SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though Zyhir Hope was one of the better two-way players in the 2023 Draft, clubs weren't sure exactly what to make of his signability. He seemed strongly committed to North Carolina, so the first two days and 10 rounds passed without him getting selected.

The Dodgers had scouted Hope more than most teams and going into Day 3, they decided they would take him with their first choice (340th overall in the 11th round) and could get him signed for fifth-round money. It was a good idea -- except the Cubs were thinking along the same lines and beat Los Angeles to Hope with pick No. 326.

So the Dodgers turned to Plan B. Looking to clear 40-man roster space in January for the impending free-agent signings of Teoscar Hernández and James Paxton, they worked out a trade to send Michael Busch and Yency Almonte to the Cubs. In return, they received Jackson Ferris and Hope.

It looks like a win-win deal that will benefit both sides. Busch, who was blocked in Los Angeles despite tearing up the Minors, hit 21 homers as a rookie. Ferris is one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the game while Hope, the Dodgers' No. 11 prospect, is a tremendous athlete who has been the most dynamic player in the first two weeks of the Arizona Fall League season.

Hope said that the trade caught him off guard but he knew the Dodgers wanted him in the Draft.

"It was crazy," Hope said. "I was lifting when I got a phone call from the Cubs telling me I got traded. I didn't know how to feel at the time. My feelings were kind of just like stuck in that moment because I had just signed with the Cubs and then it's like, 'Oh wow, I got traded already?' They told me it was the Dodgers, and I was like, 'OK, I'm excited.'"

Hope excited the Dodgers with his play during his first season in the organization, though he missed three months with a stress fracture in his rib. When healthy, he slashed .287/.415/.490 with nine homers and eight steals in 54 games at Single-A. Now he's with the Glendale Desert Dogs, playing four times a week as he gets more at-bats in preparation for making the jump to High-A in 2025.

He might be the best all-around athlete in the Fall League. A potential 30-30 center fielder, Hope features plus raw power, double-plus speed and well-above-average arm strength. He went 8-for-31 with three homers in his first eight games, including the longest blast of the young AFL season (470 feet at 111 mph, exceptional exit velocity for a 19-year-old).

Hope has yet to steal a base, getting caught in his lone attempt, but he has showcased his quickness with his range in center. In his Fall League debut, he covered 76 feet in less than six seconds before crashing into the center-field wall to rob Romeo Sanabria (Padres) of at least a double.

Though Hope may never set foot on the mound in pro ball, he did intrigue several clubs as an amateur pitcher. He was an athletic left-hander with a fastball that climbed into the mid-90s and a curveball with promising shape. He's happy that first the Cubs and then the Dodgers wanted him to play every day.

"I love hitting," Hope said. "Pitching was fun in high school, but I love hitting. I love it. That's my true passion."

Dodgers hitters in the Fall League

Jake Gelof, 3B: The younger brother of Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof, Jake was a 2023 second-round pick out of Virginia. His best tool is his well-above-average raw power, though he batted just .214/.324/.360 with 10 homers and 20 steals in 109 games between two Class A stops in his first full pro season.

Sean McLain, 2B: Sean is teaming with his older brother Matt on the Desert Dogs, and their younger sibling Nick was selected by the White Sox in the third round out of Arizona State in July. A former Sun Devil drafted in the fifth round in 2022, Sean is an instinctive utility type with solid speed. He hit .215/.326/.337 with six homers in 95 games between two Class A levels.

Dodgers pitchers in the Fall League

Kelvin Bautista, LHP: Acquired from the Rangers in a 2021 trade for Dennis Santana, Bautista works with a 93-95 mph fastball and added an upper-80s cutter this year. He logged a 5.30 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Alex Makarewich, RHP: A 13th-rounder from Northwestern State in 2023, Makarewich struggled with a 9.28 ERA and 45/37 K/BB ratio in his 32-inning pro debut this year between Rookie ball and Single-A. He has power stuff, including a 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 and a tight slider in the upper 80s.

Kelvin Ramirez, RHP: Signed for just $10,000 out of Venezuela in 2021, Ramirez owns a 95-97 mph fastball with natural life and a mid-80s slider that he can turn into a cutter. He compiled a 4.78 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings in High-A.

Jerming Rosario, RHP: Rosario received the 10th-highest bonus ($650,000) of any pitcher in the 2018 international class when he turned pro out of the Dominican Republic. Armed with a 92-97 mph fastball and a low-80s slider, he posted a 4.47 ERA, .199 opponent average and 120 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings while rising from High-A to Triple-A.

Eriq Swan, RHP: A high-upside project, Swan is huge (6-foot-6, 240 pounds), can reach 101 mph with his fastball and flashes a tight mid-80s slider. He also had a 6.54 ERA in three seasons at Middle Tennessee State before the Dodgers made him a supplemental fourth-round pick in 2023. He recorded a 5.16 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings in Single-A this summer while dealing with minor arm soreness.