The long-rumored trade between the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers finally happened this afternoon. The Rangers reinforced their pitching staff for the stretch run by acquiring right-hander Matt Garza from the Cubs. In exchange, Chicago bolstered their rebuilding organization with pitcher Justin Grimm, third base prospect Mike Olt, pitching prospect C.J. Edwards, and a player to be named. Here is a report on the prospects involved. C.J. Edwards, RHP: Edwards is one of the best stories in the minor leagues this year. He's having an outstanding campaign for Low-A Hickory in the South Atlantic League, going 8-2 in 18 starts with a 1.83 ERA and an excellent 122/34 K/BB ratio in 93 innings. He's allowed just 63 hits on the season and zero homers. Edwards was an unheralded 48th round draft pick in 2011, as a raw high schooler from Prosperity, South Carolina. He was born September 3, 1991. He took quickly and well to pro baseball, posting a 2.11 ERA with a 60/19 K/BB in 47 innings for Spokane in the Northwest League last summer, then maintaining his progress this spring. The right-hander isn't big at 6-2, 160, but he's got a big arm with a moving fastball that can hit 96 MPH, a big-breaking curve, and an improving changeup. Mike Olt, 3B: Olt seems like he's been around forever, probably because he's been mentioned in trade rumors for a couple of years now. A supplemental first round pick in 2010 from the University of Connecticut, he has had a rough spring with a .213/.317/.422 mark for Triple-A Round Rock, hitting 11 homers and drawing 35 walks but fanning 89 times in 230 at-bats. Olt was bothered by vision problems earlier in the season but this has reportedly been solved recently. He is hitting a robust .290/.410/.710 in his last 10 games. Olt is a 6-2. 210 pound right-handed hitter, born August 27, 1988. He is rated as a superior defensive third baseman, with a strong arm and good range. Power is his best offensive asset and he'll draw his share of walks, but his strikeout rates are consistently high and he isn't likely to hit for much of an average. His OBP should still be reasonable and the power stands out. Justin Grimm, RHP: Grimm was drafted in the fifth round in 2010 from the University of Georgia. He's made 17 starts with the Rangers this year but has produced spotty results, with a 7-7 record but an ugly 6.37 ERA. He has a 68/31 K/BB in 89 innings, giving up 116 hits and 15 homers. It is not a matter of stuff: Grimm's low-90s fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup give him a complete arsenal. He usually throws strikes, but his stuff isn't overpowering enough for him to get away with mistakes of location, which unfortunately he's made quite a few of lately. Born August 16, 1988, the 6-3, 200 pounder still has a shot at being a fourth starter and the change of scenery should do him good. SUMMARY: The Rangers add a veteran starter for the stretch run and give up three prospects to do, a long-term pitching prospect in Edwards and two others in Olt and Grimm who are talented but surplus to current needs. I think this is a fair deal for both teams. -- --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 61.228.121.197 BA's take Olt Don’t read too much into Olt’s overall batting line at Triple-A. He entered the season ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the game, but after struggling out of the gate with vision problems, he redeemed himself by batting .247/.353/.506 with 10 homers in 158 at-bats since returning to Round Rock on June 3. Strikeouts will be a permanent fixture of Olt’s game, but that will be an acceptable tradeoff for his plus power production. He led the Texas League in home runs (28) and slugging (.579) in 2012, but he’s more than just a one-trick pony. Scouts rave about his agility, sure-handedness and arm strength at third base, and he forces pitchers to throw him strikes with a disciplined hitting approach—his strikeout-to-walk ratio was about 2-to-1 since June Grimm One of three rookies in the Rangers rotation at the time of the trade, along with Nick Tepesch and Martin Perez, Grimm had fallen on hard times of late, running up an 11.91 ERA over his past three starts while allowing 23 hits in 11 1/3 innings. Grimm’s fastball sits at 91-92 mph and must be located down because he doesn’t have much life on the pitch or deception in his delivery. He throws a sharp, high-70s curveball as his primary out-pitch, though his changeup and slider have made strides and project as average. Grimm competes and throws strikes, with many scouts seeing him as a mid-rotation arm. The Cubs can afford to throttle back the pressure and, if they so choose, allow their new acquisition to sort out his repertoire in Triple-A for a few weeks. Edwards A 48th-round pick in 2011, Edwards may be the best scouting and player-development story in the minors. Little-scouted in high school, he thrived under professional tutelage, rapidly streamlining his delivery and adding velocity during his 2012 debut in short-season ball, where he ranked among the top 10 prospects in both the Arizona and Northwest leagues. Edwards sits in the low- to mid-90s and imparts a natural cutting action on the ball due to the unique nature of his finger position and arm slot. At the time of the trade, he led the South Atlantic League in ERA (1.83) and strikeouts (122) while not allowing a home run in 18 starts, which is more impressive than it sounds give Hickory’s home park. Edwards must continue to stay on top of a solid breaking ball and fringy changeup, but his athleticism and aptitude argue well for continued refinement. ※ 编辑: Zamned 来自: 61.228.121.197 (07/23 08:09) ※ 编辑: Zamned 来自: 61.228.121.197 (07/23 08:10)