Now that the dust has settled from the Twins waiving the white flag on the season and trading Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly, we can take a good, clean look at what the Twins got back in the deals.
Minnesota received two prospects from the Houston Astros in the Pressly trade, and three more from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Escobar trade.
Gilberto Celestino, outfielder
Still just 19 years old, he’s an outfielder who bats right-handed and throws left. He’s been compared to Cubs outfielder Albert Almora, who is hitting .307 in his second full season with the Cubs.
Celestino doesn’t have a lot of power but can spray the ball all over the field, MLB.com says, while scouts tell Baseball Prospecuts that he has a chance to be an “above-average hitter down the line.”
Celestino was part of the Pressly trade.
Jorge Alcala, right-handed pitcher
Alcala is the highest-rated of all five prospects, entering the Twins’ minor league system as the 11th-best prospect, according to MLB.com. He’s 23 years old and his fastball regularly sits in the upper-90s, with the ability to reach triple digits.
His scouting report from MLB.com says he has a chance to a starter if he can develop his secondary pitchers (slider, curve, changeup), and if he doesn’t he could be a future closer who regularly reaches 100 mph.
Alcala was part of the Pressly trade.
Jhoan Duran, right-handed pitcher
According to the Arizona Republic, Duran has a fastball that clocks in the upper-90s and a power curve that has some scouts of the belief that he’ll develop into an MLB starter.
The 20-year-old is 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds and scheduled to make his debut with the Twins at Class A Cedar Rapids on Monday night.
Duran was part of the Escobar trade.
Gabriel Maciel, outfielder
Another 19 year old who has a chance to a contact hitter in the big leagues, with MLB.com’s scouting saying his speed is what could get him a ticket to the majors in the future.
Maciel was part of the Escobar trade.
Ernie De La Trinidad, outfielder
There’s not a whole lot on this guy available, but he did hit a three-run homer in his first game with the Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota’s high-A affiliate) on Sunday.
De La Trinidad was part of the Escobar trade.
All in all, it looks like a pretty good return of prospects considering three of them are already among the top 20 in the Twins’ organization, according to MLB.com.
