On Thursday the Dodgers and Twins agreed to a small commerce involving former Prime 100 Prospect, Diego Cartaya, a 23-year-old Venezuelan catcher who has struggled to develop as he’s been uncovered to upper-level pitching. The Dodgers designated him for project earlier this week. In change, the Dodgers obtained hulking 20-year-old DSL righty, Jose Vasquez, a hard-throwing prospect who has spent the final two seasons within the DSL.
Cartaya was an enormous bonus novice participant ($2.5 million) whose profession had a really promising first 4 seasons. He slashed .254/.389/.503 in 2022, at principally Excessive-A, when he was nonetheless simply 20 years outdated. He was hanging out at an elevated fee (26.7%) on the time, however he was additionally attending to spectacular energy and enjoying a premium place. His massive body and plus uncooked arm energy had been the inspiration of a possible defensive match at catcher, and on the time it felt wonderful that Cartaya (who had missed all of 2020 due to the COVID shutdown, and most of 2021 as a result of harm) was a little bit behind as a receiver and ball-blocker.
Within the two seasons since then, although, Cartaya has both plateaued or regressed in mainly each aspect of the sport. His arms stay under common, and this exhibits in the best way he tries to border borderline pitches and in how he tries to select balls within the filth. Cartaya is able to hurling darts proper to second base with plus pop instances, however he typically both takes too lengthy to eliminate the baseball, or airmails throws into middle area. He has arm, but he’s allowed stolen bases at an 80% success fee in his minor league profession and 84% in 2024.
At a mixture of Double- and Triple-A, Cartaya hit .189/.278/.379 in 2023 — his first yr on the Dodgers 40-man roster — and .221/.323/.363 in 2024. His measurable energy has dipped, together with his exhausting hit fee dropping from 41% in 2022 to 33% final yr. It’s prudent to offer younger catchers a protracted runway to develop as hitters as a result of their our bodies take a beating enjoying protection, they usually may be bodily compromised for giant chunks of a season, such that it impacts their total offensive output. However Cartaya has now had two years with the look of a fringe prospect, and so at this level it’s honest to contemplate him precisely that. He’s nonetheless a big-framed younger man with that massive arm, and the Twins have had success at creating catchers who had been as soon as thought of lengthy pictures to stay behind the plate, so Cartaya nonetheless carries some prospect worth as a possible late-bloomer.
Whereas Cartaya’s growth stagnated and his choices practically ran dry, Dalton Speeding emerged as a possible on a regular basis catcher within the Dodgers system. Hunter Feduccia (whom I’ve a backup catcher grade on) is a strong third possibility on the 40-man proper now, behind starter Will Smith and backup Austin Barnes, whereas Speeding additional develops within the minors. There was in all probability nonetheless time for the Dodgers to try to develop Cartaya in the event that they actually wished to, however as a contending workforce they’ll possible produce other, extra urgent wants for that 40-man roster spot, they usually acquired an precise prospect in return.
Cartaya is now on Minnesota’s 40-man in what can be his ultimate possibility yr. He’s impossible to make the Opening Day roster, barring accidents to the catchers in entrance of him, and he’s more likely to be the Twins’ fourth catcher on the depth chart when camp breaks, behind Ryan Jeffers, Christian Vázquez, and one other former Dodgers minor leaguer, Jair Camargo. Trade stock at catcher is at all times low, and depth at that place is coveted on the margins of each roster. If the Twins develop Cartaya sufficient that he could be their backup subsequent yr when Vázquez’s contract ends, then they’ll really feel okay about having given up an precise prospect for him.
That precise prospect is Jose Vasquez, who signed with Minnesota on the tail finish of the 2022 signing interval (December 13) for $120,000, and he spent each 2023 and 2024 within the DSL. After strolling greater than a batter per inning in his debut season, Vasquez had a significantly better second marketing campaign, working 2-to-4 innings at a time, as each a starter and reliever, and amassing 30 2/3 innings, 45 strikeouts, and a way more tenable 15 walks.
Regardless of his strike-throwing enchancment, Vasquez continues to be almost certainly going to be a reliever. He’s a bodily, 220ish-pound 20-year-old who has had hassle harnessing his 94-97 mph fastball, which generally has very heavy late sink. His 84-88 mph slider is curt and cuttery at instances, nevertheless it flashes bat-missing two-plane form and above-average size. Vasquez’s practical ceiling is healthier than a generic center reliever, however he’s perhaps a half decade away from the bigs. He’ll in all probability start his Dodgers profession in Prolonged Spring Coaching.
