Sam Navarro and Sergio Estrada-Imagn Photographs
Effectively, right here it’s, of us. That is our closing transaction evaluation piece of the 2025 commerce deadline, and we’re protecting two outfielders who will now be in place to assist playoff contenders. On Thursday, the Dodgers acquired outfielder Alex Name from the Nationals in change for pitching prospects Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Liñan. And the Reds traded with the A’s for veteran Miguel Andujarsending again pitching prospect Kenya Hugginsso certainly not can we accuse Cincinnati of prospect hugging.
We’ll begin with the Dodgers-Nationals deal. Right here’s my evaluation: Alex Name is fairly good. He may also help the Dodgers win. You’re welcome. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke information of the deal, whereas Andrew Golden of the Washington Submit reported the names of the pitchers headed to Washington.
To the continued and probably everlasting chagrin of Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein, Name won’t be merely taking up Michael Consolation’s spot in left subject. Earlier on Thursday, the Dodgers traded the lefty-hitting James Outman to the Twins in change for reliever Brock Stewartleaving an area for the right-handed Name as a fourth outfielder and certain platoon associate for Conforto. In the event you put the 2 trades collectively to check apples to apples, you get Name for Outman (and Stewart for 2 prospects). Name is three years older than Outman, with roughly the identical quantity of service time. He’s hitting significantly better than Outman proper now and permits the Dodgers to get one other right-handed bat within the lineup, however he affords a bit much less upside sooner or later.
Name is 30 years outdated, and he has a profession 102 wRC+ in 920 plate appearances. He’s been considerably higher this season, operating a 118 wRC+. He doesn’t have wild platoon splits both. This season, he has a 124 wRC+ in opposition to lefties and a 115 wRC+ in opposition to righties. Over his profession, these numbers are 110 in opposition to lefties and 97 in opposition to righties. Conforto has significantly better profession numbers in opposition to righties, however this season, he solely has a wRC+ of 85 in opposition to them. It wouldn’t be unreasonable in any respect to only plug Name in because the beginning left fielder and name it a day, and it might make Craig so joyful.
Name has a popularity for pace and protection, but it surely’s value at the very least noting that his dash pace has declined some this season, and his protection has graded out nearer to common to this point. It’s potential that he’ll get a few of that pace again, as he’s lower than a 12 months out from a tear within the plantar fascia of his left foot. Regardless, he ought to be capable of maintain down all three outfield positions when referred to as upon. With James Wooden, Dylan Crewsand extra not too long ago, call-up Daylen arduous within the outfield, Name not appeared like part of Washington’s future. On the opposite aspect, the Dodgers have made a good improve to an outfield that has come up only a bit quick all season.
Swan is a 23-year-old right-handed starter, and at 6-foot-6 with a fastball that hits 100 mph and iffy management, he actually seems like a Washington Nationals prospect. He didn’t put up good numbers in faculty, and he hasn’t put up good numbers within the minors on account of wild stroll totals, however did you hear me say that he was 6’6” and may throw a hundo? Swan’s 4.43 ERA and 4.34 FIP this season mark large enhancements from 2024, however he’s nonetheless an enormous improvement challenge. Eric Longenhagen ranked him thirteenth within the Dodgers system with a forty five future worth again in April, however he now downgraded Swan to a 40+ as a result of he seems extra more likely to find yourself as a reliever.
That mentioned, Swan could possibly be a fairly good reliever. Proper now, Eric has a 70-grade on Swan’s slider. He can hit the zone with it, and its whiff charge is approaching 50%. The fastball is sitting 96, but it surely’s enjoying down and he isn’t throwing strikes with it. It’d find yourself as a pitch that’s solely good for attempting to draw whiffs above the zone. However that’s as a starter. If Swan finally ends up as a max-effort reliever, a plus-plus slider and a high-90s fastball may work simply effective.
The Venezuelan-born Liñan is 20 years outdated, and also you received’t learn something about him that doesn’t begin and finish along with his changeup. Eric put a 55 current worth on the pitch again in April, when he ranked Liñan thirtieth within the Dodgers system with a 40 FV. Liñan has moved across the minors a bit this season, starting in Low-A, making two spot begins in Triple-A, then happening to Excessive-A. He acquired shelled in a kind of Triple-A begins, besides, he’s acquired an total ERA of two.78 and FIP of three.29 in 18 appearances and 14 begins throughout these three ranges. He’s strolling greater than 10% of the batters he’s going through, however he’s additionally placing out almost a 3rd of them. It’s value noting the surroundings, too, as a result of they make Linan’s ERA- of 61 and FIP- of 74 look even higher. Jeffrey Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus wrote a really enjoyable article about how one can consider Liñan again in Could, and I strongly suggest it. For now the query is how Liñan will develop and whether or not he can provide you with anything to enhance his changeup. Eric wrote up a brand new blurb for him at present, so I’ll give it to you verbatim:
Liñan had a dominant begin to his 2025 season and was promoted out of Low-A Rancho after only a half dozen begins. He made two emergency begins at Triple-A earlier than heading to Excessive-A Nice Lakes, the place he had been good (however not dominant) in 10 outings previous to the Alex Name commerce. Liñan’s finest pitch is his tail-action changeup, which strikes sufficient to have overwhelmed A-ball hitters to this point. He beats plenty of hitters along with his fastball for a man sitting 91-92, however Liñan’s command will not be effective sufficient for that to be true in opposition to large league hitters. Strike-throwers with nice changeups like this have a tendency to pan out within the fifth starter vary, at the very least, and if Liñan can exceed this projection it’ll be as a result of he’s both sharpened his fastball command to thrive with 40 velocity, or he’s discovered a significantly better breaking ball than the cutter he’s throwing now.
This looks as if a fairly good haul for Name. He’s a superb participant, however he suits higher within the Dodgers’ present plans than he does within the Nationals’ future plans. Swan and Liñan are genuinely intriguing prospects who may contribute within the majors, however they’ve each acquired plenty of creating to do.
Now let’s get to the opposite deal. After buying and selling with the Pirates for third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and getting starter Zack Littell from the Rays, the Reds stored on including, sending Huggins to the A’s in change for Andujar. Ari Alexander of KPRC2 first reported the deal. Andujar is a nine-year veteran, however he’s lastly getting ready to free company and is performing, which meant that on the deadline, the A’s may flip him right into a pitching prospect, the best degree of reincarnation a being can attain in accordance with the faith practiced by the baseball staff in Sacramento.
Andujar is nobody’s thought of a star, however he’s crushing left-handed pitching, and for a Reds staff with a 79 wRC+ in opposition to lefties, sixth worst in baseball, he should seem like a piña colada within the desert. Andujar put up a 129 wRC+ and three.9 WAR with the Yankees as a 23-year-old rookie in 2018, ending second within the Rookie of the 12 months voting behind some man named Shohei Ohtani. Within the seven years since, accidents and inconsistency have restricted Andujar to fewer than two seasons’ value of video games, and he’s put up -0.4 WAR with a mixed 86 wRC+. That mentioned, Andujar has appeared higher not too long ago. He’s operating a 107 wRC+ in 2025 and a mixed 105 wRC+ during the last three years. Andujar is batting .422 with a 186 wRC+ in 48 plate appearances in opposition to lefties this season. These numbers will play in any lineup.
This season, Andujar has cut up his time between third base and left subject. The Reds have gotten simply 0.4 WAR from the third base place and 1.9 WAR from the three outfield positions, each of which rank twenty sixth amongst all groups. With Hayes becoming a member of the membership, Andujar received’t see an excessive amount of time at third, however he can mix with Noelvi Marswho has now been moved from third base to the outfieldto platoon with lefty batters Gavin Lux and Jake Fraley. Connor Joe or Will Benson will have to be despatched down as soon as TJ Friedl returns from the paternity checklist. It’s plenty of shifting components for a small improve, however it’s an improve nonetheless.
The Reds drafted Huggins, a Louisiana Tech commit, out of junior faculty in 2022, and Eric ranked him twenty sixth among the many group’s prospects this Could, with a 40 FV. Nevertheless, Eric now has a 40+ grade on him, as a result of after recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure that torpedoed most of his 2023 and 2024 seasons, Huggins seems extra like a starter. His changeup improved in a significant manner, giving him a 3rd pitch, however there’s extra behind it. “This man’s conditioning completely modified throughout his TJ rehab,” Eric mentioned. “He’s not as large as Rome Petsonhowever he’s constructed like younger Manaea, simply an absolute unit. The higher conditioning may be why his supply is extra below management now and he’s throwing strikes.”
Huggins is 22, and after the harm, he’s in his third try at Low-A with fewer than 40 skilled appearances below his belt. There’s nonetheless reliever danger right here. Nevertheless, he has a 3.69 ERA and three.64 FIP by means of simply over 63 innings to this point this season in Low-A Daytona, which supplies him an ERA- and FIP- of 87. “He’s somewhat behind the developmental curve and nonetheless at Low-A,” Eric mentioned, “however Huggins hasn’t been shy about mixing in all of his pitches; he’s throwing his sinking changeup (which could find yourself being his finest pitch) to righties, and he can land a backdoor slider for strikes reliably. He has plenty of No. 4/5 starter elements now.”
This can be a minor deal, but it surely’s simple to see the attraction on both aspect. Andujar’s talent set is considerably restricted, but it surely suits in Cincinnati and he comes at an inexpensive value. The accidents make it arduous to know the way a lot Huggins will be capable of provide, however there’s actually sufficient to dream on.
