As the hot stove season has blazed this month, many of the deals that the big league clubs have been making have included Cal League players of note. When a prospect performs well in the minors, he might be getting closer to his parent club’s active roster…or he might be making himself a valuable commodity on the trade market.
Here are some of the recent deals and the California League players that were included:
Let’s start with the many moves the Padres have made, which pulled in Lake Elsinore players, and others.
JUSTIN UPTON TO SAN DIEGO
J-Up was dealt to the Padres with a minor leaguer for a package of prospects that included 2B JACE PETERSON (LE ’13) and OF MALLEX SMITH (LE ’14)
DEREK NORRIS TO SAN DIEGO
Norris also went to the Padres, along with RHP SETH STREICH (STK ’14), with Oakland receiving RHP R.J. ALVAREZ (IE ’13) and another pitcher, Jesse Hahn. Alvarez was with the Angels and included in the Huston Street trade in July. The Padres have now shipped him to Oakland in this deal.
MATT KEMP TO SAN DIEGO
As the Padres bulked up, Kemp was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers and San Diego sent three players to LA. C Yasmani Grandal and RHP ZACH EFLIN (LE ’14) went north along with RHP JOE WIELAND (BAK ’10). More on Eflin in a minute, but Wieland was with the Rangers org when he was shipped to the Padres in a 2011 deadline deal that sent reliever Mike Adams to San Diego.
WIL MYERS, 3-TEAM DEAL WITH TB, SD, WASH
The Padres filled out their 2015 outfield by acquiring Myers in an 11-player, 3-team deal. RHP BURCH SMITH (LE ’12) went to Tampa Bay and RHP JOE ROSS (LE ’14) went to the Nationals
JIMMY ROLLINS TO LOS ANGELES
The Dodgers got their stop-gap shortstop to, hopefully, span the distance from Hanley Ramirez to Corey Seager. It cost them Eflin and LHP TOM WINDLE (RC ’14).
JUSTIN RUGGIANO TO MARINERS
The Mariners acquired OF Justin Ruggiano from the Mariners for RHP MATT BRAZIS (HD ’13)
CASEY MCGEHEE TO GIANTS
San Francisco filled the void left by 3B Pablo Sandoval’s departure with another veteran, Casey McGeheee. Going to the Marlins was RHP KENDRY FLORES (SJ ’14). (Joe Ritzo has a story up on Flores on the SJ Giants blog HERE)
MATT LONG GOES ANGELS-TO DODGERS-TO BREWERS
OF MATT LONG got to do the LA shuffle in a couple of minor deals. Long, who played for Rancho Cucamonga in 2009, was with Inland Empire in 2011 as part of the Angels organization. The Angels flipped him to the Dodgers for C Drew Butera, but the Dodgers then sent Long to the Brewers along with LHP JARRET MARTIN (RC ’12, ’13) for a minor league catcher.
