TRADE: Heads Grab Carlson from Ducks

A busy week of deals continued Friday as the Honolulu Hammerheads and Burlingame Blue Ducks made their second deal in as many days as GM Ross Horiuchi announced the acquisition of outfielder Dylan Carlson (3/$15) for prospect Jace Jung (Minors).

Carlson's own manager was driving the hype train last spring, predicting big things for a player he envisioned as his leadoff man. That train went off the rails in a hurry as Carlson mostly struggled before landing on the injured list in May with a hamstring strain. A thumb sprain put him back on the shelf in September and the outfielder couldn't really get going in between. In the end, Carlson slashed .236/.316/.380 across 488 plate appearances. After popping 18 home runs in 2021, Carlson managed eight long balls last season to go along with five steals in seven attempts. If there's a silver lining it's that Carlson trimmed his strikeout rate five percentage points to 19.3%. Keep in mind too that Carlson is still only 24 years old and will be for the entirely of the 2023 season which likely has the Heads thinking there is more in the tank.

While far too young to give up on, the switch hitter had dramatic platoon splits and the Cardinals may be forced dial back his playing time slightly if his struggles against lefties continue.

The younger brother of Rangers top prospect Josh, Jace really excelled as a hitter during his time at Texas Tech. He had an OPS over 1.000 all three years and slashed .335/.481/.612 with 14 home runs, 59 walks and 42 strikeouts in 61 games as a junior while routinely being pitched around. Detroit grabbed him with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The lefty hitter showcased significant power to all fields while in college. A below-average runner with an average arm, Jung won't be a great defensive option, and he might fit best at designated hitter long term. He gets high marks for his baseball IQ and leadership qualities. Former general manager Al Avila doesn't have many hits to point to in the draft, and Jung's debut was pretty tepid. He hit just one home run in 30 games at High-A with a .102 ISO while being extremely passive and seemingly waiting for the perfect pitch. Given his defensive deficiencies, Jung needs to make a major impact offensively making 2023 an important season in his development.

TRADE: Ducks Land Varsho in Deal with Maulers

Following the trades of Aaron Judge and Justin Verlander, it looked to be only a matter of time until Daulton Varsho was moved by Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro. The club struck a deal with the Burlingame Blue Ducks Thursday, acquiring infielder Nolan Jones (Minors) and a 2023 3rd Round Pick (41st Overall) in return for Varsho.

The Guardians sent Nolan Jones to the Rockies this offseason for 21-year-old second base prospect Juan Brito. Considering Brito is already on the 40-man roster and has not played above Single-A, this was a very light return, but Cleveland didn't have room for Jones at the big-league level and Brito's hit-over-power, up-the-middle skill set fits the organization's priorities. Obviously playing in Colorado is preferable to playing in Cleveland, so from a fantasy standpoint, this was an upgrade. Jones didn't play poorly for a 24-year-old returning to Triple-A (122 wRC+) and getting his first taste of the majors (93 wRC+), but he is a corner outfielder who has not shown an ability to hit for the necessary game power to pull off that profile. The 12.5 BB% and 25.8 K% he showed at Triple-A would be excellent marks if it came with 25-plus homer power, but Jones managed 11 home runs in 83 games last season. His 14.5 Barrel% and 49.1 Hard% in the majors suggest he could still get to enough power to occupy the strong side of a platoon. The Rockies will probably give significant playing time to Kris Bryant, Randal Grichuk and Charlie Blackmon to start the season, and when injuries or poor performance strike, Jones could be the next man up.

The addition of the 3rd Round pick, the Maulers now hold five selections in the Top 43 including three in the first round.

Given the uncertainty on Jones, the package for Varsho seems light given the catching-eligible slugger is projected as the second best at his position for 2023 with 339.5 points.

On the strength of 27 homers and 16 steals,Varsho finished as the No. 5 catcher in the RDBL a season ago. Being traded to the Blue Jays should only benefit Varsho's production, as Rogers Centre is a slightly more friendly to hitters compared to Chase Field in Arizona. Given the $21 saving from J.T. Realmuto to Varsho for similar, GM Ryan Walsh took a big step forward in their projections and flexibility for 2023.

TRADE: Heads Land Realmuto from Ducks

The Burlingame Blue Ducks had a pair of well-regarded catching options in J.T. Realmuto (2/$28) and Sal Perez (3/$16), but it was always doubtful the club was going to invest $44 combined in the position. GM Ryan Walsh confirmed that Thursday, trading Realmuto to the Honolulu Hammerheads in exchange for a pair of 2nd Round Picks (18th and 30th Overall).

Realmuto was fantastic again in 2022, slashing .276/.342/.478 with 22 homers, 21 steals and nearly 160 runs-plus-RBI, putting him in a different stratosphere from every other fantasy catcher. Realmuto was caught stealing just once and had his best season to date by wRC+. It's impossible to project another 20-steal season from a catcher entering his age-32 season, but don't write off the possibility completely with Realmuto. He's a great athlete and the three-time All-Star will have to shoulder more of the load for the Phillies offensively over the first few months while Bryce Harper recovers from Tommy John surgery.

He paced all catchers in scoring last season with 369.5 points and will team up with Tyler Stephenson to form one of the top duos in the league behind the plate.