Joe Saunders with minor league pitching coach Zeke Zimmerman at minor league spring training in April 2004.

 

This is why the Angels stockpile pitching depth in the minors.

The Angels acquired ace pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday in exchange for major league left-hander Joe Saunders, Salt Lake reliever Rafael Rodriguez, Rancho Cucamonga southpaw Pat Corbin, and a player to be named later.

According to the Arizona Republic, the PTBNL is Cedar Rapids left-hander Tyler Skaggs.

Dan Woike of the Orange County Register quotes Angels general manager Tony Reagins as saying that the Diamondbacks can choose from one of three players on a list. Arizona GM Jerry Dipoto told the Republic:

We can’t deny the volume and the depth that this brings us as an organization. The names involved in the deal on a prospect level, particularly Corbin, and the player to be named, give us extreme prospect depth, at a position, left-handed pitcher, that anybody would covet. In the case of the player to be named, we’ll have to discuss that as soon as we get to that point. We got to what we wanted to get to. We were able to add to our club now, provide for our club’s future and at the same time we were able to create a better balance and flexibility in the way our dollars have been allocated on our major league payroll to be able to better tend to the different holes on our major league club as it stands today.

Pat Corbin

Tyler Skaggs

 

Assuming the quotes from both GMs are accurate, it would suggest that the list contains three left-handed pitchers, all of whom would be considered top prospects. In addition to Skaggs, that list might also include Arkansas pitcher Trevor Reckling, Cedar Rapids pitcher Tyler Kehrer, perhaps even Orem’s Max Russell, who was drafted in the fourth round last June.

Major league baseball draft rules forbid trading a draftee until one year after he signs. If that’s the holdup, it would eliminate Reckling and Kehrer (who signed June 11, 2009). Skaggs signed on August 7, 2009, so he can’t be traded until then.

The Angels believe that pitching is the coin of the realm, which is why they’ve leaned heavily towards drafting pitchers in the early rounds. They’ve relied on that pitching depth in making trade deadline deals the last two years.

The Angels sent lefty Alex Torres to the Tampa Bay Rays on August 28, 2009, along with infielders Sean Rodriguez and Matt Sweeney, for Scott Kazmir. On July 23, they traded RHP Sean O’Sullivan and LHP Will Smith to the Royals for Alberto Callaspo. And now they’ve traded four pitchers to the Diamondbacks for Haren.

That’s four left-handed pitching prospects — Torres, Smith, Corbin and PTBNL — traded within the last year. Along with Saunders.

These deals leave the Angels dangerously thin in organizational depth from the south side of the mound. Scott Kazmir, ineffective and currently disabled, is the only left-handed starter on the parent club roster. The next “top” prospect would be Reckling, who failed at Triple-A this year and recently returned to Double-A.

Rafael Rodriguez

 

Salt Lake reliever Rafael Rodriguez was long viewed as a toolsy pitcher with low-to-mid-90s velocity and a wicked slider, but was never able to pitch with consistency. He was the Bees’ closer this year, logging ten saves and posting a 2.28 ERA away from hitter-friendly Spring Mobile Ballpark. He’s been around since 2002, so some might think he’s older than he is, but Rafy doesn’t turn 26 until September 24 so he could certainly blossom in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.

Here are FutureAngels.com videos of the pitchers sent to Arizona, including the presumed Tyler Skaggs. You need Windows Media Player and a broadband (cable modem, DSL) Internet connection to watch:

Rafael Rodriguez pitching for Cedar Rapids in August 2003

Joe Saunders pitching for Rancho Cucamonga in April 2004

Pat Corbin pitching for Cedar Rapids on May 1

Tyler Skaggs pitching for Cedar Rapids on May 3

Baseball America analyzes the trade.