The Angels sent four pitching prospects to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in return for starter Dylan Bundy. I won’t go into much detail on the Bundy side of the trade, though this feels like a good move for both clubs. The Angels get an arm who can help next year, and at 27 years old, perhaps Bundy will take a step forward with a new team and in a new home park that isn’t Camden Yards.
For the O’s, they’ve probably taken Bundy as far as they can in his development. And I like what they did in going for quantity by acquiring four right-handed pitchers: Isaac Mattson, Kyle Bradish, Kyle Brnovich and Zach Peek. While none of these pitchers are elite prospects, I had all four in my Angels Top 50 prospect rankings. So, there are some interesting names here who could be relevant in dynasty formats in the next few years.
Here’s a look at the four prospects headed to Baltimore:
RHP Isaac Mattson
Mattson is the one player who should impact the major league club next year. The Angels converted the 24-year-old back to a reliever in 2019, and he thrived in the role, moving up all the way from High-A to Triple-A. For the season, he put up a 2.33 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a monster 37.7% K rate in 37 appearances. I thought he had a chance to make the Angels’ Opening Day roster if he looked good in spring training, so I think the same holds true with the O’s (especially when you consider the state of their bullpen). It’s worth noting Mattson also had a lot of multi-inning outings this year. I could see him being used as a future bridge to the closer in late-inning situations.
ETA: 2020
RHP Kyle Bradish
Bradish is the most advanced arm among the three starters in the deal. A fourth-round pick in 2018, the 23-year-old made his pro debut in High-A this year, recording a 4.28 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 101 innings pitched. He posted a strong 27.0% K rate, and he shows promise with a diverse mix of four pitches, including a curveball that scouts grade as a plus offering. I had him ranked as the Angels’ No. 22 prospect before the trade. He has the best fantasy potential of this group, though he’s still more of a high-floor pitcher in the long run.
ETA: 2021
RHP Kyle Brnovich
The Angels drafted 22-year-old Brnovich in the eighth round out of Elon University this year. In college, he posted an 11.5 K/9 in three seasons, and he has yet to make his pro debut. He was actually a more interesting arm than some pitchers the Angels took ahead of him, if only because he has a standout knuckle curve that scouts have raved about. MLB.com’s Jim Callis called it one of the nastiest pitches in the whole draft class. As a college arm he could also move quickly through the system, depending on how his debut season goes. I had him ranked as the Angels’ No. 35 prospect.
ETA: 2022
RHP Zach Peek
Peek was the Angels’ sixth-round pick in 2019. A right-hander out of Winthrop, he also hasn’t debuted yet, though he comes armed with a three-pitch mix of fastball-curve-changeup. None of his pitches look to be standout offerings, but reports are generally positive that they can be at least average with upside for more. Admittedly, he’s the name I’m least excited about of this group, but I still had him ranked as the No. 43 prospect in the Angels system.
ETA: 2022
(Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire)