What a weekend leading up to the Winter Meetings. Typically we see this kind of action while the GM's are together, but the trade machine jumped the gun this year and no one seems to have a problem with it.
The first blockbuster of the weekend saw the Padres collect a nice haul of potential impact prospects back from the Red Sox in exchange for 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The final tally (not including the player to be named later) in exchange for the coveted slugger was top pitching prospect Casey Kelly, 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo, and CF prospect Reymond Fuentes. Baseball America has a complete breakdown of the deal. None of the players has reached the majors, but Rizzo spent most of the 2010 season in Double-A and Kelly pitched there the entire year. Both could start back at the same level with a mid-season promotion to Triple-A and late season call-up in mind, or San Diego could choose to be aggressive and start both players just one stop away from the majors to see how they perform. Fuentes, on the other hand, is much further from the big leagues, having just finished his first full season of professional ball in Low-A. He is most likely slated to start the 2011 season in High-A ball. Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a breakdown of the Padres new prospects as well.
Receiving less notice but still a major trade was the deal struck between Milwaukee and Toronto, sending arbitration-eligible pitcher Shawn Marcum to Milwaukee in exchange for 2B prospect Brett Lawrie. Ben Badler of Baseball America has the details. Lawrie, a Canadian who was drafted in the 1st round in 2008 by the Brewers and initially turned into a catcher, is regarded as a premier hitting prospect whose valuable bat would be considerably more desirable if he is able to stick at second base. The Blue Jays will certainly give him every chance to do just that, but you have to wonder if the Brewers question his ability to play in the infield, and chose to get value for him before he is forced to move to a corner outfield position. Regardless of his defense, however, Lawrie's bat will play wherever he is in the field, as the Blue Jays continue to add to their tremendous stockpile of prospect talent.
Frankie Piliere of FanHouse.com has scouting reports of the prospects from both trades.
In a relatively minor move that slipped through the cracks a few days earlier, the Braves sent prospect Kyle Cofield to the White Sox in exchange for veteran reliever Scott Linebrink. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has more on the deal. Cofield is a hard-throwing pitching prospect most likely suited for a relief role. He spent his 2010 season in Double-A splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen due to ineffectiveness. The White Sox may see him as a reliever and make the switch permanent, but it that is just speculation at this point.
