By Scott Kazmir was traded thursday morning, and while it was expected, many fans are unsure of what to expect in minor league prospects Jacob Nottingham and Daniel Mengden.
Nottingham, a 20-year-old catcher, was the key to the deal, and national analysts with scouting backgrounds are considering the deal a win for the A’s.
Here’s some of what they’re saying:
Several teams told me they think A's did really well in Kazmir trade consensus is Nottingham will be middle of order Bat w catching skills
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) July 23, 2015
Nottingham much better prospect than people think:future every day catcher w + receiving skills, avg arm, 20 HR Pwr big step forward this yr
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) July 23, 2015
OAK excels at evaluating prospects for deals, and loves Jacob Nottingham's future as a high-end offensive catcher. http://t.co/5Zueopspl8
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 23, 2015
OAK price for Toronto for Kazmir was something built around one of Jays' best pitching prospects — too steep for Jays in a buyers' market.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 23, 2015
The A’s have made their first big trade, and there is nobody notable who is reporting that Oakland got the short end of the stick.
That’s good news for the A’s, in full-fledged rebuilding mode and creating a pretty deep young farm system. Oakland started the season with Franklin Barreto as their top prospect, one of four players they gained when they traded Josh Donaldson, and infielder Matt Olson close behind.
Now, with Baseball America ranking Nottingham as Houston’s ninth best prospect, and Mengden currently being projected as a relief pitcher.
While it’s still early to know exactly how this deal will play for the A’s, the initial outlook is that they gained a very high upside player, with major league value in the potential MVP range. Of course, that’s if all goes well.
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