Busy Day For Broncos; Ex-Bronco Returns To Denver
3/2/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
It was a busy day for the Broncos and general manager John Mounts, and not just because of yesterday's amateur draft. In addition to a new influx of young prospects, Mounts pulled off a pair of trades that may offer some clues as to how the Broncos' designated hitter position will be filled this season.
The first trade was a three team transaction with the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. The Padres sent centerfielder Robert Turner, starting pitching prospect Martin Morales, and relief pitching prospect Roy Tuggle to the Braves in exchange for 37 year old infielder Ruben Diaz. The Padres then turned around and dealt Diaz and minor league outfielder Arthur Elbert to the Broncos. In return, the Broncos sent veteran relief pitcher Leo Salguero and 25 year old outfield prospect David Blackburn to the Padres.
Ruben Diaz returns to Denver, where he played from 2070 to 2072. His 379 at bats in 2071 with the Broncos remain the most he's ever gotten in one season. Diaz can play every infield position, albeit not very well, and has a solid bat. For his career, he has hit .268/.328/.430/.757, and he had a .772 OPS last season in 210 at bats. The Broncos likely intend for Diaz to become the DH, though he has never been a true everyday player before. Diaz said that he was excited to return to Denver, and happy to be playing for a winning team again(Atlanta has finished below .500 in each of the last three seasons). With Mark Bakke having left as a free agent, Ellis Bolling is the only current Bronco who played with Diaz. Bolling was in his second season when Diaz was traded away in 2072.
Arthur Elbert is a versatile 26 year old who put up excellent numbers in AAA last season despite missing two months with an ACL injury. For the Padres AAA team, Elbert batted .295/.341/.546 with 28 homeruns. Elbert isn't considered a potential starter, but could make a very capable reserve. A switch-hitter, he has a little pop, and is a smart, if not particularly fast, baserunner. He has a good glove in left field, and isn't terrible in center or right. He also has a strong arm. In addition to playing the outfield, he has some experience playing both first base and third base.
The trade allowed the Broncos to get rid of Salguero's $2.5 million contract which covered this year and next. For the Padres, the acquisition of the 33 year old Salguero is an attempt to address their biggest weakness- a shaky bullpen. The 25 year old Blackburn is an interesting prospect, but not one who was expected to be much of an impact player. At AA last year, he batted .286 with a .742 OPS. He also hit 51 doubles.
Atlanta, coming off of its third straight losing season, was looking to add both depth and potential to the organization. The 27 year old Turner was caught in a log-jam in San Diego, and has spent most of the last couple seasons in AAA. Last year at AAA, he batted .305 with an .800 OPS, hit 12 homeruns, and stole 33 bases. In 65 major league at bats, Turner has hit .338 with a .961 OPS. Atlanta will likely be able to fit him onto its major league roster, and maybe even the starting lineup. Morales is a 25 year old who spent last season at AA. Though his 4.29 ERA wasn't impressive, he showed pretty good stuff with 190 strikeouts in 168 innings pitched. Tuggle, also 25, split last season between AA and AAA. In 39 games at AA, he had a 2.89 ERA, and in 12 AAA appearances, he posted a 5.94 ERA.
The second trade that John Mounts made was with Pittsburgh. The Broncos acquired infielder Adrian Mingo in exchange for starting pitching prospect Isaias Villalon. The 30 year old Mingo is a left-handed hitter who can play 2B, 3B, SS, and CF. He is fast and an excellent base stealer. He also has very good plate discipline. He lacks power, and often struggles to hit for average. In 556 major league at bats as a utility infielder, Mingo has hit .218/.311/.317/.627, with 10 triples and 65 stolen bases. He struggled for most of last season, hitting just .195 for the Pirates. He did steal 21 bases. Mingo was well-regarded in Pittsburgh's clubhouse, and seemed surprised at being traded. He was the Pirates' second round draft pick back in 2071 and spent many years toiling in their minor league system before reaching the big leagues in 2077.
Villalon was the Broncos third round draft pick in 2078. The 23 year old right-hander throws hard, but has struggled to get control of all of his pitches. At AA last year, he posted a 5.89 ERA in 24 starts. He did manage 142 strikeouts in 133 innings. Mounts said that he hated to part with the young pitcher, but with Jack Rumfelt likely moving into the starting lineup, it was necessary to add a left-handed hitter to the bench. "To get something you want, sometimes you have to give up something that you like," he said.
With these two trades occupying the focus of Broncos' fans, the amateur draft almost slipped by without much notice. In the first round, the Broncos selected a 23 year old first-baseman: Henry Lewis, Jr. Lewis is the son of the former big league starting pitcher of the same name. The elder Lewis was 89-111 with a 5.56 ERA, and pitched for Atlanta, Nashville, and Washington. Lewis doesn't appear to have a high ceiling, but he is considered very well polished with little or no actual weaknesses.
Mounts went in the other direction in the second round, taking a tall and skinny 18 year old centerfielder, Charles Curran. Curran is considered very raw, but is fast, covers a lot of ground in the outfield, has a strong arm, and hits the ball with authority. Still, he'll need to fill out his 6'0, 155 lb frame a lot more if he wants to be a true power hitter.
In the third round, Denver selected a hard throwing relief pitcher, Harry Newbold. Newbold is just 19, and can hit the strike-zone pretty consistantly.
The fourth round draft pick went to a 19 year old catcher named Thomas Edmunds. Edmunds has good footwork behind the plate, but lacks a strong arm. His bat is also considered questionable.
With their final draft pick, the Broncos took a 19 year old third-baseman named Pedro Mejias. Mejias isn't very big, but has a commanding presence and is well-liked by everyone who has met and spoken with him. Unfortunately, neither his bat nor his glove are considered anything special. It'll take him a lot of work to move up the minor league ladder.