July 24th
Trade: Steve Cishek to the St. Louis Cardinals; Kyle Barraclough to the Miami Marlins
Prospect(s):
Kyle Barraclough – RHP – Barraclough is a 25 year old pure reliever that needed a mid-season promotion to first reach Double-A this year. While he has been old for nearly every level he has been in his career thus far and battled plenty of injuries, he has also pitched well at almost every stop. He has a ceiling of a middle reliever, but with the recent struggles of Cishek, getting anything more than salary relief is a win for the Marlins.
Trade: Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, and cash considerations to the New York Mets; John Gant and Rob Whalen to the Atlanta Braves
Prospect(s):
John Gant – RHP – A 21st round draft pick in 2011 out of a Florida high school, it has been an uphill battle for Gant from the jump. His minor league ERA is higher than 3.35 and strikes out less than a batter per inning while walking more than three per nine. He has a fastball, curve, change mix with none projecting better than average. Of the 67 games he has pitched in his pro career, 34 have come as a starter, but his long term role will likely be in the bullpen with the upside of a middle reliever.
Rob Whalen – RHP – Whalen is not much more highly touted than Gant, but he does have a true plus pitch in his curveball that gives him a higher ceiling. Another Florida high school product, Whalen has an ERA of 2.45 in his pro career, but his worst showing came in the 2014 Arizona Fall League. At 21 and in High-A, Whalen is still about two years younger than the average at his level, but 2015 has been an extension of the Fall struggles. While his ERA is not the 6.87 it was in the AFL, it is 3.35 and the first time he has ever had a season ERA over 2.
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