![]() The Marlins’ rumored interest in Max Kepler could affect Bleday’s opportunities in 2023. Bleday did well to adapt his swing after a disappointing 2021 campaign, but he is an extreme flyball hitter who seems destined to require a friendlier home venue. JJ Bleday, MIA (25): No longer rookie-eligible after making 238 plate appearances last season, Bleday nonetheless remains an unproven prospect with an uncertain future in Miami. He’s considered particularly adept at hitting breaking balls. If not, he can still be used against pitchers who lack that particular weapon or otherwise have poor command. His reputation for barreling baseballs suggests he’ll adapt to high fastballs. Look for Vargas to form a very loose platoon with the likes of Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, and James Outman across multiple positions. ![]() The Dodgers are adept at deploying their hitters in beneficial matchups. Vargas has both discipline and a feel for contact. Major League pitchers figured out how to work above Vargas’ barrel in a limited 50 plate appearance trial last season. An aggressive approach might help him to avoid strikeouts. The shortstop is expected to have some issues with swinging strikes early in his career, particularly with breaking balls outside of the zone. Even with Rodgers in the fold, Tovar could still garner a starting job. Colorado explored at least one trade of infielder Brendan Rodgers, and the free agent options to fill a middle infield role are beginning to dwindle. Even so, the Rockies seem intent to include Tovar on the Opening Day roster. Tovar has just 23 plate appearances in Triple-A and another 35 in the Majors. He could potentially form a platoon with Joey Wendle or join Jon Berti and Jordan Groshans as flexible bench depth. Unlike higher-profile prospects, the Marlins have little incentive to worry about Amaya’s club control. Acquired by the Marlins as the return for Miguel Rojas, Amaya should find his way to the Majors at some point this season – possibly Opening Day. The profile is that of a second-division starter or utility man. The skinny is straightforward – he’s a patient hitter with a history of modest exit velocities and too much ground ball contact. We covered Amaya a little over a month ago when speaking of the Dodgers middle infield depth. Between low per-outing and total innings, Tiedemann might be more focused on stretching out than contributing in 2023. One caveat is his workload, as he averaged just over four innings per start last season and typically faced between 17 and 20 batters. ![]() An Opening Day roster spot seems implausible, but we could see Tiedemann in Toronto by midseason. The southpaw has three plus pitches, although reports suggest he could do with more time in the minors to better learn how to command his offerings. The Blue Jays appear headed toward a Spring Training battle for the fifth starter role, and Tiedemann is an attractive (albeit longshot) option for the job. We’ve covered him a few times within the confines of this column. (A/A+/AA) 78.2 IP, 13.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 2.17 ERAĪ 2021 third-round draftee, Tiedemann is on the shortlist with the likes of Andrew Painter and Eury Perez for best pitching prospect aged 20 and under. Even if playing time might be hard to come by in the crowded New York outfield, Florial could serve as a useful pinch-runner and defensive replacement. Even if Florial remains a role player, his speed dovetails nicely with the new baserunning-related rules. Should his strikeout rates and/or quality of contact improve, he has easy double-plus speed and enough raw power to become an entertaining regular. Kyle Schwarber) have an excellent quality-of-contact profile, but since Florial hasn’t yet demonstrated an ability make such contact, his future as a Major League regular is dependent on skills growth. These traits contribute to an over 30 percent strikeout rate. Florial is also a disciplined hitter, which means he takes his fair share of looking strikes. It’s easy to spot Florial’s biggest weakness no matter the quality of competition, he consistently posts a high swinging strike rate. They also added Willie Calhoun and Rafael Ortega as non-roster depth. Barring a trade, the Yankees are running out of free-agent challengers for in-house options like Florial, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa for left field. Now out of minor league options, Florial is poised to participate in a good old-fashioned Spring Training battle for oufield playing time. The left-handed hitter has yet to find success in New York, batting a combined. 283/.368/.481Īlthough Florial has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors, he has just 63 plate appearances to his name. For this week’s post, let’s look at some prospects who might be affected by recent rumors….
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