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Atlanta Braves Clippings Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Braves.com These prospects could draw trade interest By Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Mike Rosenbaum No one is quite sure what to expect from the Trade Deadline this year. With a shorter season, expanded playoffs and the deadline moved back to Aug. 31, it remains to be seen whether we'll see more or less movement than normal. We've identified the most tradeable prospect for each of the 30 clubs. In many cases, it's the most talented Minor Leaguer in each organization who might be somewhat redundant. This year's possible pool of trade targets is much smaller, too, as only prospects currently on clubs' 60-man rosters, as well as players to be named later, can be traded at this season's Deadline. And while we realize that last-place teams such as the Pirates and Red Sox are much more likely to acquire prospects than trade them, that doesn't stop us from speculating. (* indicates player is not in team's 60-man player pool) AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST Blue Jays: Griffin Conine, OF (No. 16)* Toronto’s 2018 second-round Draft pick led the Class A Midwest League in home runs (22) and slugging (.576) in his first full season, though he also struck out at nearly a 36 percent clip against younger competition. But despite the obvious concerns about Conine’s ability to make consistent contact, the 23-year-old outfielder’s power is very real and could appeal to a variety of teams looking to infuse their system with some pop. Orioles: Bruce Zimmerman, LHP (No. 29) Acquired from the Braves at the 2018 Trade Deadline, Zimmerman had a strong first full season in the organization and looked like he would be ready to contribute in 2020 after an impressive Grapefruit League showing before the shutdown. It’s unlikely the O’s will be sellers, but Zimmerman is an advanced lefty who could help out a contending bullpen down the stretch if needed. Rays: Greg Jones, SS (No. 11)* The Rays have no shortage of middle-infield talent on their 40-man roster, and perhaps even more at the team’s alternate training site. The organization has historically coveted those types of players, but with a division-best 19-10 record, they also are in a position where they can afford to part with some of that talent. Jones, whom the Rays took with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, could be expendable given his spot on the team’s depth chart, and it’s easy to envision many teams being interested in a switch-hitting shortstop with plus-plus speed. Red Sox: Bobby Dalbec, 3B/1B (No. 3) Dalbec is hopelessly blocked by Rafael Devers at third base and Michael Chavis could be the Red Sox's right-handed-hitting first baseman of the future. But Dalbec deserves a look somewhere because he has huge raw power (his 59 homers in 2018-19 ranked sixth in the Minors) and plays a nifty third base with a strong arm. Yankees: Oswald Peraza, SS (No. 4)* Peraza has plus speed and arm strength, produces some of the best exit velocities among Yankees farmhands and plays a quality shortstop. Poised for a breakout during a 2020 Minor League season that never happened, he might be expendable because he's three years away and New York has talented young shortstops throughout its system. AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL Indians: Brayan Rocchio, SS (No. 6)* With superstar Francisco Lindor on hand through at least 2020 and seven gifted shortstops 21 or younger on our Indians Top 30, Cleveland can afford to deal from a position of strength. Known as "The Professor" because of his high baseball IQ, Rocchio has advanced feel for hitting, sneaky pop and plus speed. Royals: Michael Gigliotti, OF (No. 29)* Kansas City is another team that’s unlikely to trade from its prospect depth this year, especially when guys such as Brady Singer and Kris Bubic have already made their debuts. Gigliotti, 24, doesn’t fit into the organization’s long-term plans and has never appeared above the Class A Advanced level, but he has a solid bat, can really run and is a natural center fielder who can play all three outfield spots. He was sidelined for most of 2018 after requiring ACL surgery on his right knee but bounced back in 2019 to slash .282/.369/.368 with 22 doubles and 36 steals in 87 games. Tigers: Bryan Garcia, RHP (No. 18) It’s highly unlikely that the Tigers will move any of their young, up-and-coming prospects at this year’s Trade Deadline. They could, however, trade from their 40-man pitching depth, perhaps choosing to extract as much value as possible for a cost-controlled big league reliever. Garcia, 25, struggled during his first Major League audition last year but has fared better in 2020, posting a 2.45 ERA and .233 BAA over 12 appearances. Twins: Brent Rooker, OF (No. 12) While Rooker missed time in 2019 with a wrist injury in May and a groin issue later in the year, he still showed his bat is just about ready to contribute (.281/.399/.530), albeit with a lot of strikeouts (33.8 percent K rate last year). He swung the bat well last fall with Team USA in Olympic Qualifying, and while he’s limited defensively, he could contribute to a rebuilding team right now and there’s no real spot for him in Minnesota. White Sox: Micker Adolfo, OF (No. 10) The White Sox outfield of the present (Eloy Jiménez, Luis Robert, Nomar Mazara) also looks like their outfield of the future because Mazara is the oldest of that trio at age 25. Adolfo offers tantalizing raw power and arm strength, though injuries and the pandemic have limited him to just 1,536 at-bats since he signed as the No. 2 prospect (behind Jiménez) in the 2013 international class. AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST Angels: D’Shawn Knowles, OF (No. 9)* The Angels aren’t competing this year, so it’s doubtful they’d trade away prospects. But one area where they do have depth in the system is in the outfield. With Jo Adell trying to get his feet under him in the big leagues, Brandon Marsh not far behind and Jordyn Adams filling out the top three, a player like Knowles, who has yet to make his full-season debut, could be dangled to bring in more talent that’s closer to the big leagues. Astros: Forrest Whitley, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 21) Whitley once ranked as the game's top pitching prospect, but he's in the midst of a third straight lost season because of a suspension along with oblique and lat injuries (2018), shoulder inflammation and command issues (2019) and now the pandemic and a sore arm (2020). Would the Astros trade him now before his value takes more of a hit and their championship window closes? Would another team gamble on the ceiling of a pitcher former Houston GM Jeff Luhnow repeatedly deemed untouchable? A’s: Sheldon Neuse, 3B/SS (No. 7) Neuse made his big league debut late last year after a huge breakout season in Triple-A. There’s no room for him as a big league regular in Oakland, with Matt Chapman at his best position at third and Matt Olson at first. The A’s could bring him up to help out off the bench at multiple positions -- he can play second and left field along with the hot corner and short -- but his power and run production could be of interest to a rebuilding club. Mariners: Justin Dunn, RHP (No. 8) His time in the big leagues has been a bit uneven, though he’s coming off the best start of his career (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) and his stuff is still very good. The Mariners are rebuilding and are more likely to see how their young arms can fare, but a contender could come calling with the idea of having Dunn help out of the bullpen during a playoff race, and maybe the rotation if there’s a need. Rangers: Sherten Apostel, 3B/1B (No. 10) Apostel already has been involved in a Deadline deal, coming to the Rangers as the player to be named in the Keone Kela trade two years ago. While he possesses a pair of loud tools in his well-above-average raw power and arm strength, Texas also has other quality hot-corner prospects in Josh Jung and Davis Wendzel, its top two picks from the 2019 Draft. NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST Braves: Kyle Muller, LHP (No. 7) The Braves have been moving a lot of their pitchers around as they’ve tried to find the right mix, especially with Mike Soroka gone for the season. Guys like Muller and top pitching prospect Ian Anderson could be called upon to help out, or someone like Muller could go the way of fellow 2016 draftee Joey Wentz, who was dealt to the Tigers in the Shane Greene deal at last year’s Deadline. Marlins: Jose Devers, SS (No. 13) A cousin of Rafael Devers, Jose was traded earlier in his career as part of the package that sent Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees in Dec. 2017. The Marlins have surprisingly hung in the playoff race thus far and have enough shortstop depth to part with the sweet-swinging Devers if they want to bolster their big league roster.

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