The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off the biggest move of the MLB trade deadline this season when they acquired Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals.
L.A. paid a high price to land the duo, sending top prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, along with two mid-tier prospects in Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo. Gray is likely to make starts for the Nationals this season, and Ruiz reportedly was key to the deal being completed.
Prior to the Dodgers and Nationals finalizing their trade, it was said the Dodgers remained against including Ruiz in a deal for a player who was not under contract beyond this season. Turner being sent along with Scherzer presumably altered that line of thinking.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers reportedly did not have interest in trading prospects Diego Cartaya, Andre Jackson, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller or Ryan Pepiot, and were turning away teams that inquired on them, per baseball insider Peter Gammons
Dodgers have Diego Cartaya, Pepiot, Miller, Knack, Jackson they did not want to trade
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 30, 2021
Miller and Cartaya are both in Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings, checking in at Nos. 56 and 57, respectively. The Dodgers also have Michael Busch, who is ranked 80th by the publication. Ruiz was ranked 16th, and Gray at 59th.
Cartaya was signed by the Dodgers as an international prospect in 2018 for a $2.5 million signing bonus and he has quickly risen to the top of the Dodgers prospect list.
Miller was the Dodgers’ first-round draft selection in 2020 out of Louisville and has impressed in his short time with the organization. In 44.1 innings for the High-A Great Lakes, Miller has a 2.03 ERA.
Pepiot has become one of the more promising arms in the Dodgers system since being taken by the club in the third round of the 2019 Draft. He was also reportedly someone the Minnesota Twins and Nationals specifically were targeting in trade discussions.
Pepiot has one of the best changeups in the minor leagues, with MLB Pipeline giving it a 70 on the 20-80 scale.
Jackson, along with Busch, represented the Dodgers at the 2021 Futures Game. Although he is an older prospect at 25 years old in Double-A, he is considered a high-upside arm.
Knack was the Dodgers’ second-round selection last season and he is another who has been rising in the rankings. In 39.2 innings, he has a 2.50 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Knack could also be a fast riser through the system as he is already 24 and had four years of college experience.
Even after trading two of their top prospects, the Dodgers’ farm system remains strong and filled with depth thanks to their scouting and player development system that is the best in baseball.
Dodgers lose Peters to Rangers
DJ Peters, a former top-10 prospect in the organization, was designated for assignment to make room for Danny Duffy, and subsequently claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers.
Peters was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft and became an intriguing prospect for his elite power, but that was hindered by a high strikeout rate.
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