TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Implications - MLB Prospects in the Chris Sale Trade

The Boston Red Sox management woke up on Tuesday and decided that they didn't like the Winter Meetings to be all talk and no show. So they decided to make some noise and add starting pitcher Chris Sale from the White Sox and reliever Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers. This deal obviously has some immediate implications for redraft leagues in 2017 and owners of Chris Sale, but what about the prospects?

The White Sox received in return quite the haul for Chris Sale. By sending the southpaw to the Red Sox, Rick Hahn and company received in return top Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada, flame-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and reliever Victor Diaz. Here are the details on the Red Sox - White Sox trade:

Red Sox Acquire: SP Chris Sale
White Sox Acquire: 2B/3B Yoan Moncada, SP Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, RP Victor Diaz

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

Yoan Moncada (2B/3B, MLB)

There is little that Moncada can't do, but he probably still requires some time to develop in the minors. The 21-year-old phenom showed an extremely exciting combination of power and speed last season in the minors as he posted 15 home runs and 45 stolen bases across only 106 games (split with 45 at Double-A and 61 at High-A). But as he reached the upper levels of the minors, he began to show why he did not go straight to the big leagues. At High-A, Moncada struck out only 21.1% of the time, but that number jumped up to 30.9% when he advanced to Double-A. Then in a cameo appearance at the big league level, he struck out in 60% of his 20 plate appearances (12 Ks) and mustered only four hits.

Is this to say that you all should be concerned about his future? Absolutely not, but it does mean that the trade may not guarantee him starting playing time at third base for the White Sox right away. Besides, they do still have Todd Frazier at third, though it looks likely he will be dealt away before the season begins.

What this trade really means for Moncada is that it is likely he will bat higher up in the lineup upon an initial promotion, but it will be a weaker lineup. Batting leadoff for the White Sox will help him score plenty of runs, but it hurts that Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts have been effectively replaced by (what will likely be) Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera.

With that said, a trade to any team was never going to severely plummet Moncada's value, no matter where he was dealt. With his combo of power and speed, he still looks poised to become a future All-Star and one of the most valuable dynasty prospects in baseball.

 

Michael Kopech (SP, A+)

Kopech took some time to be fully recognized by prospect evaluators as a true dominant pitching prospect, but in 2016, he really started to turn heads thanks in large part to his outstanding stuff.

With one of the hardest fastballs in the minors and a wipeout slider, Kopech racked up a whopping 82 strikeouts in only 52 innings of work at High-A this season. To save you some trouble with the math, that is 40% of the batters he faced. Fantasy owners are probably going to read that and have their jaws drop, especially since most scouts believe racking up gaudy strikeout totals in the big leagues will hardly prove to be a challenge for the 20-year-old right-hander.

But what will prove to be challenging is reigning in his command. It should hardly be surprising that a young pitcher who has been clocked in triple-digits has trouble locating his pitches. Along with his impressive strikeout numbers, Kopech also posted a rather high walk rate of 14.2%. And while opponents only hit a meager .146 off of him at High-A, Kopech will need to bring that walk rate down in order to survive against big league hitters.

I will be brutally honest and say that I am concerned about Kopech heading to the White Sox. They tend to rush their pitching prospects through the minors (e.g. Carson Fulmer and Carlos Rodon) before their guys have any time to improve their command. Kopech has top-of-the-rotation potential and that certainly won't change by moving to the South Side of Chicago, but his control is volatile and his upside could be soured if he is not given enough time to develop.

 

The Others

Luis Alexander Basabe is the only other name you all will really need to focus on. He is a guy with a promising power/speed combination, though like Moncada, he has struggled at times with plate discipline. He is still a couple seasons away from the big leagues, but he no longer faces a major blockage ahead of him as the White Sox outfield lacks the star power and depth of the Red Sox.

It looks like he could be in the big leagues by midseason 2018. But his production will hinge on whether he can cut down on the strikeouts. If he does, he could be a solid 20/20 outfield regular. If not, he could be a fourth outfielder for the White Sox and will be limited in his value to fantasy owners.

The only other player involved in the deal is reliever Victor Diaz. He is a 22-year-old reliever still pitching his way through Class-A. He should not have any implications on dynasty owners.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Josh Hader

to Throw Off a Mound Early Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena to Visit With Hand Specialist
Andrew Kittredge

Shoulder a "Little Cranky," Not a Serious Issue
Tyler Freeman

Making Cactus League Debut on Thursday
Brenton Doyle

Thinks he Can Play on Friday
Andrew McCutchen

Signs One-Year Deal With Rangers
Spencer Strider

Will Spencer Strider Bounce Back?
Curtis Lazar

Out Four Weeks
Aaron Judge

Is Aaron Judge Worth the First Overall Pick?
Nick Blankenburg

Avalanche Add Nick Blankenburg From Predators
Blaze Alexander

Remains the Front-Runner to Replace Jackson Holliday
CHI

Andrew Mangiapane Traded to Blackhawks
Kyle Nicolas

Traded to the Reds
Jason Dickinson

Oilers Bring in Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach From Chicago
Tyler Callihan

Traded to the Pirates
Tyler Myers

Moves to Dallas
MacKenzie Weegar

Mammoth Acquire MacKenzie Weegar
River Ryan

in Serious Consideration for Starting Role
Kevin McGonigle

Making Strong Case to Crack Opening Day Roster
Sal Stewart

Flashing Power in Spring Games
Trey Murphy III

Iffy for Thursday
Connelly Early

Ticketed to Begin Season at Triple-A?
Zion Williamson

Could Miss Thursday's Tilt
Carlos Lagrange

Impressing in Spring Training
Dejounte Murray

Sits Out Thursday's Action
Ryan Waldschmidt

Making Strong Case for Starting Job
Amen Thompson

Tagged as Questionable for Matchup With Warriors
Jabari Smith Jr.

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Questionable for Thursday Due to Illness
Kyshawn George

to Be Re-Evaluated in Three Weeks
Mitchell Marner

Collects Three Points on Wednesday
Tomas Hertl

Scores the Overtime Winner
Kyler Murray

A's Open to Kyler Murray Exploring a Return to Baseball
Coby White

is Available on Wednesday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Won't Play on Wednesday
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Suffers Small Fracture in his Finger
VJ Edgecombe

is Ruled Out on Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein

to Play on Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

is Cleared for Wednesday's Contest
Collin Murray-Boyles

to Remain Sidelined on Thursday
Egor Demin

Ruled Out for Thursday's Game
Brandon Ingram

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Kyshawn George

Slated to Miss Thursday's Matchup With Jazz
Drey Jameson

Could be a Sleeper Out of the Arizona Bullpen
Brandon Williams

Expected to Suit Up Against Magic on Thursday
Rafael Devers

Feeling Much Better, Could Return This Weekend
Cooper Flagg

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Trae Young

Off Injury List For Thursday
Klay Thompson

Probable For Thursday's Clash With Magic
Stefon Diggs

Patriots Releasing Stefon Diggs
Trent McDuffie

Chiefs Sending Trent McDuffie to Rams in Blockbuster Deal
Taylor Moore

Looking to Build on Cognizant Classic Finish
Robert MacIntyre

Brings Solid Form to Bay Hill
Scottie Scheffler

the Tournament Favorite at Bay Hill
Jonathan Drouin

Ready to Go Wednesday
Xander Schauffele

Trending Well Ahead of API
Jake Walman

Avoids Major Injury Tuesday
Marcus Johansson

Makes Early Exit Versus Lightning
Cole Smith

Golden Knights Pick Up Cole Smith From Nashville
Michael McCarron

Sent to Wild for Second-Round Pick
Ryan O'Reilly

Sustains Eye Injury Tuesday
Artturi Lehkonen

Deemed Week-to-Week
Kevin Love

Active Wednesday Night
Si Woo Kim

Looking to Return to Top Form at Bay Hill
Leon Draisaitl

Dominates With Five-Point Game
Ben Griffin

Looking to Return to Form at Arnold Palmer Invitational
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks to Build on Cognizant Classic Win at Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns

Searching for Consistency at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Daniel Berger

Offers Sneaky Upside at Bay Hill
Jack Hughes

Contributes With Two Assists
Dougie Hamilton

Picks Up Two Points in Win
Jacob Markstrom

Cruises to Win
Dylan Guenther

Picks Up Two Points on Tuesday Night
Jeremy Swayman

Defeats the Penguins
Justin Thomas

Making Season Debut at API Following Lower-Back Surgery
NASCAR

Collin Morikawa Hopes To Better Last Year's Runner-Up Finish at API
Tommy Fleetwood

Isn't As Confident of a Start at Bay Hill as Previous Weeks
Kyler Murray

Will be Released
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Not Using the Franchise Tag on Trey Hendrickson
Daniel Jones

Colts Place Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Adam Scott

Might Endure Tough Times at Bay Hill
Aldrich Potgieter

Extremely Risky When it Comes to Bay Hill
PGA

Sungjae Im to Make Season Debut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Jordan Spieth

an All-or-Nothing Option at Bay Hill
Harry Hall

Trying to Rebound After the Genesis Invitational
Ryan Gerard

Needs Better Start at Bay Hill
Kenneth Walker III

Won't Get the Franchise Tag
Patrick Cantlay

Still Plagued by Bad Putting Ahead of Arnold Palmer Invititational
Daniel Jones

Colts Expected to Use Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Breece Hall

Jets Placing Franchise Tag on Breece Hall
CFB

Mark Stoops Joining Texas Coaching Staff
Jason Day

Attempts to Bounce Back from The Genesis Invitational
Jacob Bridgeman

Rolling into Arnold Palmer Invitational
Russell Henley

Looks to Defend Title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Khalil Mack

Will Play in 2026
MMA

Lone'er Kavanagh Gets Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno

Gets Outclassed
Marlon Vera

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Daniel Jones

Colts Have "50/50" Chance to Get a Deal Done With Daniel Jones
David Martinez

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Daniel Zellhuber

Loses Third Consecutive Fight
King Green

Gets Second-Round TKO Win
Felipe Bunes

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ryan Blaney

Falls to Eighth Despite Running Most of the Race in the Top Five At COTA
Ty Gibbs

Wins A Stage and Finishes Fourth At COTA
Christopher Bell

Earns First Top-Five Finish of the 2026 Season at COTA
Kyler Murray

"Repeatedly" Linked to Jets
Shane Van Gisbergen

Falls Short of Victory At COTA
Tyler Reddick

Wins At COTA and Makes NASCAR History
David Montgomery

Texans Acquire David Montgomery From Lions
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
Lone'er Kavanagh

Set For UFC Mexico City Main Event
Brandon Moreno

Looks To Bounce Back
David Martinez

Set For UFC Mexico City Co-Main Event
Marlon Vera

In Dire Need Of Victory
King Green

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Zellhuber

Aims To Snap Two-Fight Skid
Felipe Bunes

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF