draft. If that player doesn’t stay on the selecting team’s 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000. The player the Diamondbacks tok first overall in the MLB phase was:

–Oscar Hernandez, catcher, 21 years old: Venezuelan native who the team snagged from the Tampa Bay Rays. Batted .275 (286-for-1,040) with 45 home runs and 201 RBI in 292 games over 5 Minor League seasons in the Rays’ organization (2010-14). However he is most known for his ability behind the plate. He will have to make the jump from single-A to the majors to make this 25-man roster rule or else he will have to be given back to Tampa. There could be other ways Tampa could send him back to AZ after that via trade and if that’s the case, it won’t matter what level the team places him.

–Tim Crabbe, right handed pitcher, 26 years old: Selected by the D-Backs in the Triple-A phase of the draft Thursday being taken from the Cincinnati Reds. He is a local product who graduated from Sabino High School in Tucson and was also a member of Team Italy in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He has played six seasons in the Reds’ organization seeing him go 31-45 with 3 saves and a 3.84 ERA (281 ER in 658.2 IP) in 146 games (113 starts).

The Diamondbacks did not make a Double-A phase selection of the Rule-5 draft.