Oakland Athletics: Prospects on the Rise
The A’s made two trades before the July Trade Deadline in 2017 that brought in solid prospects. Two of them, both from the Yankees, have a chance to make their impact felt in 2018.
Traded Players
Fowler, as mentioned above, can have his presence felt on Opening Day. After suffering a horrific injury, Fowler has recovered and is expected to show why he was such a highly touted prospect before his match with the outfield wall. The other, Jorge Mateo, will be starting his season with the Nashville Sounds, the A’s Triple-A affiliate.
Although Mateo won’t make an immediate impact, the top 100 prospect brings a Pinder-esque versatility to the A’s organization. He currently plays shortstop but has also played second base and center field. Should both center fielder fail to live up to expectations, Mateo can replace them. If either middle infielder gets injured, Mateo can spell Pinder and other outfielders when tired.
Home-Players
MLB Pipeline rates Fowler and Mateo the third and fourth-best prospect in the A’s organization, respectively. Slightly ahead of them are two players who have been in Oakland’s organization for a few years: AJ Puk and Franklin Baretto.