Padres News: San Diego Padres Top 20 Prospects
20) Jose Torres – LHP
Date of Birth: 09/24/1993
Height/Weight: 6’2’’/175 pounds
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Acquired: Trade with Oakland Athletics 2015
At the bottom of the Padres Top 20 Prospects list is left handed reliever Jose Torres. Recently acquired from the Oakland Athletics in the trade that sent 1B Yonder Alonso and reliever Marc Rzepczynski to the Oakland Athletics, and also netted the Padres LHP Drew Pomeranz, Torres is a 21-year-old who is already in his fifth professional season out of Venezuela. Torres pitched in A ball and high A ball, finishing with an ERA of 2.69 in 73 2/3 innings in A ball and an ERA of 0.00 in only 3 2/3 innings in high A ball. Torres struck out 80 batters in his time in A ball and finished with a K/9 of just under 10.
Perhaps best known for his fastball velocity, which usually sits in the 92-94 mph range but can get up to as high as 96, Torres is a former starter who has more or less completely converted to a reliever. Torres has a decent slider, but it needs some work to be a good enough secondary pitch. Working exclusively out of the bullpen has really helped with Torres velocity, and has made him a viable possibility as a set up man long term. Torres still has some work to do, but there is a lot to like in what he has shown up until this point. With a ceiling like that, Torres may end up being the key piece in the trade that sent Yonder Alonso to the Athletics this offseason.
19) Logan Allen – LHP
Date of Birth: 05/23/1997
Height/Weight: 6’3”/200 pounds
Bats/Throws: Right/Left
Acquired: Trade with Boston Red Sox 2015
Acquired from the Boston Red Sox along with three other prospects in the trade that landed the Red Sox Craig Kimbrel, Logan Allen is a left handed starter who was the Red Sox eighth round draft pick from 2015 (231st overall). Allen only pitched in eight games this season in split time between the Red Sox’s rookie ball and low A team, but certainly impressed in that limited time. In 20 innings in the Red Sox’s rookie league, Allen had a sterling ERA of 0.90, with a K/9 of 10.80 and a BB/9 of 0.45. Obviously it was a small sample size, but Allen certainly showed what he is capable of.
Allen sports an improved fastball, sitting between 90-94 mph, and also has three other pitches that can all be at least average or even above average. Allen uses his slider as his best secondary offering, but also uses both a changeup and curveball that both show some significant promise. For a player who only recently turned eighteen years old, Allen has an advanced feel for pitching, an easy delivery, and strong athletic build, all of which should allow him to succeed at the professional level. While still several years away from providing any value for the Padres at the big league level, Allen is certainly a player to watch closely in the Padres minor league system next year. Just as Torres may be the steal of the Alonso trade, Allen could be the steal of the Kimbrel trade in several years.
18) Carlos Asuaje – IF
Date of Birth: 11/02/1991
Height/Weight: 5’9”/ 160 pounds
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
Acquired: Trade with Boston Red Sox 2015
Another player that was acquired by the Padres in the deal that sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston, Carlos Asuaje is a 24-year-old infielder who played mostly in Double A for the Red Sox last season. In 570 plate appearances, over 131 games, with the Red Sox’s Double A affiliate in Portland, Asuaje slashed .251/.334/.374 with a wRC+ of 107. Asuaje also walked just under 10% of the time while striking out around 15% of the time, with solid defense at several positions around the diamond.
Not known for being overly flashy, and lacking any true stand out tools, Asuaje projects best as a utility player in the long term. While his hitting skills aren’t considered top notch, he does command good bat control with strong plate discipline and a good feel for the strike zone. In the field Asuaje is once again solid, but profiles best as a second baseman, despite his ability to play shortstop, 3B and even in left field. The most developed out of all the pieces in the Kimbrel trade, Asuaje has the best chance of playing for the Padres next season in a utility role, given his versatility and good head for the game.
17) Luis Perdomo – RHP
Date of Birth: 05/09/1993
Height/Weight: 6’2”/ 160 pounds
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Acquired: Trade with Colorado Rockies 2015 (Rule 5 Selection)
Acquired from the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations, who was picked by the Rockies in the Rule 5 Draft from the St. Louis Cardinals, Luis Perdomo is a right handed starter who has been in the Cardinals minor league system for the last five seasons. Perdomo split time between A ball and high A ball last season with the Cardinals, finishing with a 3.68 ERA in seventeen starts in A ball and 5.13 ERA in five starts (six games total) in High A ball. Perdomo also represented the Cardinals in the MLB Futures Game last season after a stellar month of May in which he had a 1.42 ERA in 31 2/3 innings.
Given the fact that he was not protected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cardinals, there were obviously some concerns with Perdomo’s prospect status in the long term. At 22 years of age, Perdomo is not exactly young, and he struggled quite a bit upon his call up to . Perdomo’s fastball sits between 92-95 mph and can reach as high as 97 mph. Despite the strength in his fastball, his secondary pitches, as well as his command, lag behind. Given that the Padres must keep Perdomo on their MLB roster for all of next season, it appears he will be given the chance to win a job out of Spring Training, but may end up back on his former team.
16) Alex Dickerson – OF/1B
Date of Birth: 05/26/1990
Height/Weight: 6’3”/ 225 pounds
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Acquired: Trade with Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013
Originally a third round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011, Dickerson was traded to the Padres only two years later. Coming off a season in which he finally got some big league playing time, Dickerson could be poised to make an impact on the big league roster next season depending on how the rest of the Padres offseason goes. In 125 games and 519 plate appearances with the Padres Triple A affiliate in El Paso, Dickerson slashed .307/.374/.503 with a wRC+ of 132 for an overall strong showing. In his eleven games at the big league level last year, Dickerson got eight total plate appearances, getting two hits and striking out three times in those at bats.
Perhaps best known for his power potential, Dickerson plays below average defense and is a below average runner. Dickerson relies heavily on making good contact to maintain his value, and has struggled with that at times throughout his time in the minors. His average bat speed causes him to struggle against higher level pitching, making his long term viability at the big league level questionable. Dickerson does have strong raw power, but his average bat speed has made it difficult for him to translate that potential to in game power. Dickerson may play a role with the Padres in 2016, but likely profiles as a utility player or platoon partner at 1B in the long term.
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Editorial and Prospect Writer for East Village Times. Twenty-five years young, Patrick has lived in San Diego for his entire life and has been a Padres fan nearly as long. Patrick lives for baseball and is always looking to learn new things about the game he loves through advanced stats.
