With Yovani Gallardo entering the final year of his deal, the Milwaukee Brewers decided to cash in on the right-hander this offseason before he could potentially leave as a free agent next winter.
Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan broke news of the deal, reporting that Gallardo is off to the Texas Rangers and that the Brewers will get three prospects in return:
One of those prospects is middle infielder Luis Sardinas.
The 21-year-old got a little bit of time in the big leagues last year, hitting .261/.303/.313 in 125 plate appearances with the Rangers. He also swiped five bags and drove in eight runs.
Sardinas spent the bulk of his season with the Round Rock Express, Texas' Triple-A affiliate, where he hit .290/.310/.374 with one home run and 28 runs batted in.
Sardinas is unlikely to be considered the crown jewel of the deal. Baseball America ranked him seventh in the Rangers' system heading into the 2015 season. ESPN.com's Dan Szymborski tweeted that Sardinas doesn't look to have a wealth of potential:
Hardball Talk's Matthew Pouliot was similarly hesitant about Sardinas' upside but added that the infielder has enough time to change that perception:
The biggest potential hurdle for Sardinas will be his offense. His numbers from last year show that he doesn't offer a lot of pop in the lineup, at least not yet.
His glove will be enough to keep him around the majors for a while. Baseball Prospectus' Jason Parks and Craig Goldstein wrote in April 2014 that his work at the plate will determine the extent of his role on a team:
The overall profile could be first-division but is dependent on the plus potential hit tool actually reaching that projection. The glove and speed will play regardless of the bat, but if he wants to carve out a career as a regular instead of a utility glove, the contact will have to offer more life than he has shown so far this season.
It would be premature to shoehorn in Sardinas as a career backup/defensive specialist, but it will be important for him to take some major steps forward offensively in 2015.
His success won't be the sole determinant as to how well Milwaukee did in this trade. If Sardinas can emerge as an everyday shortstop, though, then it would be a huge boost for the Brewers.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments