Ranking 21 prospects traded in offseason

We’re not even a week into the 2022 regular season at both the Major and Minor League levels, but at least that means we can officially close the book on the 2021-22 offseason. It was a period defined by early activity followed by a long pause brought on by the lockout and then a late surge in Spring Training just before last week’s Opening Days.

In total, 21 prospects who appear on MLB Pipeline Top 30 lists were traded to new organizations since the end of last year’s World Series. Some were parts of major blockbusters. Others in much more minor deals.

To give you an idea of the quality of prospects traded this offseason, here are all 21 ranked. And to get out ahead of this, yes, there are a lot of Athletics on this list.

1. Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics (No. 2, MLB No. 58)
Acquired from Braves in Matt Olson deal
The 2019 ninth overall pick was on Atlanta’s postseason taxi squad but never cracked through to the Majors with his original organization. Instead, he hopes that comes as part of Oakland’s rebuild, and that debut could come in short order, depending on what happens with Sean Murphy. Langeliers is a gifted defender behind the plate with plus-plus arm strength. He showed plus power in 2021 as well with 22 homers and a .494 slugging percentage in 97 games between Double-A and Triple-A. While Langeliers lacks the offensive ceiling of Oakland top prospect Tyler Soderstrom, he is much more likely to stick behind the plate.

2. Brandon Williamson, LHP, Reds (No. 5, MLB No. 100)
Acquired from the Mariners in the Jesse Winker deal
Looking for the next generation of Reds pitching prospect now that Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are in the Majors? Williamson instantly claimed that role following his move on March 14. The 6-foot-6 southpaw throws four average to plus pitches, headlined by a mid-90s fastball with plenty of ride and an impressive 12-to-6 curveball. He struck out 153 over 98 1/3 innings at High-A and Double-A last season and could push for his own spot in the Cincinnati rotation by season’s end.

3. Cristian Pache, OF, Athletics (No. 4)
Acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson deal
It was always going to take a lot for a club to acquire Olson, and sending one Top 100 prospect in Langeliers and a former Top 100 mainstay in Pache (among others) seemed to be enough for Atlanta to win that sweepstakes. The 23-year-old outfielder indeed slid out of MLB Pipeline’s preseason Top 100 list out of concerns for his bat; he hit just .265/.330/.414 in 89 games at Triple-A last season and has struck out 37.5 percent of the time in his limited MLB looks entering 2022. But he’s still capable of exceptional defense in center field, thanks to 70-grade speed that should be useful in Oakland’s expansive grass. Consistent Major League time -- and a chance to stick even when times may get tough -- could be what gets Pache over the offensive hump and makes him an above-average regular with the A’s.

4. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Athletics (No. 7)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman deal
Toronto seemed willing to roll the dice on Hoglund, who underwent Tommy John surgery late last spring when it selected him 19th overall in July, and now, the A's are the ones who will be betting on his return to health. The 22-year-old right-hander threw 92-95 mph with his fastball and showed a good curveball and slider before the injury. His history of throwing strikes was perhaps his greatest asset, and it’s worth following how that control returns when he heads to Minor League mounds for the first time in 2022.

5. J.T. Ginn, RHP, Athletics (No. 8)
Acquired from the Mets in the Chris Bassitt deal
The 2020 second-rounder was returning from his own Tommy John surgery last season when he posted a 3.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 92 innings at Single-A and High-A in the New York system. His low-90s sinking fastball helped him post a 61.6 percent ground-ball rate, second-highest in the Minors (minimum 90 innings). His slider gives him another quality pitch, and he could be a decent mid-rotation starter for the A’s in time.

6. Ryan Cusick, RHP, Athletics (No. 9)
Acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson deal
Make that three members of the Olson return to feature in our top six spots here. Unlike Pache and Langeliers, Cusick didn’t get long to make an impression with Atlanta as he was shipped less than one year after the organization selected him 24th overall out of Wake Forest. Interestingly, the A’s had the 25th pick, so they missed out on their own chance to select Cusick by one spot. The 6-foot-6 right-hander can touch the upper 90s with a plus-plus fastball and shows three more at least average pitches with his curve, slider and change. The A’s believe enough in Cusick to send him straight to Double-A for his first full season.

7. Chase Petty, RHP, Reds (No. 7)
Acquired from the Twins in the Sonny Gray deal
Taken two picks after Cusick, the 2021 26th overall pick only got in two Florida Complex League outings with his Draft organization before he moved to a second system in March. Petty can sit in the upper 90s with his fastball and has the makings of an above-average sweeping slider. The 19-year-old right-hander opens his Cincinnati career with Single-A Daytona.

8. Euribiel Angeles, INF, Athletics (No. 11)
Acquired from the Padres in the Sean Manaea deal
Angeles was our Spring Training pick for “prospect we’ll be talking about in 2023” … in the Padres system. He can still hold that title with the A’s, thanks to good bat-to-ball skills that helped lead all San Diego farmhands with a .329 average in 2021. Oakland has played the 19-year-old at shortstop early on, but he has experience all over the infield and may profile best as a bat-first utilityman.

9. Kevin Smith, SS/3B, Athletics (No. 16)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman deal
The 2017 fourth-rounder’s stock has bounced all over the place in pro ball, but it was on the up after he hit .285/.370/.561 with 21 homers and 18 steals in 94 games at Triple-A and earned his first Major League experience in 2021. He lacked a clear lane to playing time with Toronto, but that’s less of an issue in Oakland, where he’s gotten the majority of the looks at third base in Chapman’s stead. A good defender with above-average power, Smith has multiple ways to contribute to a lineup but needs to become a more consistent hitter to become an impactful regular.

10. Kameron Misner, OF, Rays (No. 15)
Acquired from the Marlins in the Joey Wendle deal
A rare for one-for-one trade involving a Major Leaguer and a prospect. That’s a sign of just how highly the Rays think of Misner. The former Miami farmhand is tooled-up with above-average power potential, plus speed and good defensive skills from the outfield. The only question is if he’ll hit enough after striking out 29.4 percent of the time in 2021. Tampa Bay turned a similar profile into a Top 100 prospect in Josh Lowe, so watch what it can do with the 24-year-old Misner.

11. Ronny Henriquez, RHP, Twins (No. 14)
Acquired from the Rangers in the Mitch Garver deal
The 21-year-old right-hander got rocked a bit with a 5.04 ERA in 69 2/3 innings at Double-A last season but has three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup, giving the Twins enough to dream on.

12. Kyle Nicolas, RHP, Pirates (No. 19)
Acquired from the Marlins in the Jacob Stallings deal
The 6-foot-6 right-hander gives Pittsburgh another pitching option, one with a plus-plus fastball and an above-average slider. Like many taller pitchers, Nicolas will focus on improving his control as he reaches the upper Minors (49 walks in 99 innings last season).

13. Justin Lange, RHP, Yankees (No. 23)
Acquired from the Padres in the Luke Voit deal
The 2020 34th overall pick had knee and command issues that limited him to only 22 innings in the Arizona Complex League. The Yankees are still willing to bet on the 20-year-old’s mid-90s fastball and above-average slider entering his second season of pro ball.

14. Alex Binelas, 3B, Red Sox (No. 22)
Acquired from the Brewers in the Hunter Renfroe deal
A potential first-rounder out of Louisville, Binelas endured a tough junior season that caused him to drop to the third round in 2021. He still possesses above-average power that makes him enticing as a prospect, and he’ll need to show it in the pros as a corner bat.

15. Joey Estes, RHP, Athletics (No. 18)
Acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson deal
Estes is the reigning Low-A East Pitcher of the Year after posting a 2.91 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 99 innings at Augusta last season. The 20-year-old right-hander shows more average stuff than the results suggest with a fastball-slider-changeup mix.

16. Zach Logue, LHP, Athletics (No. 22)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman deal
The 25-year-old southpaw brings rotation depth to the Oakland system. A breakout performer at the upper levels in 2021, Logue thrives with a plus changeup to keep hitters off-balance and throws plenty of strikes to help him eat innings.

17. Korry Howell, OF/SS/3B, Padres (No. 15)
Acquired from the Brewers in the Victor Caratini deal
Howell’s plus-plus speed informs the bulk of his prospect profile, and that athleticism helped him play both center field and shortstop in the Brewers system. The 23-year-old exhibits good raw power too, but a high strikeout rate keeps him from tapping into it as regularly as he could.

18. Junior Caminero, INF, Rays (No. 30)
Acquired from the Guardians as the PTBNL in the Tobias Myers deal
Perhaps the biggest lottery ticket on this list. The 18-year-old infielder has plus power potential and showed it quickly last year in the Dominican Summer League, where he hit .295/.380/.534 with nine homers in 43 games. He’s set to move stateside in 2022 and will have to find a defensive home after playing all over the dirt last summer.

19. Adrian Martinez, RHP, Athletics (No. 24)
Acquired from the Padres in the Sean Manaea deal
The 25-year-old right-hander is nearly Major League-ready with a 92-96 mph fastball and plus changeup. He mixes in a slider and curve, but those two other pitches remain his bread and butter. Martinez returns to Triple-A, where he made nine starts last season.

20. Donny Sands, C, Phillies (No. 29)
Acquired from the Yankees in a four-player deal
Sands showed all-around improvements as a hitter and defensive catcher in 2021, prompting his move to the 40-man roster and subsequent inclusion in the above trade. His 18 homers in 2021, in particular, were well above his previous career high of four. Sands lacks a clear plus tool but isn’t far from being a solid all-around backup catcher in Philly.

21. Ray Kerr, LHP, Padres (No. 28)
Acquired from the Mariners in the Adam Frazier deal
You won’t find many 27-year-old relievers on a prospect list. That said, not many 27-year-old relievers can touch triple-digits and feature an above-average slider. The southpaw’s velo has backed up a little in the early days at Triple-A El Paso, but he still has late-inning potential in his new system.

Unranked traded prospects of note: Brent Honeywell, Jr., RHP, Athletics; Adam Oller, RHP, Athletics; Kirby Snead, LHP, Athletics; Adrian Pinto, 2B/SS, Blue Jays; Hayden Cantrelle, SS, Marlins; Connor Scott, OF, Pirates; Nick Quintana, 3B, Reds; David Hamilton, SS/2B, Red Sox