Reviewing the 2025 Washington Nationals Trade Deadline

Traded: Michael Soroka (CHC), Kyle Finnegan (DET), Amed Rosario (NYY), Alex Call (LAD), Luis Garcia (LAA), Andrew Chafin (LAA)

Received: Christian Franklin (CHC), Ronny Cruz (CHC), Josh Randall (DET), R.J. Sales (DET), Clayton Beeter (NYY), Browm Martinez (NYY), Sean Paul Liñan (LAD), Eriq Swan (LAD), Jake Eder (LAA), Sam Brown (LAA)

Yet again, it was a fire sale for the Nationals at the deadline. While no superstars were dealt like in years past, they still shipped off six major league assets in exchange for ten mid and low-caliber prospects. On day one, none project to be a James Wood, a CJ Abrams, or a MacKenzie Gore, but the law of averages means that in a group of ten, some will certainly over perform and there could be a few legitimate pieces here that are contributors on the next contending Nationals team. Let's dig in, trade by trade.

Trade 1 (7/26)
Yankees receive:
    - 3B Amed Rosario (age 29): 5 HR, .270/.310/.426, 1 SB, 105 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
Nationals receive:
    - RHP Clayton Beeter (age 26): 14.79 ERA, 12.92 FIP, 2.45 WHIP, 1/4 K/BB in 3.2 IP
    - CF Browm Martinez (age 18): 3 HR, .404/.507/.632, 13 SB, 187 wRC+ in DSL
In a trade deadline where the vast majority of activity occurred within the last 24-48 hours before the deadline, this trade feels like ancient history. Mike Rizzo had many shortcomings, but finding diamonds in the free agent rough was not one of them. Amed Rosario signed with the team for just $2 million and put up a very respectable season in Washington, seeing frequent starts at second and third base while providing a league average bat. The Yankees needed another infield bat to help an offense that suddenly went quiet, and Rosario's keen ability to hit lefties (.299/.333/.483 pre-trade) landed the Nationals a decent return. Clayton Beeter was drafted by Dodgers 66th overall back in 2020 out of Texas Tech, then went to the Yankees for Joey Gallo in 2022. He put up excellent numbers in the upper minors 2023 and 2024, but injuries slowed his ascent and he never quite caught on in the majors with just five relief appearances over two seasons. Now 26 years old, he has primarily pitched at AAA this season to good, but not great results. Primarily a starting pitcher for most of his minor league career, a high walk rate has finally forced him to the bullpen where he projects to stay long term. The stuff is pretty impressive and has missed a ton of bats in the upper minors and should play in the majors so long as he can stay ahead in counts. While the Nationals sent him to AAA Rochester after the trade, I would expect him to be on the short list to earn some innings in Washington in the near future and I could see him sticking around as a solid mid-leverage reliever. The command will likely never come together enough for a high leverage role but I feel it more likely than not that he makes himself a regular in the Nationals bullpen in some capacity in the near future. Browm Martinez, meanwhile, is the prototypical "rookie ball lottery ticket." Just 18 years old, he signed with the Yankees for $130,000 out of the Dominican Republic last year and held his own as a 17 year old in the Dominican Summer League in 2024. Repeating the level in 2025 as many kids do, he has been one of the best hitters on the island by hitting .404 with three home runs and just eight strikeouts in eighteen games. It's a tiny sample in a league where stats don't mean terribly much in the first place, but you really can't perform any better than he did and that's certainly not a bad thing. Listed at an undersized 5'10", 160 pounds, he'll look to bulk up in the Nationals' system as any kid his age would (remember he's the age of a graduating high school senior). Still, he has made a ton of contact and even hit for some power already, pointing to perhaps more offensive upside than his size would indicate. A centerfielder by trade, he has shown well out there and could stick. Martinez is many years away and a lottery ticket in its truest sense, so Nationals fans will likely have forgotten all about Amed Rosario's 47 games by the time he reaches the majors in the late 2020's.

Trade 2
Angels receive:
    - LHP Andrew Chafin (age 35): 2.70 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.60 WHIP, 18/12 K/BB in 20 IP
    - RHP Luis Garcia (age 38): 4.10 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 1.53 WHIP, 31/18 K/BB in 37.1 IP   
Nationals receive:
    - LHP Jake Eder (age 26): 4.91 ERA, 5.23 FIP, 1.31 WHIP, 15/9 K/BB in 18.1 IP
    - 1B Sam Brown (age 23): 5 HR, .244/.350/.358, 2 SB, 117 wRC+ at AA
This trade briefly grabbed headlines because it involved three major leaguers, but ultimately it's likely to be a nothing-burger. The Angels acquired two low leverage, late career relievers in exchange for one younger low leverage, early career reliever and organizational depth at first base, a position that doesn't really require organizational depth. Given that Andrew Chafin joined the Nationals in May and Luis Garcia in July, getting anything in return for the 35 and 38 year olds, respectively, is a win. They'll join the Angels to add some depth and keep the team competitive going forward. As a fun fact that I just learned today, the Nationals previously acquired Garcia in 2009 – for Ronnie Belliard! The primary return for the Nationals here is lefty Jake Eder, a 26 year old reliever who was actually born on the exact same day as Clayton Beeter – 10/9/1998. Also drafted in 2020, he was taken by his hometown Marlins in the fourth round out of Vanderbilt and immediately put up a huge 2021 at AA Pensacola, establishing himself as a legitimate prospect. However, Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2022 and he was traded to the White Sox for Jake Burger in 2023, then was sent on to the Angels for cash before the 2025 season, posting ERA's above 6.00 in the minors in each of the past three seasons. He has been developed through and through as a starting pitcher, never making a relief appearance in the minors, but has served as a long reliever in his brief major league time. He has held better command than Beeter, but the stuff is a touch lighter and he likely doesn't have enough weapons to work through a major league lineup multiple times. While he probably is what he is at this point, he could stick around for a few seasons in a long relief role and will give the Nationals some bullpen depth going forward. Meanwhile, Sam Brown is likely organizational depth more than anything else. A twelfth round pick out of Washington State in 2023, the Angels sent him straight to AA Rocket City where he struggled to hit for impact in 2024. Repeating the level in 2025, he has been incrementally better with an on-base-driven offensive profile. Brown is not a thumper with just nine career home runs and a .325 slugging percentage in 218 games, and likely never will be with high ground ball rates. He does, however, have a very professional approach at the plate that limits strikeouts and leads to a ton of walks. Given his limited defensive profile, it's unlikely he ever breaks through to a major league role without finding more impact in the bat. If the right combination of injuries happens in front of him and he's able to continue getting on base at a high clip, there is a chance he earns a cup of coffee in the majors. He's a disciplined enough hitter to handle major league pitching pretty confidently, with the main limitation being that not much may happen once the ball does come off his bat.

Trade 3
Tigers receive:
    - RHP Kyle Finnegan (age 33): 4.38 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 32/14 K/BB in 39 IP
Nationals receive:
    - RHP Josh Randall (age 22): 3.92 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.32 WHIP, 70/15 K/BB in 80.1 IP at A-/A+
    - RHP R.J. Sales (age 22): 2.71 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 63/17 K/BB in 66.1 IP at Low A
From a fan perspective, this is probably the Nationals' biggest trade of the deadline. Kyle Finnegan was a veritable Mike Rizzo masterclass, having never reached the majors after seven seasons in the A's' minor league system and signing with the Nationals as a minor league free agent in 2020. It was a bit unusual that he signed a major league contract with the team, but it worked out in spades as he went on to save 108 games in five and a half seasons, the second most in Washington Nationals history behind Chad Cordero. He'll join the Tigers for the stretch run as a high leverage reliever that could be on the "last pitch of the World Series" watch list. In return, the Nationals received a pair of low minors pitchability arms from the Tigers' 2024 draft class. Josh Randall was a third round pick out of the University of San Diego last year and has spent most of 2025 at Low A Lakeland, where he controlled the strike zone well but was more hittable than you'd hope for a college arm in Low A. He made one successful start at High A West Michigan before the trade and will report to High A Wilmington to start. Interestingly, Randall was more of a power arm early in his college career and has gradually shifted to becoming a command and control type. The fastball still comes in hard, touching 98 at peak, but its run and sink hasn't missed a ton of bats and also hasn't generated as many ground balls as hoped. He adds a solid slider and was very effective in Low A, but he'll need to miss more barrels going forward to stick in the rotation. There's a shot he does so and becomes a back-end starter, though the likelier outcome is that of a multi inning reliever whose stuff takes a step forward in short stints while maintaining above average command from a sidearm slot. R.J. Sales, the Tigers' tenth round pick in the same draft out of UNC Wilmington, has had a similar start to his career. He's pitched exclusively at Low A Lakeland, where he has been excellent over sixteen appearances (fifteen starts) albeit often against younger competition. He'll start off at Low A Fredericksburg, but I expect the Nationals to promote him to Wilmington before the end of the season. Sales has somewhat lighter stuff but has shown above average command to dice up Low A hitters. Unlike Randall, a sidearmer, Sales comes straight over the top and "looks" more like a starter. He has been up to 96 and has a similar projection as a back-end starter/long reliever. Between the two, expect one to exceed expectations and one to fall short, so hopefully we'll get one back-end starter out of this pair. If either Randall or Sales can stick around and give the Nationals a few full seasons in the back of the rotation, even if the other never reaches the majors, that's a successful trade for half a season of Kyle Finnegan.

Trade 4
Cubs receive:
    - RHP Michael Soroka (age 27): 4.87 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 87/24 K/BB in 81.1 IP
Nationals receive:
    - OF Christian Franklin (age 25): 8 HR, .265/.393/.427, 11 SB, 117 wRC+ at AAA
    - SS Ronny Cruz (age 18): 2 HR, .270/.314/.431, 10 SB, 91 wRC+ in ACL
While Kyle Finnegan has the most history in Washington, Michael Soroka was probably the biggest name traded from the Nationals from a production standpoint. Long ago a top prospect for the Braves, injuries derailed his career for a few seasons from 2020-2023 before he made a small comeback with the White Sox and eventually re-established himself as a legitimate major league arm this season in Washington. Just on a one year deal, he'll head to Chicago and fill whatever role the Cubs need from him, whether that's in the back of the rotation or in a hybrid relief role. Coming back to Washington is probably the best prospect package they got from any trade. Christian Franklin was initially a top prospect for the 2021 draft, but fell to the Cubs in the fourth round after an inconsistent junior season at Arkansas. Throughout his slow climb through the minors, he has shown extremely strong plate discipline leading to very high on-base percentages and reasonable strikeout rates. Long lauded for his raw power despite a modest 5'9" frame, he hasn't been able to consistently elevate the ball and has hit just 26 home runs in 307 minor league games. Set to turn 26 in the offseason, he may not still have the lofty upside he once possessed, but the raw traits are certainly there. He crushes left handed pitching and certainly has the batting eye to handle major league pitching in general, and if the Nationals can find a way to get him elevating the ball better (which they do not have a successful history of doing), he has a chance to be a real weapon at the plate. More likely, he profiles as a platoon outfielder who can take on a significant role and inject some juice into the Nationals' lineup against left handed starting pitchers while holding his own against righties on the days he gets those starts. While Franklin is just about ready, Ronny Cruz is much farther off. He signed with the Cubs as a relatively unheralded third round pick last year out of Miami Christian High School in Florida, then held his own in a 48 game stint in the Arizona Complex League this year as an 18 year old. There is massive upside here, albeit a long ways off. Cruz has huge raw power, blasting a baseball 108 MPH off the bat as a 17 year old at the 2024 MLB Draft Combine. While that didn't translate to home run power this year, with just two long balls in those 48 games, he did put up ten doubles and six triples making loud noises off his bat. He's understandably raw as a hitter with an unrefined approach at the plate and a lack of barrel accuracy, so the Nationals will let him take it slowly and he may spend all of 2026 at Low A Fredericksburg. Given that he was extremely young for a high school senior when he was drafted, he'll have plenty of time. Defensively, Cruz could end up at any number of positions and has a lot of physical and skill development ahead of him to determine where that may be.

Trade 5
Dodgers receive:
    - OF Alex Call (age 30): 3 HR, .274/.371/.386, 1 SB, 117 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR
Nationals receive:
    - RHP Sean Paul Liñan (age 20): 2.78 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 101/31 K/BB in 74.1 IP at A-/A+/AAA
    - RHP Eriq Swan (age 23): 4.43 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 77/46 K/BB in 69 IP at High A
This one might be the most interesting trade the Nationals made. Alex Call will be 31 by the time this season ends, but he still has four years of team control remaining so he'll hit free agency for the first time at age 35 if the Dodgers tender him each year. I wouldn't think the Nationals were necessarily looking to move him, but ultimately they received an offer they couldn't refuse. Call isn't the flashiest player, but he has performed better and better against left handed pitching throughout his short career to the point where he'll fill an important role even on an always-deep Dodgers roster. Meanwhile, his outfield defense will keep him earning regular playing time to go along with being a .300+ hitter against lefties. It's a nice get for Los Angeles if he can keep from regressing. Sean Paul Liñan signed for just $17,500 out of Colombia in 2022, but gradually elevated himself into one of the top young pitchers in the Dodgers' low minors. From a crouched delivery with long arm action and nice extension, he slings the ball to the plate with a visually appealing delivery and plenty of deception. The fastball only sits low 90's but gets on hitters quick from that low slot, but his dastardly changeup steals the show with late action. If he wants to start, he'll need to find a more reliable breaking ball than his short slider, but to this point he has missed bats in bunches in the low minors. The command is still coming along, as is to be expected with a 20 year old pitcher, and will be another key in his development. If the two come together with his present stuff, he could be a mid rotation starter, with a more median outcome being a fastball/changeup reliever. It's certainly a profile that would play well in that latter role but the Nationals like his arm strength, changeup, and delivery at a very young age. He probably won't be up until 2027 unless the Nationals immediately shift him to the bullpen, which I doubt would happen. Lastly, Eriq Swan was a fourth round pick out of Middle Tennessee State in 2023, but injuries limited him to just 28.1 innings in 2024. Healthy in 2025, he has pitched the entire season at High A Great Lakes where he was recently joined by Liñan, running nice strikeout rates but walking too many hitters. He's a fireballer, holding mid 90's velocity deep into his starts and touching as high as 101 in short stints. The Dodgers have really helped him bring along a nice slider as well, coming in with power and sweep to keep hitters off balance. There's a changeup too for a change of pace off his power fastball/slider combo. While he doesn't throw with much effort, he has really struggled with command and was running an ugly 15.4% walk rate at the time of the trade, leading to serious relief questions. Barring some magic from Washington's pitching development, he's likely a reliever in the majors where he can sit close to 100 with his fastball and pull the string on the slider. He might move quicker in that role and look the part of a Josh Staumont.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Detroit Tigers

Full list of draftees

As has become a trend for them, the Tigers went heavy on preps in 2024, drafting high schoolers with their first three picks and then taking a five in the later rounds. They didn't sign all of those later gambles, with the biggest "one that got away" being Kansas City righty Anson Seibert on his way to a Tennessee commitment, but did pick up a few. It's a pitching-heavy class beyond first rounder Bryce Rainer, though they paused briefly to grab a trio of college bats in the middle of day two with some really interesting data profiles.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-11: SS Bryce Rainer, Harvard-Westlake HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $5.71 million. Signing bonus: $5.8 million ($87,900 above slot value).
My rank: #9. MLB Pipeline: #10. Baseball America: #10.
The Tigers grabbed a top-two high school bat for the second straight season, following Max Clark in 2023 with Bryce Rainer in 2024. Rainer hails from the same Harvard-Westlake School in the LA Hills that famously produced Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and now Pete Crow-Armstrong, and he has a chance to be the best of all of them. He was a two-way player for the Wolverines who could have been a day one draft pick as a pitcher, running his fastball up to 96 with the makings of a solid breaking ball and changeup, but he'll hit for Detroit. Rainer entered the spring projected in the back of the first round, then embarked on an excellent senior season that saw him elevate virtually every aspect of his game. Previously forced to sell out for power, he showed up looking more physical in 2024 and was able to access that power much more freely and easily without sacrificing any thump. He's long and athletic in the box and generates a ton of torque with his left handed swing, with a shot at plus power at the next level. At the same time, Rainer came out this spring showing much better barrel accuracy and performed against top pitching around Southern California, quelling many swing and miss questions and looking like a much more complete hitter. This is a bat that could swat 25-30 home runs per season with solid on-base percentages, which would put him in the middle of any lineup. He's always had that plus arm, but his defense looked much more fluid this spring as well and he now looks like a bona fide shortstop. Rainer moves well on the dirt and shows more speed than you'd expect given his bigger 6'3" frame, and he didn't slow down at all despite packing on more muscle last winter. There's still more projection remaining and the LA kid has a chance to be one of the best players in this class. He had previously been committed to Texas.

2-49: RHP Owen Hall, Edmond North HS [OK] {video}
Slot value: $1.89 million. Signing bonus: $1.75 million ($143,700 below slot value).
My rank: #78. MLB Pipeline: #74. Baseball America: #86.
Three years ago, the Tigers grabbed Jackson Jobe with their first round pick and while he hasn't always stayed healthy, he's looked excellent on the mound. This year, the Tigers went back to the Oklahoma City high school ranks to take another prep righty, this time Owen Hall, and signed him slightly below slot value to pull him away from a Vanderbilt commitment. Hall has long been a famous name in this class, having pushed himself into the first round conversation at various points during his high school career. While others have since passed him and he finds himself selected in the second round, he's still an elite arm. Hall's fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with riding life from an over the top slot. He rips off an above average slider with nice sharp bite, then rounds out his arsenal with a decent strike-stealing curveball and an average changeup. The 6'3" righty has a clean, picturesque delivery that he repeats well and features very little wasted movement, helping him pound the strike zone with average command and above average control. Hall is very strong right now and still has projection remaining, looking like he'll be plenty durable as a starter in the long run. If there's a bone to pick with the profile, it's that his delivery might be almost too clean and lack deception, leading to his pitches playing a little true. However, between the size, strength, projection, deep arsenal, and control, Hall looks like as "safe" a starting pitching prospect as you'll find for second round money while retaining plenty of upside.

CBB-72: LHP Ethan Schiefelbein, Corona HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $1.09 million. Signing bonus: $1.8 million ($703,900 above slot value).
My rank: #88. MLB Pipeline: #94. Baseball America: #91.
Ethan Schiefelbein makes it back to back prep pitchers and three straight preps overall to start the draft, this time signing for well above slot value (roughly the value of the #51 pick) to eschew a UCLA commitment. While Bryce Rainer is up to 96 and Owen Hall is up to 98, Schiefelbein is more of a finesse lefty who sits in the low 90's and touches 94 at best. His fastball, though, plays well above its modest velocity because because of sneaky life that gives it some "invisiball" qualities while he hides the pitch well in the delivery. He has feel for a pair of nice breaking balls in a slider and a changeup, which get nice depth and miss high school bats at a high rate. Lastly, his changeup is still fairly raw but his acumen on the mound should enable him to develop it effectively in pro ball. The 6'2" lefty repeats his athletic delivery well and throws all four of his pitches with conviction, helping him pound the strike zone with above average command. The Tigers see a ton of projection on the 18 year old and think he can add significant power to both his fastball and his secondary stuff, which when combined with his pitchability and handedness could make him a mid-rotation starter.

3-85: RHP Josh Randall, San Diego {video}
Slot value: $892,600. Signing bonus: $700,000 ($192,600 below slot value).
My rank: #163. MLB Pipeline: #143. Baseball America: #223.
The Tigers made Josh Randall their third pick from Southern California out of four, and he'll be their first college pick. Randall began his career at Arizona, where he struggled to an 8.66 ERA in limited action over two seasons, then transferred to San Diego and where he served as the Toreros' ace in 2024. Another power arm, he sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with a ton of run and sink from a low three quarters slot. He has a hard, short slider that gives him another above average weapon, while his firm changeup flashes average or better potential but needs further refinement. Randall gives hitters a really tough look, with his low three quarters slot and low release point playing up further because he gets down the mound very well with nice extension. While he struggled mightily with command at Arizona, he dropped his walk rate from 20% in Tucson to 8% in San Diego, now looking at least average in that regard. Now there's the question of whether he can start. Some may point to his delivery, which features a bit of a crouch and that low three quarters release point, as well as his shallow arsenal, and see him as more of a reliever. The Tigers, however, will look to his size (6'4", 240 pounds), arm strength, athleticism, and newfound command to get him through the lineup multiple times every turn in the rotation. They'll work to bring the changeup along and hold the command together – otherwise, the Southern California native has most of what it takes to start in pro ball. If not, he'll be a funky fastball/slider reliever with power stuff. In two appearances for Low A Lakeland, he allowed two runs in four innings while striking out a pair and walking none, though he did hit two.

4-114: RHP Michael Massey, Wake Forest {video}
Slot value: $637,200. Signing bonus: $522,500 ($114,700 below slot value).
My rank: #104. MLB Pipeline: #109. Baseball America: #94.
Michael Massey, not to be confused with the Royals infielder of the same name, has had a bit of an up and down ride but brings plenty of arm talent to Detroit. He began his career at Tulane, then transferred to Wake Forest after one season and was nearly untouchable out of the bullpen as a sophomore in 2023. Massey's stock rose when Wake Forest announced he'd be a part of the rotation in 2024, with top fifty projections rolling in preseason and many thinking he could rise into the first round. However, his stuff and command took a step back in longer outings and he watched his strikeout (47.2% to 32.1%) and walk (9.9% to 15.1%) rates move heavily in the wrong directions. After reaching 98 in the bullpen, Massey's fastball sat more in the low 90's and topped out around 94-95 in longer outings, though it retained its elite riding life with a true north-south profile. His slider looks plus at its best, and while he threw it harder in short stints in 2023, it still showed nasty late bite in 2024 and missed a ton of bats. He added a truer downer curveball in 2024 as well which he struggled to command at times, but it missed plenty of bats as well when he executed it in the zone. Massey doesn't use his changeup much in games but has shown a decent one in bullpen sessions. The 6'5" righty hides the ball well with short arm action and uses his size to get elite extension down the mound, giving his stuff that much more hop out of his hand. While he repeated his delivery well in short stints, the command ticked back in 2024 and looked fringier. The Tigers could still try him out as a starter given his size and arm strength, though he'll need to continue to be methodically stretched out to get the most out of his high octane stuff. If he moves back to the bullpen, he could lean back on that fastball/slider combination that served him so well in 2023 and move quickly.

5-147: SS Jack Penney, Notre Dame {video}
Slot value: $462,300. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($64,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #500.
With their sixth pick, the Tigers finally went for a college bat, and they wound up with the metrically intriguing Jack Penney. Penney was a two year starter and three year contributor at Notre Dame, where he never posted eye popping stats but showed very well under the surface. A hit over power type, the Boston-area product takes some of the best at bats in the class with an extremely disciplined approach that led to ultra low chase rates and an impressive 16.0% walk rate in 2024. On top of that, he makes plenty of contact and struck out in just 13.9% of his plate appearances, making for a really well-rounded hit tool. That advanced bat played up on the Cape, where he hit .284/.376/.404 with five home runs and a 39/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 45 games. While he's content to drive the ball around the field for singles and doubles, he has a sneaky quick bat that produces fringe-average power and he can really turn on the ball for average pop to his pull side. Given his pitch selection and bat to ball aptitude, I could see a slightly more power-oriented approach working in pro ball and he has a shot for 10-15 home runs per season to go with high on-base percentages at peak. The bat looks even better considering his glove, as he'll likely stick on the infield. Shortstop may be a stretch with average defensive tools, but he could profile very well at second or third base. That's some nice upside for a fifth rounder signed a bit below slot value. He got a brief cup of coffee at Low A Lakeland after the draft, slashing .255/.367/.392 with and 18/9 strikeout to walk ratio over fourteen games.

6-176: SS Woody Hadeen, UC Irvine {video}
Slot value: $354,100. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($54,100 below slot value).
My rank: #153. MLB Pipeline: #130. Baseball America: #401.
This is one of the most extreme profiles in the entire draft, and it's certainly a fun one. Metrically speaking, it's also one of the best hit tools in the entire class. Out of 145 college hitters on the Baseball America 500, no hitter came even close to matching 8.4% chase rate, with the next best being Samford's Garrett Howe (now with the Guardians) at 12.1%. Meanwhile, his 89.4% contact rate was second only to Texas Tech's Kevin Bazzell (now with the Nationals), who was just ahead at 89.5%. This is a man who, frankly speaking, never ever chases and when he does swing, never ever whiffs. It's probably the most extreme contact-oriented approaches in the class, as Hadeen just slaps the ball around the field with no regard for lifting or turning on it and just searches for holes a la Luis Arraez. A switch hitter, he has an elite eye and elite hand eye coordination, showing some similarities to last year's Pirates second rounder (and Saginaw native/Michigan State alum) Mitch Jebb. Not only did he get on base at a .524 (!) clip for UC Irvine this spring, he actually hit .424 (14-33) in a tiny eight game sample in the Cape Cod League back in 2022. Of course there's a tradeoff, and Hadeen lasted until the sixth round because of his power. Not only did he have (by far) the lowest chase rate and the second highest contact rate out of 145 hitters, he also had the lowest 90th percentile exit velocity at 98.7 MPH. That's 30 grade power, and he hit just one home run in 155 career games in Irvine. Hadeen is almost exclusively a singles hitter whose entire offensive value will come from his on-base percentage. Listed at 6'2", he's big enough and whips the bat around well enough to probably tack on a little additional power in pro ball, but that's not his game. Meanwhile, he's an above average runner with strong instincts to deploy his speed well, which helps him on both sides of the ball. He can play anywhere on the field, with shortstop a real possibility even if his arm is a bit stretched there. The Southern California native most likely projects as a light hitting utility infielder. Luis Arraez comparisons, as I noted above, will be common and would represent his absolute ceiling if everything breaks right. In a short four game stint for Low A Lakeland, he picked up one hit in nine at bats while walking twice and striking out once.

9-266: RHP Zach Swanson, Toutle Lake HS [WA] {video}
Slot value: $195,100. Signing bonus: $722,500 ($527,400 above slot value).
My rank: #206. MLB Pipeline: #178. Baseball America: #160.
The Tigers made one more splash here in the ninth round, grabbing another expensive high school arm by going half a million over slot value (late third round money, roughly pick #101) to sign Zach Swanson away from an Oregon State commitment. Swanson starts things off with a low 90's fastball that gets up to 95, playing up with riding life. His high spin slider is his best pitch, coming in with late bite that dives under bats and looks above average. He has great feel for it and is willing to throw it in any count, a separator for a high school arm. His changeup, meanwhile, is a distant third pitch and will need significant refinement in pro ball. Swanson is a very good athlete but throws with considerable effort on the mound, showing heavy head whack that impacts his command and leads to bouts of inconsistency. The delivery will likely need to be overhauled as well in pro ball, and that could unlock much more upside than expected. If the Tigers can iron him out, he has mid rotation upside, with a fallback option as a fastball/slider reliever.

15-446: OF Zach MacDonald, Miami [OH] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
If Zach MacDonald reaches the majors, I believe he would be the first Michigander since Eric Haase (Westland) to play for the Tigers. MacDonald grew up Portage, a suburb of Kalamazoo, where he attended Portage Central High School. He spent the last three seasons at Miami of Ohio, where he has long shown power but put it all together in 2024. A local favorite of Midwest area scouts, MacDonald provides nice upside for a college pick this late in the draft, with plenty of tools that could make him an impact player if he pulls everything together. He creates nice separation in his right handed swing with a leveraged stroke that gets long through the zone and lifts the ball with authority. He previously struggled with swing and miss and struck out at a 31.3% clip in 2023, an extremely high number especially for a hitter in a mid major conference, but cut that number down to 20.2% in 2024. That's still a bit of an elevated number, and while his barrel accuracy has improved dramatically, he can still get under the ball and may be susceptible to quality fastballs up in the zone. MacDonald is a solid runner as well and should be able to hold is own in all three outfield spots, which helps his projection as a dynamic fourth outfielder. He'll have to continue to clean up his swing and miss as he makes the jump from the MAC to pro pitching, with age working in his favor as he didn't turn 21 until after the draft. He didn't quite find his footing in a short eight game stint at Low A Lakeland, where he hit .161/.235/.290 with an 18/3 strikeout to walk ratio.