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 trade, the Dodgers acquired hulking 20-year-old DSL righty, Jose Vasquez, a hard-throwing prospect who has spent the final two seasons within the DSL.
Cartaya was a giant bonus beginner participant ($2.5 million) whose profession had a really promising first 4 seasons. He slashed .254/.389/.503 in 2022, at largely Excessive-A, when he was nonetheless simply 20 years previous. He was placing out at an elevated price (26.7%) on the time, however he was additionally attending to spectacular energy and taking part in a premium place. His massive body and plus uncooked arm energy have been the inspiration of a probable defensive match at catcher, and on the time it felt tremendous that Cartaya (who had missed all of 2020 due to the COVID shutdown, and most of 2021 attributable to 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 principally each side of the sport. His fingers stay under common, and this exhibits in the best way he tries to border borderline pitches and in how he tries to choose balls within the dust. Cartaya is able to hurling darts proper to second base with plus pop instances, however he usually both takes too lengthy to eliminate the baseball, or airmails throws into heart discipline. He has an excellent arm, but he’s allowed stolen bases at an 80% success price 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, along with his exhausting hit price dropping from 41% in 2022 to 33% final yr. It’s prudent to present younger catchers a protracted runway to develop as hitters as a result of their our bodies take a beating taking part in protection, and so they is perhaps 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 truthful to contemplate him precisely that. He’s nonetheless a big-framed younger man with that massive arm, and the Twins have had success at growing catchers who have been as soon as thought-about lengthy photographs to stay behind the plate, so Cartaya nonetheless carries some prospect worth as a possible late-bloomer.
Whereas Cartaya’s improvement stagnated and his choices practically ran dry, Dalton Dashing 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 choice on the 40-man proper now, behind starter Will Smith and backup Austin Barnes, whereas Dashing additional develops within the minors. There was most likely nonetheless time for the Dodgers to aim to develop Cartaya in the event that they actually wished to, however as a contending crew they’ll probably produce other, extra urgent wants for that 40-man roster spot, and so they acquired an precise prospect in return.
Cartaya is now on Minnesota’s 40-man in what shall be his closing choice yr. He’s most unlikely 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. Business stock at catcher is all the time 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 will 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 a lot 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 remains to be most probably 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, however 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 most likely start his Dodgers profession in Prolonged Spring Coaching.
