The Cloverdale Clovers and Burlingame Blue Ducks quietly executed a four player deal Thursday morning with the Clovers acquiring right-hander Cristian Javier (3/$6) and reliever Jhoan Duran (2FA/$5) from the Ducks for prospects Taj Bradley (Minors), Alek Thomas (Minors) and 1st Round (7th Overall) and 2nd Round (22nd Overall) picks.
After throwing only 101.1 innings in 2021, Cristian Javier started the year in the bullpen with the intention of conserving innings for the playoffs. The plan worked perfectly as Javier ended up starting 25 of his 30 appearances, compiling 148.2 frames before dominating in the postseason. He posted 489.0 points in 2022 and carries a 502.0 projection for 2023.
The addition of Javier will mark a full starting rotation for the Clovers entering the 2023 Draft with Michael Kopech (2R/$3), Miles Mikolas (2D/$5), Tyler Glasnow (2/$2), Dustin May (2/$1) and Jesus Luzardo (3R/$5) rounding out a group who is owed just $22 in 2023. That should make GM Chris Shelley a heavy favorite to land two major impact bats in Auction.
Jhoan Duran impressed the Twins during spring training and made the Opening Day roster as part of the bullpen. It was a role change for the career-long starter, but the rookie adapted quickly and was dominant from the outset. Duran threw a league-leading 392 pitches at 100 mph or greater while averaging a ridiculous 101 mph on his 4-seamer. He complimented his fastball with a knee buckling curve (49.7% whiff percentage) that served as his primary strikeout pitch, leading to a 33.5% strikeout rate. Duran also induced plenty of ground balls (61%) while limiting his free passes (6%) to finish with impressive ratios. With Minnesota struggling to hold leads in the late innings, Duran earned high leverage opportunities rather quickly. He tallied 18 holds on the season along with eight saves, making him increasingly valuable with the addition of 1.0 points in the RDBL for holds.
The Ducks were the lone club shut out of each of the four Top 100 Prospect Lists which changes with their addition of prized right-hander Taj Bradley. Bradley put up an ERA north of 2.00 for the first time since 2019 when he logged a 3.66 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 53:15 K:BB in 12 starts (59 innings) at Triple-A. His 177.2-inning stretch from Single-A to High-A to Double-A across 2021 and 2022 where he kept his ERA under 2.00 with a 0.92 WHIP and 211:49 K:BB is one of the best prolonged statistical runs a pitching prospect has had in recent memory. All the while, Bradley has had his top two pitches down -- a mid-90s fastball with good life and a hard cutter that eats hitters up. He still hasn't added a reliable third offering, but his athleticism and command are well ahead of the typical 21-year-old starting pitcher. The Rays enter the season without need of Bradley's services in the rotation, so he should return to Triple-A for at least a month or two to try to develop a third pitch he can use when he makes his big-league debut this summer.
Alek Thomas opened the season with Triple-A Reno, but after posting a .936 OPS in 27 games, he was called up to the Bigs. Thomas also ended the season with the Aces as he was sent down towards the end to work on pitch recognition. Thomas' game is frequently putting the ball in play, mostly on the ground. Through August 31, he recorded a .285 BABIP. However, it plummeted to .146 in September, prompting his demotion. With limited power and speed, Thomas needs grounders to find holes to be productive. His defense is good, but he'll need to hit to sustain playing time in a crowded and talented Diamondbacks outfield.
With the addition of the 1st and 2nd Round Picks, the Ducks are now set to hold four of the top 26 selections in the 2023 Reserve Draft.
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