Souza and Ott Traded For Turner and Ross
Sorry, no “pair of Padres” pun this time.
Another December trade has the Nats taking part in an 11-player, three-team trade that will be known elsewhere as “Myers To Friars” and perhaps to us (Nationals fans) as the Souza for Turner trade.
Late-bloomer Steven Souza (2007, 3rd Rd.) and teenage southpaw Travis Ott (2013, 25th Rd.) are the two players reported to be on the move. In return immediately will be RHP Joe Ross (2011, 1st Rd.) while 2014 1st Rd. pick SS Trea Turner will be eligible to join the Washington organization in June, thanks to MLB’s rules that prohibit draft picks from being traded within a year of signing.
Obviously, most folks are interpreting this as a move to acquire a possible successor to Ian Desmond by using a bench/role player, albeit one coming off a career year as the International League’s MVP while giving up a young southpaw in exchange for AA pitcher. Having just traded for 2B Chris Bostick, one has to wonder if another trade is coming or if there’s another PTBNL in this deal, which, as of this writing, is not official yet.
Tacitly, it would also seem that GM Mike Rizzo is agreeing with the scouts who say that Difo is a 2B and not a SS. If you’re the type that likes to bring the tartar sauce when you go after a white whale, then you counter with the notion that when Turner comes in Difo moves up and whoever’s playing SS in Harrisburg steps aside.
A little more on the new guys…
Turner split time between SS-A Eugene and Low-A Fort Worth, posting a combined line of .323/.406/.448 with 23 steals in 69 games. He’s considered an 80-grade speedster but there are questions about his ability to hit for average at the upper levels. Defensively, he’s the unusual 3B-to-SS convert despite his size (6’1″, 170).
Ross made 19 starts for High-A Lake Elsinore and three starts for AA San Antonio with a combined ERA of 3.92 and a WHIP of 1.258. In his 2014 book, John Sickels noted the gap between the effusive praise for his “stuff” (93-97 FB, hard-breaking SL) and the pedestrian H/IP and K/9IP ratios (9.0 and 7.2 for his career) and wondered aloud at what point will the numbers improve or the scouts dial down?
As always, feel free to discuss in the comments.
Fangraphs review of the prospects involved: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/breaking-down-the-prospects-in-the-wil-myers-trade/.
Mlb rumors writing as I read it said that 41st
Position draft puck would not be part of deal .
Sure would be nice to have four high draft
Picks next June
Rizzo and his scouts like Turner’s athleticism and raw speed (as in Ian Desmond) for their shortstop. Rizzo and scouts see something in Ross and his tools. Perhaps they feel that like Trienan et al player development can do a better job with Ross. Two first round picks with some warts that Nats brass feels player development can fix.
Still need to replace the right-handed MI second baggers with a high ceiling left-handed hitting one … or two.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that Souza has a better year than Harper.
That is way, way out on that limb there Mr. Jackson
Unless he’s referring to Bryan
/ducks
I like Steven Souza a bunch and sometimes refer to him as Josh Hamilton lite, but even I don’t think he’s better than the Bryce Harper of the last third of the season and the playoffs.
Taylor needs more ABs @ AAA.
Tyler Moore on bench , McLouth unless
Traded to orioles. How about Corey Hart
On a cheap pact?
Say it ain’t so joe. 34 will be socking
2015 March to October.
Peric. There is always one or two Cubans to sign
Jose Fernandez or the switch hitting Bally hooed
Boy!
Or super Desmond deal to mariners for miller
Walker and Farquhar if mariners put their blue chips where
Their mouths are?
Ross may have pushed treinen back to
Late IP power arm??
Anybody have extended thoughts on one bench add
To fill Souza spot??
It seems apparent that the Nats are content with Harper-Span-Werth with Frandsen and McLouth as backups. Taylor may have a lights-out spring but I suspect he’ll need an injury to make the Opening Day roster. Not to mention, it may be in his best interests to both play everyday and prove that he can keep the whiffs to an acceptable level.
I’m with Luke on this. I may be the biggest Michael Taylor fan on this site and I’ll bop you over the head with my Michael Taylor bat if you disagree but he’s got too many whiffs to even be Mike Cameron lite until he masters AAA, IMHO. He needs to learn to hit the junk and soft stuff of pitchers with MLB experience, and I bet junk and stay away from the fastballs will be the scouting report on Mr. Taylor next year.
So:
1) Taylor
2) Turner
3) Difo
4) Ward
5) Reetz
6) Goodwin
7) Bostick
8) Skole
9) Kieboom
10) Bautista
and…
Ross moves to 6 on the pitcher list?
Maybe – unlike other sites, I’m not keen on doing lists every other week. Do that, and I may as well start learning how to do slideshows and do WAG pics.
Ha! Luck would have it for a prospect trade shortly after making your lists!
Nice infield @ Potomac
Ward. Turner. Bostick. Yezzo.
So Difo gets a June promotion to Harrisburg? Perez shifts to third, and that’s an impressive infield too.
I’m just waiting for Difo, Bautista and Turner all to be in the same lineup.
Turner dominated in his short stint in high A in 2014, so he’ll either start in high A or perhaps AA, with the hope that he’s ready for Harrisburg by the time the Nats get him in June. As much as we’d like to see him in Potomac, I hope he’s farther up the food chain by then.
In this case, though, doesn’t he seem much more like the Player to Be Named Sooner rather than Later?
Oops, getting ahead of myself–Turner started at short-season A and then dominated at low A. So he’ll likely start at high A with the Pads. If he starts hot, the Nats could push him to Harrisburg in June, but that would be a big step on top of changing organizations. So we might get to see him at Potomac after all.
This brief synopsis from Keith Law…………………….
“The Nats appear to be the biggest winners here, giving up Souza and getting two good prospects in return, now second and third in their system behind right-hander Lucas Giolito”.
Um . . . Sickels only had Ross #16 on his 2014 Padres preseason list. Ross was a #1 pick, and Rizzo & Co. have a very good track record of finding gems among arms of other organizations, but I agree with what was stated above that Ross becomes about the #6 arm in the Nats’ system at the moment. At the very least, Giolito, Cole, and Lopez are ahead of him. It’s possible that Ross could have a higher ceiling than Cole or Lopez, but he hasn’t proven it yet.
The Nats aren’t nearly as deep with position players, so yeah, Turner now might have a higher ceiling than any of the others. But certainly Taylor has actually proven more at this stage and shows more potential power to go with comparable speed.
I greatly approve of this deal. Souza gets freed to show he’s the next josh Hamilton and nats get Desmond insurance.
Cue pat methany. Spring Ain’t here yet.
The deal also may give brass time to sort
Out the SS depth @ hags under T2.
Masters and Meijia’s dance partner @GCL.
Looking forward to GCL kids @ hags who earn
Their way .
Luke, you have a short list of spring training
Invitees you’d like nats to bring into camp ?
So Turner will only become a Nat in mid-June.
I presume Rizzo gets assurances from the Padres, but what motivation do the Padres have to maintain (for want of a better word) Turner’s development until June? Will Rizzo have a Plan B name he could choose instead, or in the event that Turner gets a serious injury?
I’ve wondered myself about what guidance, if any, the Nats could give the Padres about Turner’s development, level assignment, etc., without “tampering.” With the injury concern, I would assume that an insurance policy would be involved, but I have no idea how a plan B might work. Turner was a very specific piece whom the Nats wanted, so there aren’t going to be easy comparable replacements.
I’ve been following this site for nearly a year and a half. You guys have something great here…a fantastic site! Gotta say, I’m a Phils fan from way back, but when the Nats drafted Ott I became a loyal follower. Travis and my step-son have played ball together since Little League and have a friendship beyond the diamond. He’s a good kid and I hate to see him leaving the Nats org, and missing the opportunity to play close to home regularly. I’m hoping this transaction opens doors for him down the road and wish you guys the best. Dang, I was liking the Nats org more and more ’til last night! Merry Christmas, All!
JS, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Always great to hear from those who have real life connections to the players we follow.
J.J.Cooper at Baseball America has written an excellent article (no subscription required) about the Turner situation vis a vis where he plays for the next six months and the rules regarding PTBNL transactions. A must read.
http://bit.ly/1zdemjX