The Rockies made a move toward the future on Saturday, dealing right-handed reliever Nick Mears to the Brewers for two right-handed starting pitching prospects – Bradley Blalock and Minor Leaguer Yujanyer Herrera. Both moved immediately into the organization’s top 30 prospects – Blalock at No. 20 and Herrera at No. 30.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about all of the newest members of the Rockies’ system.

Bradley Blalock, RHP, Double-A Hartford
Pipeline scouting report: The Red Sox got Blalock away from a Kennesaw State commitment with a $250,000 bonus as a 32nd-rounder in 2019. He missed out on 2020 like every other Minor Leaguer, made 23 starts at Single-A Salem the following season and then was sidelined for all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery. He impressed in his return last summer with a 2.19 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51 1/3 innings between Single-A and High-A, only to be moved to the Brewers for Luis Urías at the Trade Deadline. Blalock made only four starts for High-A Wisconsin after the trade, but Milwaukee liked him enough to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft with a 40-man addition in November. He’s spent the bulk of the year with Double-A Biloxi, making a one-inning big league debut in June, but was on the move again as the Trade Deadline approached in July in a deal that brought Nick Mears to the Brewers.

Blalock flashed a 92-96 mph fastball in his return from surgery, and he maintained it this year, with enough ride up in the zone to play above average at times. His 78-82 mph power curveball drew immediate praise from Brewers higher-ups following the trade as another potential above-average offering, though it hasn’t been as sharp in 2024, while his mid-80s slider gives batters another breaking ball to ponder. He added an upper-80s splitter and that was showing solid development in 2023, though lefties continue to enjoy more success against him than righties.

The fact that Blalock’s control returned so quickly post-TJ was a promising sign and that was one of the reasons why the Crew didn’t want to risk losing him via the Rule 5 Draft, though that’s another area of his game that regressed a bit this season. Still just 23, time is on his side, with hope that Blalock can continue to trend up the farther he gets from surgery.

Organizational fit: Blalock -- who was called to the Majors for one game in June -- checks many boxes in the Rockies’ current profiles for pitchers. The fastball that can play high in the zone, plus a couple of breaking pitches that allow for changes of speed. The split-finger pitch could also help at Coors, as veteran Cal Quantrill has demonstrated. Blalock is a solid 6-foot-2, but he gets above-average extension down the mound -- something the organization has keyed in on during recent Drafts. General manager Bill Schmidt said Blalock would be immediately sent to Double-A Hartford, but could quickly advance to Triple-A Albuquerque. Is a Major League promotion possible soon? Blalock will provide that answer with performance.

ETA: 2024

Yujanyer Herrera, RHP, High-A Spokane
Pipeline scouting report: One of the youngest players in the 2019-20 international signing class, Herrera couldn’t sign until he turned 16 on August 17, 2019, a month and change after the signing period opened. He got just $10,000 to join the organization. Because of the pandemic, he wasn’t able to make his professional debut until 2021, when he threw 35 uneven innings in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. He made it up to full-season ball in 2022, again with inconsistent results, but he made a nice step forward with a return to the Carolina League in 2023. After four relief outings again with the Carolina Mudcat this season, he got bumped up to High-A Wisconsin and was pitching well there.

Still only 20 for most of the 2024 season, Herrera has the makings of a solid three-pitch mix coming from a 6-foot-3 frame. The right-hander’s fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range and he backs it up with an above-average slider with good dropping action and he can backfoot lefties with it. He also has a below-average changeup.

Herrera has missed a lot more bats in 2024 than he has previously, thanks largely to that breaking ball, and he continues to do a good job of getting ground-ball outs and throwing a good amount of strikes. If the changeup comes, he could have the chance to start, with the fastball-slider combination likely ticking up if he ends up in a bullpen.

Organizational fit: Much like Bradley Blalock, also obtained from the Brewers, the Rockies scouted Herrera hard as an amateur player. While there are no guarantees when it comes to injuries, Herrera is listed at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, and the Rockies see a physical frame that can handle the rigors of a long season. With his natural extension down the mound, the ability to mix speeds with his fastball-slider combination, and a ground-ball pitching style, he makes sense for the Rockies.

ETA: 2026