Three Arizona Diamondbacks prospects who could be used in trades this off-season
By Noah Wright
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.