St. Louis Will get Amount Over High quality for Flaherty

Jack Flaherty hasn’t fairly seemed himself since 2019, however the Cardinals had been nonetheless in a position to get three prospects for just a few months of his companies from the Orioles on the commerce deadline. The prospect return on the way in which to St. Louis — whose different offers are coated right here, right here and right here — is made up principally of near-ready gamers who ought to be capable of play a job in what we’ve assessed as an try and rebuild rapidly. The three prospects are Cuban infielder César Prieto, lefty Drew Rom (each of whom had been at Triple-A Norfolk), and 19-year-old righty Zack Showalter, who was promoted from the Complex stage to Low-A towards the top of June.

While enjoying professional ball in Cuba, Prieto broke Kendrys Morales‘ rookie hits record and the Serie Nacional’s hit streak file (40 video games) in 2020, placing out simply six occasions in 250 plate appearances. The price of participant defections from Cuba considerably diluted the standard of pitching in professional ball down there, so it was tough to gauge his hit instrument with precision. He defected from the Cuban National Team not lengthy after arriving in Miami for an Olympic qualifier in May of 2021 (there’s a riveting Sports Illustrated story that particulars his “extraction”), and he signed a $650,000 cope with Baltimore in the beginning of the 2022 worldwide signing interval.

After torching High-A for just a few weeks, Prieto was promoted and spent most of his first minor league season with Double-A Bowie, the place he struggled, slashing .255/.296/.348 in 90 video games. He halved his strikeout price when he was despatched again to Bowie at the beginning of 2023, slashed a BABIP-aided .364/.406/.476 and was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk. In a couple of month previous to the Flaherty commerce, he was hitting .317/.365/.471, once more with a excessive BABIP.

Prieto can really hit. His quick levers make him extraordinarily tough to beat within the strike zone, and he can let the baseball journey deep earlier than placing it the opposite means, producing doubles energy pole-to-pole. His huge situation is his propensity to chase, which he did at a 36% clip in 2022 and at a 40% price up to now in 2023, hindering the standard of his contact in addition to his capability to achieve base. But lefty sticks who make this a lot contact (91% Z-contact% as of the commerce!) are inclined to carve out some sort of function, particularly if they’ll play a number of positions.

Prieto is a below-average infield athlete and presents a stiff, non-traditional have a look at each second and third base. He additionally performs shortstop, however that isn’t one thing he’s remotely able to doing on the huge league stage. I used to be hopeful that one other full yr with professional athletic coaching services and one other season of seeing pro-quality pitching after he had entry to neither for such a very long time would assist allow adjustment in these areas, however they’ve continued to be points. I feel the Eric Sogard comp I’ve had on him since his newbie days nonetheless holds water. He’s a flawed part-time participant, however guys who can hit like this have a tendency to play for a very long time.

The different participant who ought to present a fast turnaround is Rom, an over-slot Eleventh-round excessive schooler from the 2018 draft who has slowly climbed by the minors with a slicing low-90s fastball. Especially when he was very younger, he seemed like he had an opportunity to interrupt out if he may throw tougher as he matured. That hasn’t actually occurred, and he’s nonetheless sitting principally 90–92 mph, however his fastball nonetheless punches above its weight, and he’s managed to strike out greater than a batter per inning all through his professional profession. While that doubtless gained’t proceed on the huge league stage as a result of his stuff isn’t nasty sufficient, he throws sufficient strikes together with his 4 pitches (in the event you depend his four-seamer and sinker as two totally different choices) to venture as a depth starter. Already on the 40-man, Rom joins the combination of starters I discussed within the evaluation of the Jordan Montgomery deal as a candidate for the 2024 rotation.

Finally, there’s Showalter, one other over-slot Eleventh-round excessive schooler, to spherical out the Cardinals’ return. It took a $440,000 bonus to purchase him out of a dedication to USF after final summer season’s draft, and he has made a powerful professional debut. He generated some scout buzz throughout Extended Spring Training, then made only some Complex begins earlier than being promoted to full-season ball a little bit over a month earlier than the deadline. Showalter works often three or 4 innings per outing and sits 93–95 with uphill angle and tail. His supply is of the open-striding drop-and-drive selection; he retains his arm motion very quick and tucked near his physique as he motors towards the plate. It helps maintain his launch constant and permits him to cover the baseball properly. But he isn’t a improbable athlete and lacks stability over his touchdown leg, which is commonly a sign of reduction threat. I’m not but able to toss him on the primary part of the up to date Cardinals prospect checklist, however he’s a stable low-level arm with a imply consequence of a fastball/slider reliever. Prieto (40 FV, a 1-WAR annual performer who I count on will get 350–400 PA in his greatest years) and Rom (35+ FV, a spot starter) do make the lower.

This return isn’t sufficient to change what I outlined within the Montgomery piece. The Cardinals nonetheless have a below-average farm system however have stuffed up the higher ranges throughout this mini-rebuild and may have the pitching depth to compete for the NL Central subsequent yr if their core of hitters stays wholesome and performs as anticipated. As a return for the Jack Flaherty who seemed like one of many higher pitchers within the NL for a short time, it feels mild. But for the lately vanilla, free-agent-to-be Jack Flaherty, it is sensible for St. Louis to have obtained just a few lesser prospects.