Three Arizona Diamondbacks prospects who could be used in trades this off-season

Catcher Adrian Del Castillo

Gabriel Moreno secured a firm grasp on the catching spot long-term for the Diamondbacks after his strong 2023 season and even better Postseason. But because he asserted himself as the Snakes’ catcher for years to come, he made nearly all the other catchers who have played at least one full season expendable.

The D-Backs’ 2021 second-round pick, Adrian Del Castillo, is one of those players. Castillo started the year at Double-A, where he hit. 273/.385/.505 with a wOBA approaching .400 at .397, and wRC+ clocking in at 134. Del Castillo had a poor 25.3% strikeout rate but an outstanding 15.1% walk rate. He also hit for plus power, going yard a dozen times in just 265 plate appearances and owning a .232 isolated slugging percentage.

Del Castillo was then promoted to Triple-A but struggled to the tune of a .248/.350/.350 triple-slash. While he still walked at a healthy 12.6% rate, his issues with strikeouts became even more apparent with a 28.9% K-rate. He also hit for far less power, as his isolated slugging dropped to just .102, and hit two home runs in 159 plate appearances. It was made all the worse when you consider he played in the PCL, where the league average OPS was .822.

There were some reasonable concerns about his catching ability heading into the season, but he’s made some real strides. According to FanGraphs, his pop-time is down to about 1.95-2.0 seconds, but he still has trouble blocking balls to his right. He is more of a bat-first catching prospect with a good hit tool, but fringe-average at best power.

While Castillo isn’t the most valuable player on today’s list, he certainly could be a secondary piece of a larger trade. He has the potential to be a semi-regular if he can get his strikeouts under wraps. Any catcher with solid defensive chops will always get a look, but if Castillo’s bat can come around, he could get a longer look.

Outfielder Jorge Barrosa

The Diamondbacks have a ton of outfielders, but one of their better prospects is Jorge Barrosa, an outfielder. The 22-year-old is ranked as the organization’s 15th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline. However, FanGraphs is even more bullish on him, placing him in the D-Backs’ top ten prospects at number eight.

Barrosa hit well, slashing .274/.394/.456 with a .384 wOBA, and 110 wRC+. He walked nearly as often as he struck out, with a 15.9% walk rate to combat a 16.3% strikeout rate. Barrosa is fast but was arguably overly aggressive on the basepaths. He stole 15 bases but also got caught seven times. Barrosa hit 13 home runs and had a .182 ISO, though remember that this was in the hitter-friendly PCL.

Barrosa projects as a speedy contact hitter with a great glove. He has more than enough speed to cover center field and gets great reads. He does not have a cannon, but his throws are average. Barrosa is a compact 5’5”, 165-LBS. He would be tied with Jose Altuve for the shortest active MLB player. Because of that stature, he doesn’t generate much power. He’s a slap hitter but has an outstanding eye at the plate that helps him generate good walk and strikeout rates.

Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll are entrenched in two of the three outfield roles. Dominic Fletcher likely has an upper hand on the third spot. Aside from Barrosa, two of the D-Backs’ best prospects, Druw Jones and Jack Hurley, are also outfielders. Kristan Robinson also returned this year after multiple off-field issues, and he put up an OPS over .900 after not playing competitively for three seasons.

The corner outfield free agent market is deep, as is the trade market. Barrosa could be used in a trade to fix pitching or third base. If the D-Backs sign a corner outfielder to a multi-year deal or commit to Fletch, Barrosa does not have a direct way to get playing time, unless they view him as a greater quality than Thomas.

Catcher Christian Cerda

Christian Cerda could be used as a trade piece for many of the same reasons Adrian Del Castillo could be used in a trade. A catcher who has played above A-Ball, Cerda likely won’t push Gabriel Moreno off of the position. However, Cerda likely has more value as he’s coming off a better season and is younger than Del Castillo.

Cerda stepped to the plate 365 times for the D-Backs’ A-Ball and High-A affiliates, posting a quality .247/.402/.397 triple-slash. He walked nearly as often as he struck out, with a 19.8% BB% and a K% of just 20.8%. Among the minor league catchers in 2023 with at least 300 plate appearances, Cerda had the 10th-highest OBP and 2nd-highest walk rate. Cerda also hit for a respectable amount of power with 11 homers, 20 doubles, and a .151 isolated slugging percentage. This all culminates to a .382 wOBA and 126 wRC+.

The backstop is an extremely patient batter. His lowest single-season BB% is 15.2%. His hit tool is average at best, however. But even a .240-.250 hitter with Cerda’s plate discipline will boost his OBP to above-average levels. Cerda’s power projects as fringe, as his raw power is okay but not great. While Cerda could be a good hitting catcher, there are some questions about his defense. He has real trouble with blocking and has allowed 28 passed balls in 1158.2 career innings. Last season, he allowed 15 in less than 800 innings.

Still, Cerda is probably the Diamondbacks’ best-catching prospect. He hasn’t reached Double-A yet, but it’s still hard to envision Cerda ever getting a good chance in the majors with Moreno unless Moreno comes down with a career-altering injury. If the D-Backs can put Cerda into a trade to get a good starting pitcher or a decent third baseman, they should really consider it.