We needed a left-handed hitting outfielder immediately and got one. How good Naylor turns out to be is the question. He only has 144 major league at-bats with a career line of .253/.720 and he's only 23. Hopes he's not the next Jake Bauer.
I noticed we got two shortstops in the deal, one of whom (Miller) was described as close to major league ready at age 23. Hmmm...could they be secretly working on a deal for Lindor? Probably not, but it looks like Miller and Chang will compete for the job next year until Bracho or somebody else emerges.
Cantillo looks like a pretty good left-handed starting prospect to add to the mix that includes Logan Allen and Hentges.
Quantrill looks like an upgrade over Pluto as the new #6 starter. He had an ERA of 5.16 last year with 18 starts and five relief appearances. In his five games out of the bullpen hitters were 6-for-39 against him. Could be his stuff plays up much better in the pen. He was very good against righties but lefties hit him hard (.290/.848). Maybe the Indians saw something in him that they can improve like they did with Maton after he came over.
Fangraphs first take on the deal:
For Cleveland, the deal looks to be more quantity than quality. Quantrill was a bigger name a few years ago, and has pitched mostly in relief this season. Naylor exhausted his rookie eligibility last year, and hasn’t hit well, but still possesses a ton of power. Arias is a 20-year-old shortstop with a solid glove who put up a decent season in High-A a year ago. Cantillo is a 20-year-old lefty who put up mostly good numbers in Low-A last season. Miller is a 23-year-old shortstop without a strong glove who put up decent in Double-A a year ago. Hedges is the lone veteran on the list, made expendable by the trades for Jason Castro and Austin Nola. He can’t hit, but is a very good receiver.
Here's some stuff from a Fangraphs column publishied in April:
Joey Cantillo, LHP (12th)
Because he shares mechanical similarities with many pitchers whose fastballs overachieve relative to their velocity, I’m fairly confident that Cantillo can succeed even if his heater continues to live in the 87-91 mph range, though because he’s a big-framed 20-year-old, he may yet throw harder. If that’s the case, he could have a dominant fastball. He also has a changeup that is plus right now. Not only does it have bat-missing movement but Cantillo’s arm speed really sells hitters on the notion that they’re getting a fastball; A-ball bats flailed at it in 2019. The carry on his fastball enables Cantillo to compete for swinging strikes in the zone, and that, plus his ability to throw lots of competitively-located changeups mean he can work back into any count. His breaking ball usage is ahead of its quality, something that might change if Cantillo does start throwing harder and adds power to his curve. The breaking ball and development of velo are now the two variables driving Cantillo’s potential future FV movement, but for now I think he has the tools to go right at hitters and be a No. 4/5 starter.
Garbriel Arias, SS (16th)
Arias looks like a stud at 5 o’clock when he’s taking batting practice and infield, but his in-game swing decisions have been a problem, and were even during a statistically impressive 2019. The Padres threw every developmental trick in the book at him during the offseason, including virtual reality training, to try to get him to better identify balls from strikes and chase less often. In a small spring sample, it appeared to be working — Arias played some spring games in the place of Fernando Tatis Jr., who was one of several Padres to miss time with flu-like symptoms during the spring (tugs collar) before baseball shut down. The importance of Arias’ approach extends beyond his on base ability to his power production. His swing is grooved, making the parts of the zone where he can do real damage limited, so for Arias to get to his power in games he’s not only going to have to recognize balls and strikes, but also learn what he can actually hit. It’s possible this will occur, and Arias will be a star if it does, but I think an Orlando Arcia trajectory, where there are growing pains and frustration amid flashes of spectacle, is more likely.
Owen Miller, SS (25th)
The wave of teenage talent currently at Hi-A drove San Diego to push Miller straight to Double-A to start his first full season, and he rose to the occasion, hitting .290/.355/.430 with more power than the industry anticipated. A minimalistic swing enables him to make high rates of contact, while the strength in Miller’s hands generates doubles power. It’s not an exciting, athletic style of hitting but on an inoffensive, fundamentally sound defensive shortstop, it’s a pretty interesting skillset. Barring a significant swing change, Miller’s offensive output will likely cap his ceiling in the 40/45 FV range, but for a third round pick who moves quickly, that’s a great outcome.
