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Who are the prospects the Dodgers acquired from White Sox?
In a deal that sent All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired a trio of White Sox prospects, which appears to be a decent influx to their organization.
When the dust settled, the White Sox received Frazier, the Reds got second baseman Jose Peraza, outfielder Scott Schebler, and infielder Brandon Dixon from the Dodgers, and the Dodgers received pitcher Frankie Montas, second baseman Micah Johnson, and outfielder Trayce Thompson from the White Sox.
All three of the prospects Los Angeles received rank in the top 20 in its organization, per MLB.com, which has Montas ranked No. 4, Johnson No. 8, and Thompson at No. 16.
So, what's the lowdown on the Dodgers' new prospects?
Frankie Montas (RHP)
Montas is ranked No. 54 overall on MLB.com's top 100 prospects list and trails Julio Urias and Jose De Leon as one of the best pitchers in the Dodgers organization.
The 22-year-old right-hander was born in the Dominican Republic, and was signed in 2009 by the Boston Red Sox. After four years in the Red Sox organization, Montas was traded to the White Sox in the deal that brought Jake Peavy to Boston.
Montas is known for his overbearing fastball, which sits at 93-97 mph and has peaked at 102. His fastball is complemented by a mid-80s slider and average changeup.
In six years in the minors, Montas has compiled a 16-25 record with a 3.86 ERA and 390 strikeouts in 382 2/3 innings. He made his major-league debut as a September call-up for the White Sox last season, holding a 4.80 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 15 innings over seven outings, two of which were starts.
"There's no question in my mind [Montas] could step into a major-league bullpen right now," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "We're of the mind to continue to develop him as a starting pitcher. We'll have a lot of time in Spring Training to be around him, and to get to know him."
Micah Johnson (2B)
Johnson ranks No. 5 on MLB.com's top second baseman prospects, three slots below Peraza, who has now swapped organizations with Johnson.
The 24-year-old alumnus of Indiana, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2012 amateur draft by the White Sox.
Listed at 6-foot, 210 pounds, Johnson is best known for his enigmatic speed, which he put on full display to break Billy Hamilton's minor-league stolen base record with an incredible 84 swiped bags in 2013.
In four minor-league seasons, Johnson has hit .301/.368/.431 with 24 home runs, 163 RBI, 164 walks, and 153 stolen bases.
While he possesses tremendous speed and is very athletic, his fielding and baserunning decisions were a concern last season with the White Sox's major-league club.
He began the 2015 season as Chicago's second baseman, but was then sent back down to the minors due to the aforementioned issues.
In 36 games with the White Sox's major-league club last season, Johnson hit .230/.306/.270 with four RBI and three stolen bases in five attempts.
"We're excited about the three guys we have [at second base]," Friedman said. "We expect Chase [Utley] and Kiké [Hernandez] to get a lot of at-bats."
Trayce Thompson (OF)
Thompson, the son of former NBA star Mychal Thompson and brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, has plenty of athleticism, as one might imagine.
Drafted in the second round of the 2009 amateur draft by the White Sox, Thompson has hit .241/.319/.429 with 101 home runs and 395 RBI in seven years in their organization.
While he is an above-average fielder and can cover quite a bit of ground in the outfield, he has yet to consistently employ a successful approach at the plate, and strikes out frequently (817 strikeouts, 665 hits in his major-league career).
However, Thompson may have turned a corner upon being called up to the White Sox's major-league club last season, when he hit .295/.363/.533 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 44 games.
"Thompson is an exceptional athlete with strong bloodlines, who fits into our roster well with his ability to play all three [outfield] spots," Friedman said.
