A number of big-name prospects were moved at the MLB trade deadline. But even some more unfamiliar and underrated names have a chance to make their mark.
The 2023 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with a flurry of last-minute activity over the final hour. Since the beginning of July, there has been a series of trades as teams retool for the future. In all, 50 trades occurred.
Teams like the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets traded veterans to retool their farm systems on the fly. Chicago's farm system has ranked among the worst all season. The eventual shedding of salary by Chicago has almost become an annual tradition.
The Mets, who have several young prospects like Ronny Mauricio, picked up a few bats that with high upside. When Max Scherzer shared his conversation with Mets GM Billy Appier that the Mets' vision is for 2025-2026, and not pursuing free agents this offseason, the writing was on the wall.
Several prospects who have arrived with their new teams will be among the top five in their new organization, so let's look at five prospects who were the most underrated that were picked up at the trade deadline.
5. LHP Jake Eder: Chicago White Sox (Miami)
This was a "Jake for Jake" trade, with Eder going to the South Side for second baseman Burger. On paper, the trade comes as a surprise, considering he was among the top four Marlins prospects, according to various publications. But Miami currently has an abundance of homegrown pitching talent, so making the move to upgrade second base – a position they needed help with badly – adds up accordingly.
However, Eder has an opportunity to join the White Sox rotation as soon as next season. He made his pro debut in Double-A, dominating with 99 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched before his season ended due to Tommy John surgery. He throws a fastball, slider, and change, with his slider being a nasty wipe-out pitch.
4. RHP Nick Robertson: Boston Red Sox (Dodgers)
Boston's bullpen is among the Top 5 as far as WAR goes in the league according to FanGraphs(4.2) and they get a quality arm in Robertson, who will report to Triple-A Worcester.
Robertson features a fastball that can touch 98MPH with a slider and changeup. He posted a FIP of 2.94 with a K per 9 of 13.34 at Oklahoma City, holding batters to a .184 batting average. If he can throw his slider with more consistency, Boston could have a potential closer option in the future. His change has good downward fade on righties.
3. 2B/SS Hao Yu Lee: Tigers
Detroit Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris said via a conference call to the media yesterday that Lee fits what the Tigers are building, players who can play multiple positions and can control the strike zone.
While the major headline in Detroit was that Eduardo Rodriguez nixed a deal to the Dodgers, Lee is a good return for two months' worth of Michael Lorenzen. He is 20 years old, hailing from Taiwan, becoming the first positional player of Taiwanese descent to play for Detroit at any level of professional baseball.
Harris plans on playing Lee all over the infield at High-A West Michigan. He has a quick swing with some power potential, but his hitting and speed tools stand out as the loudest. He is different from highly regarded second base prospect Jace Jung, who was recently brought to Double-A Erie because of the two tools mentioned above.
2. 1B/OF Ryan Clifford: New York Mets (Astros)
Clifford, who was drafted out of high school, has adjusted quite well in his first full season at High-A, putting up a slash line of .271/.356/.547 with an ISO of .276, all at the age of 20 years old, which stands out, since he leads all players under the age of 21 in that category.
His loudest tool is his power, as he has 16 home runs for the Asheville Tourists in the South Atlantic League. He has always been known for his strength, as he can hit the ball hard with consistency.
Clifford has played both corner spots in the outfield and has seen time at first, so why this is an underrated pickup by the Mets is he can has the potential to be a power corner outfielder or first baseman. The question that remains is how he can handle advanced pitching at the next level.
1. 1B Kyle Manzardo: Cleveland Guardians (Rays)
When this trade was first announced, the writing on the wall was clear that Josh Bell was not going to be back in Cleveland after a lackluster performance in his first season with the Guardians. But then Cleveland was able to offload him to the Marlins late on Tuesday to make room for Manzardo, who now has a chance to become an everyday regular.
Despite injuries and struggling with the prospect expectations that came with him in 2023, Manzardo is a player that Cleveland has under club control longer than Bell, who could have opted out after this season.
The upside on Manzardo is above average bat-to-ball skills with the potential to put up some power numbers, something Cleveland needs desperately. They are dead last in the league with 82 and even if Manzardo stays at Triple-A Columbus for the rest of the season, it provides optimism heading into the 2024 season.