2020: Ranking The Prospects Traded at the Deadline

Image credit: Taylor Trammell (Photo by John E. Moore/Getty Images)

It was both a busy trade deadline and a relatively quiet one. With a shortened season, an expanded playoffs and no first-round byes, many teams decided to sit out the annual midseason swap meet. Some notable names on losing teams stayed put, and a number of contenders decided to stand pat rather than pay high prospect prices.

But it was also a trade deadline where many of the prospects traded are very known commodities. Teams could not officially trade lower-level prospects who are not part of the player pools, instead they had to be announced as players to be named.

With that in mind, the names that did change hands were quite well known, even if Taylor Trammell was the only Top 100 prospect to be included in a deal. Every prospect traded since the 2020 season began has ranked in a Baseball America team Top 30. 

It’s also notable that 18 of the 22 prospects traded have either been already added to their team’s 40-man MLB roster or will have to be added this offseason or risk exposure to the Rule 5 draft. The decision point of a 40-man roster crunch can often help nudge a team to include a prospect in a deal, while rebuilding teams with relatively open 40-man rosters can use that roster space as an advantage in acquiring players.

Rk Player, Pos. Acquiring Team Traded From BA Grade 40-Man
40-Man
Decision Pending
1 Mariners Padres 55/High   Y
2 Gabriel Arias, SS Indians Padres 55/Very High   Y
3 Mariners Padres 55/Extreme Y  
4 Indians Padres 50/High    
5 Red Sox Padres 50/High   Y
6 Indians Padres 45/Medium    
7 Royals Padres 45/Medium Y  
8 Kevin Smith, LHP Orioles Mets 50/High    
9 Humberto Mejia, RHP D-Backs Marlins 45/Medium Y  
10 Reds Rays 50/High   Y
11 Royals Padres 45/Medium Y  
12 Orioles Rockies 50/High Y  
13 D-Backs Reds 45/High   Y
14 Red Sox Padres 45/High   Y
15 Terrin Vavra, SS Orioles Rockies 45/High    
16 Royals Rays 45/High Y  
17 Angels Reds 45/High   Y
18 Giants Mets 45/High Y  
19 Marlins Rockies 40/Medium Y  
20 Red Sox Phillies 40/Medium   Y
21 Cubs Tigers 40/Medium Y  
22 Gerardo Reyes, RHP Angels Padres 40/High Y  

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