On Thursday, the Miami Marlins traded outfielder Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, infielder Isan Diaz, and right-handed pitcher Jordan Yamamoto.
To make sense of the deal, we asked Rotoworld's Christopher Crawford to weigh in on the prospects. You can follow Crawford on Twitter by clicking here.
Did the Marlins get fair value?
I think they did. It's very close anyway. It's really a win-win deal, in my estimation. Yelich is a very good player who clearly makes MIlwaukee better; he's one of the most consistent offensive players in baseball. But the Marlins got four good prospects for a player that didn't want to be there and probably wasn't good enough to be the building block. I think they did well here.
What do you make of Brinson?
Brinson could be very good. Even if he doesn't hit for average, he has power, he has speed, and he's a very good defender. At worst, you're looking at a regular that frustrates because he strikes out so much. Because he's made some progress there, he has a chance to at least be average in the hit tool, which makes him a potential above-average -- maybe plus -- regular.
And Diaz?
Diaz was not good in 2017, but there's still reason for optimism. He works counts, he hits for power, and I think he'll be an above-average defender at second base. He strikes out too much and didn't make enough hard contact, but prospects can have bad years. I still like him.
Could Harrison join Brinson on the Marlins outfield someday?
Harrison is the key to the deal for me. He's struggled with injuries and -- like everyone else in this deal in terms of position players -- contact issues are going to hurt. But he's a terrific athlete, and he has a cannon for an arm. I am a little torn on if his athleticism translates to baseball skills right now, but there are people I trust who think this kid can be a star.
Is Yamamoto more than a throw-in?
Yeah, I think he is. He was probably the most underrated pitcher in a good Milwaukee system. He gets his fastball up to 94-95 mph, and his curveball has quality spin and he can locate it for strikes when he's firing on all cylinders. He's probably nothing more than a back-end starter, but when that's your fourth piece in a trade, you did well.
Where do these four rank in Miami's farm system?
I would put Brinson at 1, Harrison at 2, Diaz at 4, and Yamamoto somewhere in the top 15.
Do the Brewers have the goods to make another deal?
I think so, but it's a little tougher now. They still have pitching with Corbin Burnes, Luis Ortiz and Brandon Woodruff, and there are still some offensive pieces they could move if they needed. I would guess this is it in terms of marquee trades, but if they got aggressive/creative, they could make another one.
So, there you have it. A pretty solid deal for the Marlins, who arguably got their best return in any trade on the winter by adding Brinson, Harrison, Diaz, and Yamamoto.
Remember that you can follow Crawford on Twitter by clicking here.
