What exactly did D-backs get back for Ziegler?
In a late-night deal on Friday, the Diamondbacks traded closer Brad Ziegler to the Red Sox for infielder Luis Alejandro Basabe and right-handed pitcher Jose Almonte.
Both Basabe and Almonte were playing for Low-A Greenville in the Red Sox system and were sent to Low-A Kane County by the D-backs. But was is Arizona getting in these two young prospects?
Neither was rated by Baseball America at the start of the season, but both began to make a name for themselves this year.
Basabe began the year ranked No. 34 in the Red Sox organization by SoxProspects.com but had climbed to No. 18 at the time of the deal thanks to a .310 average in 64 games with 16 doubles, four homers, 25 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a .412 on-base percentage. He was a mid-season All-Star in the South Atlantic League.
Basabe, 19, "has surprisingly advanced approach and feel for hit," Ian Cundall of SoxProspects.com wrote over the weekend. "He is a solid athlete and does have some projection left with room to fill out as he matures without sacrificing his speed or athleticism. A switch-hitter, Basabe has a solid swing from both sides of the plate.
"... Even though he is not very big, Basabe will also show sneaky power. It is more gap power right now, but at his peak, it is not a stretch to project him for below-average game power (10-12 home runs annually)."
Basabe and his twin brother, Luis Alexander Basabe, signed with the Red Sox in 2012 and played together up until the trade. It will be interesting to see how the D-backs acquisition plays out on his own now.
Almonte, 20, has a career 3.24 ERA and .218 batting average against in 216 2/3 innings in the minors since he signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. He started 44 of the 47 games he appeared in but could end up as a reliever at the Major League level -- should he reach it.
"He has a short arm action, including a stab and wrist pronation behind, and gets some deception from keeping his arm behind his body until late in his delivery," Cundall wrote. "Almonte does a good job keeping his fastball down and generates a lot of weak contact on the ground. He usually comes out throwing 90-92 mph early and tops out at 94, but as he works deeper in games, he tends to lose a bit of velocity and ends up in the 88-90 mph range. His fastball has natural cut that he gets from how his wrist works behind his body."
Bottom line: both Basabe and Almonte have potential but it could be years before either fully realizes it. Still, on the surface it doesn't look like a bad haul for the 36-year-old Ziegler, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.
