2011 top 10 prospects update
by Matt HagenFebruary 03, 2011
With my team-by-team top 10 prospect rundown now complete, it seems like a good time to go back and account for trades.
This year's big offseason winner was Milwaukee, if you're into the whole win-now thing. But the moves severely thinned the Brewers' farm system, which has been accounted for already in my write-up of the Brewers. The first top prospect to be traded was Brett Lawrie, going to Toronto. Toronto also took a hit of its own when the New York Mets plucked Brad Emaus in the Rule 5 draft. But Toronto's Top 10 list looks stout with the addition of Lawrie:
1. Brett Lawrie / 3B/2B/OF
2. Kyle Drabek / SP
3. Deck McGuire / SP
4. J.P. Arencibia / C
5. Chad Jenkins / SP
6. Travis D'Arnaud / C
7. Carlos Perez / C
8. Adieny Hechavarria / SS
9. Zach Stewart / RP/SP
10. David Cooper / 1B
Milwaukee then traded for Zack Greinke, bolstering the game's best farm system even more. Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain give Kansas City two major league-ready talents with upside, while Jake Odorizzi finds his way into the Top 10, at the expense of Aaron Crow, and Jeremy Jeffress is left on the outskirts:
1. Mike Moustakas / 3B
2. Eric Hosmer / 1B/OF
3. Mike Montgomery / SP
4. Wil Myers / C/OF/1B
5. Daniel Duffy / SP
6. John Lamb / SP
7. Jake Odorizzi / SP
8. Christian Colon / SS
9. Chris Dwyer / SP
10. Johnny Giavotella / 2B
Another major trade this offseason sent Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego to Boston, and three of Boston's top 10 prospects, Casey Kelly, Reymond Fuentes and Anthony Rizzo, to San Diego in return. San Diego's new-found riches have been accounted for in my write-up. Boston's system has certainly lost some luster, but the Red Sox have good depth to fill in the cracks:
1. Kolbrin Vitek / 3B/2B/OF
2. Lars Anderson / 1B
3. Jose Iglesias / SS
4. Bryce Brentz / OF
5. Anthony Ranaudo / SP/RP
6. Oscar Tejeda / 2B
7. Stolmy Pimentel / SP
8. Chris Balcom-Miller / SP
9. Drake Britton / SP
10. Josh Reddick / OF
The third big trade this offseason sent Matt Garza to Chicago in exchange for the Cubs' No. 2, 4 and 6 prospects, Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, and Brandon Guyer. Tampa Bay owns the second-best farm system in baseball and it just got better. Guyer couldn't make the Top 10 cut. Alex Torres and Kyle Lobstein were removed to make room for Archer and Lee:
1. Desmond Jennings / OF
2. Jeremy Hellickson / SP
3. Jake McGee / SP/RP
4. Matthew Moore / SP/RP
5. Nick Barnese / SP
6. Chris Archer / SP
7. Justin O'Connor / C/3B/SS/2B
8. Alex Colome / SP/RP
9. Josh Sale / OF
10. Hak-Ju Lee / SS
The Cubs got a little something to add back to their system when they acquired Michael Burgess in the Tom Gorzelanny trade. Even so, Chicago's system took a beating but is certainly not without talent:
1. Brett Jackson / OF
2. Trey McNutt / SP
3. Jay Jackson / SP/RP
4. Hayden Simpson / SP
5. Josh Vitters / 3B
6. Michael Burgess / OF
7. Chris Carpenter / RP/SP
8. DJ LeMahieu / 2B
9. Reggie Golden / OF
10. Austin Reed / SP/RP
Washington wasn't done retooling with that move. The Nats acquired Corey Brown from Oakland in the Josh Willingham trade. That leaves their system looking like this:
1. Bryce Harper / OF
2. Danny Espinosa / 2B/SS
3. Derek Norris / C
4. A.J. Cole / SP
5. Wilson Ramos / C
6. J.P. Ramirez / OF
7. Corey Brown / OF
8. Eury Perez / OF
9. Sammy Solis / SP
10. Chris Marrero / 1B
And that leaves Oakland's system:
1. Michael Choice / OF
2. Grant Green / SS
3. Chris Carter / 1B/OF
4. Jemile Weeks / 2B
5. Ian Krol / SP
6. Max Stassi / C
7. Josh Donaldson / C
8. Adrian Cardenas / 2B
9. Michael Taylor / OF
10. Eric Sogard / 2B
Did I forget anything?
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