Texas Rangers Jorge Alfaro May Be more Valuable in Trade
By David Hill
Young catchers, especially if they show promise with the bat and have a bit of power, are a currency unlike any other. Teams covet these prospects when it comes time to make trades, with sellers often asking for those players if one exists within an organization. Even injured, these players have a value that would be beyond another player. Such is the case with the Texas Rangers young catching prospect Jorge Alfaro.
Sidelined since the eleventh of June with an ankle injury that required surgery, Alfaro had been showing tremendous progress during his first full season at the AA level. His .253/.314/.432 batting line with five home runs may not jump off the page, but he has made solid contact when putting the bat on the ball. posting a 21.7% line drive rate.
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The problem has been getting Alfaro to make more consistent contact. In his 190 at bats, Alfaro had struck out 61 times and drew only nine walks. This has been an ongoing concern for the Texas Rangers prospect, as Alfaro has a career 5.4% walk rate with a 26.5% strikeout rate. If Alfaro is to truly progress the way that the Rangers, and the rest of baseball for that matter, expect him to, his batting eye will need to improve.
Yet, even with these flaws in his game, Alfaro is still a highly thought of prospect. The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly wanted Alfaro and fellow top prospect Nomar Maraza for Cole Hamels. Hamels, a true ace starter who is under team control for the next four seasons given the team option in his contract, may be the most coveted starter available. He could be had for a package that includes Alfaro, an injured player with questionable contact skills.
Jorge Alfaro is not the only young catcher that the Phillies have reportedly inquired about. They have also asked the Boston Red Sox for Blake Swihart in trade discussions for Hamels, only to be quickly rebuffed. Obviously, catchers can be worth their weight in gold when it comes to the trade market, especially if they have flashed the potential to be elite.
The key word is potential. With prospects, all that anyone really has is their best guess, based on research and reports, as to which player will pan out. Even top prospects, more often than not, do not turn out as expected. With a player like Alfaro, whose strikeout rates indicate a major hole in his offense, that is certainly a warning sign that should not be ignored.
Jorge Alfaro could well turn out to be that player that he is expected to be. However, for the Texas Rangers, he may be more valuable as a piece that could land them Cole Hamels, allowing the Rangers to build a pitching staff that can help bring the team into contention for the next few years.