examining Mark DeRosa’s proposed deal, which would send Baltimore Orioles star Tarik Skubal to the Detroit Tigers.
The Orioles’ pursuit of Tarik Skubal is generating a lot of attention. They are hesitant to part with Jackson Holliday, the top MLB prospect, though. Can they get Skubal without having him involved? Let’s examine one effort to achieve it.
An MLB Network tweet from recently described a possible trade to acquire the Tigers’ ace. The package, which was put out by former infielder Mark DeRosa, comprises 2B/OF Connor Norby, C/1B Samuel Basallo, and corner outfielder Heston Kjerstad. On the surface, it would seem that chasing a Cy Young favorite like Skubal would not really move the needle very far for three prospects or an untested big leaguer. But as soon as you take one look at these three, you’ll see how talented they are.
But without Jackson Holliday, attempting to acquire Skubal won’t result in a trade unless the Orioles are prepared to pay a price much in excess of what even Skubal is worth. However, let’s analyze DeRosa’s trade package and get to know these young Orioles before writing off his rather small package right away. OF Heston Kjerstad
At the beginning of the season, Heston Kjerstad was ranked as the Orioles’ #4 prospect. However, he is currently a rookie and his prospect status has declined. Last year, he made his debut, going 7–30 with two home runs. Kjerstad is 16 for 54 this year with three home runs, which is substantially better than last year. Even with the tiny sample size, his.408 OBP is quite remarkable. Even while they are encouraging, his 18 strikeouts don’t exactly make him stand out. C/1B Basallo, Samuel
Samuel Basallo, the No. 2 prospect in the Orioles farm system and the No. 12 overall pick in baseball, has experienced some minor league success. With 300 at-bats under his belt in Double-A, he is presently slashing.273/.338/.443, with 12 home runs. Basallo batted for a.313 average and 20 home runs in the previous season. And this included seven triples (yep, he’s a catcher). Scouts give his arm, power, and hitting ability a 60/80 rating. He still has a lot of growth ahead of him at 19. 2B/OF Connor Norby
The No. 5 prospect for the Orioles is Connor Norby. Earlier in the season, Norby made his Major League debut, going 3-for-14 with a home run. His minor-league stats for this year and previous have been excellent, but his MLB numbers don’t tell us much. This season in Triple-A, Norby has amassed 16 home runs and a slash line of.297/.389/.519 through 320 at-bats. This season, he has also stolen 13 bases. Norby possesses all the necessary skills to be a significant player.
evaluating Mark DeRosa’s transfer of Tarik Skubal to the Orioles
This kind of combination is appealing, and the Tigers would find it difficult to pass it up. This is no bundle to laugh at, as three of the guys are/were in the top-5 of the Orioles’ farm system. Is the AL’s top pitcher really worth it, though?
Skubal has 123 IP, 146 Ks, and a 2.34 ERA. He’s given a truly remarkable performance thus far. Let’s take a look at a few trades to get a sense of what it looks like to trade for an ace.
Let’s start by examining the 2018 deal of Gerritt Cole to Houston, which included Joe Musgrove, Colin Moran, Michael Feliz, and Jason Martin from the Pittsburgh Pirates. One player was initially being traded for four. Regarding quantity over quality, however, there is no correct response.
The Milwaukee Brewers traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles in exchange for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, and the No. 34 draft pick during the offseason. Would DeRosa’s bundle be enough to score an ace, then? Most likely not, although he’s not too far away. In any trade for Skubal, one would expect the Tigers would be more difficult to work with than the Brewers. Despite the high level of potential exhibited by these three players, the Tigers will probably want to acquire at least four players in order to optimize their return, given they are trading an established ace for young, unstested talent. Nor are the Tigers in a hurry to deal Skubal.
But Jackson Holliday is seen as a player who can completely transform a team, so a trade for him could be the icing on the cake that gets Skubal to Baltimore. The Orioles might have to trade for one or more prospects in exchange for Holliday, depending on how adamant the Tigers are about their asking price.
DeRosa’s product nevertheless receives a commendable B+. If it were any other situation, Baltimore would probably have a new ace. But it’s a challenging game of hard to get for the Tigers. It most likely won’t work in this instance.
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