Monday's report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi that the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers have had preliminary trade conversations about right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo left many Reds fans wondering whether Cincinnati might look to acquire any of the Dodgers' top prospects in exchange for the National League All-Star.
MLB Pipeline ranks six Dodgers prospects among its most recent top 100. Four of the six are ranked higher than Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz of the Dayton Dragons at No. 50 (though Cruz's stock undoubtedly is on the rise). Right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller is ranked just ahead of Reds lefty Nick Lodolo.
Here they are, with their ranking, position, age and some MLB Pipeline analysis:
14. Catcher Diego Cartaya, age 20
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 35 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60
MLB Pipeline's top-rated amateur in the 2018 international class, Cartaya signed out of Venezuela for $2.5 million. He made his U.S. debut at age 17 in 2019 and excelled as a 19-year-old in Low-A last summer, batting .298/.409/.614 in 31 games before a hamstring injury and back issues ended his season in mid-July. Compared to Salvador Perez because of his size and profile, he possibly could reach Los Angeles before he turns 22.
27. RHP Bobby Miller, age 23
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
Questions about his delivery and reliever risk made Miller available to the Dodgers with the 29th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, and he has looked like a steal since signing for $2,197,500. Los Angeles kept him on tight pitch counts during his 2021 pro debut, when he reached Double-A while fashioning a 2.40 ERA and .192 opponent average while striking out 70 in 56 1/3 innings despite dealing with an oblique injury. He showcased the best stuff of any starter in the Arizona Fall League after the season, though he did surrender 11 runs in 10 innings.
43. 2B/1B Michael Busch, age 24
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55
Other clubs lament that talented players keep falling to Los Angeles at the end of the first round, starting with Busch in 2019 and followed by Bobby Miller and Maddux Bruns the last two years. One of the best all-around offensive prospects in his Draft class, Busch signed for $2,312,000 as the 31st overall selection. Injuries to his right hand after he was hit by pitches ended his pro debut after 10 games and hampered him early last season, but he rallied to bat .300 with 14 homers in his final 61 games.
48. OF Andy Pages, age 21
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Signed for $300,000 in October 2017 after leaving Cuba, Pages has destroyed pitchers in his two full years in the United States. He led the Rookie-level Pioneer League in extra-base hits (43) while ranking second in homers (19), RBIs (55), total bases (153) and slugging (.651) as an 18-year-old in 2019, then won High-A Central MVP honors last season after topping the circuit in homers (31), extra-base hits (57), runs (96), RBIs (88), walks (77), slugging (.539) and OPS (.933). The Dodgers would have shipped him to the Angels along with Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling for Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward as an adjunct to the Mookie Betts trade in February 2020, but Angels owner Arte Moreno got impatient when the Betts negotiations dragged on and nixed the move.
71. 3B/2B/1B Miguel Vargas, age 22
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55
The son of Lazaro Vargas, the DH on Cuba's 1992 and 1996 Olympic champions, Miguel drove in the gold medal-winning run off Team USA's Hunter Greene at the 2014 15-and-under World Cup in Mexico. After defecting with his father in November 2015, he waited nearly two years before signing with the Dodgers for $300,000. The best pure hitter in the system, he owns a career .316 average in three pro seasons and won the Double-A Central batting title last season at .321 as a 21-year-old.
76. RHP Ryan Pepiot, age 24
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 75 | Control: 45 | Overall: 55
Pepiot established Butler records for single-season (126) and career (306) strikeouts in 2019, en route to surpassing two-time All-Star Pat Neshek (sixth round, 2002) as the highest pick in school history when the Dodgers popped him in the third round. His stock soared in 2020 at the Dodgers' alternate site, where he stood out as the best pitcher while overmatching big league hitters with improved stuff and control. His 2021 was a tale of two seasons, as he logged a 2.87 ERA in Double-A but got knocked around for a 7.13 ERA in Triple-A when his control and command faltered.
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