NEWSLETTER
Keith Law reports this morning that the two prospects in the Cubs/Reds Sean Marshall/Travis Wood swap are AAA outfielder Dave Sappelt and A-ball second baseman Ronald Torreyes.
If true, like, wow. Neither is a tip top prospect, but they are far, far from filler.
Torreyes, who turned 19 in September, is a small second baseman who put up a very impressive .356/.398/.457 line in A-ball this year. Given that he was just 18 for most of the year, that’s pretty darn impressive. He’s considered a top 15 prospect in the Reds’ system.
Sappelt, 24, has progressed nicely through the Reds’ system, reaching AAA in 2010, and starting there in 2011. He got a cup of coffee with the Reds this year, but didn’t do much with the chance. He’s a center fielder with a career .309/.362/.459 line, and is a top 20ish prospect in the Reds’ system.
In other words, these two are legit prospects. I’m waiting for the official announcement (and to see whether Marshall got an extension as part of the deal), but I’m tentatively very, very happy about this deal.
To the extent it’s relevant to you, Reds fans seem to be pretty irked about giving up so much for Marshall.
Of interest about the prospects: both are positional players. While I caution you against reading too much into the fact that the Cubs didn’t go for pitchers, it does seem like that’s what their preference would have been. A chance these are two kids the Padres were looking at when talking to the Reds about Mat Latos? A chance. That’s all.
We’ll have more on the trade after it’s finalized, and much more on the prospects involved later.
UPDATE: As confirmed by the Cubs’ front office, the deal is Sean Marshall for Travis Wood, Ronald Torreyes and Dave Sappelt. Wood, alone, would have been an acceptable return for Marshall. Two legit prospects, one of whom killed it in A-ball as an 18-year old (and plays good defensive second base), thrown on top? Dude. That’s a hell of a deal. Happy Festivus, indeed.
