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1. Jesus Luzardo, LHP

FB CB CH Command Overall 70 60 55/60 55/60 70

Background: It’s now a moot point because – well – the Nationals are the World Champions but, man, the 2017 swap involving the clubs had the potential to be quite lopsided. Oakland agreed to trade All-Star reliever Sean Doolittle and veteran Ryan Madson in exchange for Jesus Luzardo, one of the top young arms in baseball, Blake Treinen, who was otherworldly and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting two years ago, and third baseman Sheldon Neuse. Luzardo, a third round pick in 2016 and former Tommy John survivor, inched closer to reaching his status as a perennial Cy Young contender last season. Despite suffering through a shoulder strain, which forced him out of action during the first several months of the year, and then a mid-season lat strain; Luzardo quickly made up for lost time by making his big league debut after just seven starts in Class AAA. Luzardo, who posted a ridiculous 57-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43.0 minor league innings, remained equally unhittable in six relief appearances with the A’s (12.0 IP, 16 K, and 3 BB).

Scouting Report: Elite, elite repertoire. Luzardo’s left arm, seemingly, has been touched by Sandy Koufax himself. Mid- to upper-90s fastball that sits – comfortably ­– in the 95- to 97-mph range. His sharp, power curveball adds a second plus offering. And his changeup, which didn’t look as sharp as previous years, is no worse than above-average. For the record: I had the pitch equal to, if not better, than his curveball heading into the year. The regression in the changeup is likely / probably the result of the time spent on the disabled list. Combined the front-of-the-rotation caliber arsenal with an above-average level of control / command – which flashes plus at times. The only thing standing in Luzardo’s way, however, is his ability to remain atop the rubber.

Ceiling: 6.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2019

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Background: Part of the 2016 University of Florida squad that comes around – seemingly – once in a lifetime. The Gators rostered the likes of Puk, Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Dane Dunning, Shaun Anderson, Scott Moss, Logan Shore, Pete Alonso, Jonathan India, Buddy Reed, Mike Rivera, J.J. Schwarz, and Dalton Guthrie. Puk, the sixth overall pick in 2016, was on the fast track to big league stardom before Tommy John surgery forced him to take a detour. Coming off of a dominating 2017 season in which he posted a whopping 184-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio in only 125.0 innings between the Stockton and Midland, Puk missed the entirety of the following year. Finally healthy, the 6-foot-7, 238-pound southpaw picked right back up where he left. In 18 appearances between the upper three levels of the minors, the former Gator ace struck out 38 and walked 10 in 25.1 innings. Oakland called up the ballyhooed left-hander in late August for the stretch run; he tossed another 11.1 innings with the A’s, posting a 13-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 3.18 ERA.

Scouting Report: Prior to hitting the disabled list with the arm / elbow issues, Puk was featuring a four-pitch repertoire: fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. As last season progressed – and he was eventually pushed into an innings-governing bullpen role – Puk eliminated the curveball, and to a lesser degree the changeup. He primarily relied upon his plus-plus combination of an upper 90s heater and a hellacious, knee-buckling slider. The changeup, which was rarely thrown, flashed above-averaged, though hard. Puk’s in the running – along with teammate Jesus Luzardo – for most dominating left-hander in the minor leagues. He’s a potential bonafide ace – if, if, he can maintain a sub-4.0 walk rate.

Ceiling: 5.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2019

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3. Nick Allen, SS

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 4050 35/40 50 50 80 50

Background: One of my favorite – if not my favorite – prospect in the entire minor leagues. Allen remains (A) incredibly underrated, despite a breakout season in High Class A as a 20-year-old and (B) one of the most talented defensive players – at any position, at any level of baseball. A third round pick out of Parker High School three years ago, Allen looked abysmal at the plate during his professional debut in the Arizona Summer League as he batted a lowly .254/.322/.326. In a bit of a surprising move Oakland’s front office brass bumped the defensive wizard up to the Midwest League. And he struggled with the bat, mightily. In 121 games with Beloit, the 5-foot-9, 166-pound shortstop hit .239/.301/.302 with just 23 extra-base hits and 24 stolen bases. Last season the front office continued to aggressively shove the California native through the system. And Allen finally rewarded their faith. In 72 games with the Stockton Ports, the then-20-year-old slugged .292/.363/.434 with career bests in doubles (22) and homeruns (3) as well as legging out five triples and 13 stolen bases. His overall production, as measured by Baseball Prospectus’ Deserved Runs Created Plus, topped the league average by 35%.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 20-year-old hitters to post a DRC+ between 130 and 140 with a walk rate between 8% and 10% in the California League (min. 300 PA): Colton Welker, Josh Naylor, Edinson Rincon, and – of course – Nick Allen. For those counting at home that’s three corner infielders, two of which were/are solid middle-tier prospects (Welker and Naylor), and a defensive-minded shortstop.

Elite levels of value on the defensive side of the ball, Allen’s transformed not only into a competent hitter, but a potential table-setter. Strong bat-to-ball skills with an average eye at the plate and plus speed, Allen’s added enough gap-to-gap power to be a viable future big league hitter. The defense will carry him to The Show, anything else is just a cherry on top. Allen looks like a .270/.330/.390-type hitter during his peak. He’s going to win multiple Gold Gloves too.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Low toModerate

MLB ETA: 2021

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4. Sean Murphy, C

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45 55 30 50 55 50

Background: Drafted by the A’s in the third round out of Wright State University in 2016, Murphy had flashed some offensive potential in various spurts throughout the early parts of his minor league career. But things finally came together – if ever so briefly – during his breakout 2018 campaign with Midland RockHounds in the Texas League. Limited to just 68 games at the Class AA level, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound brick wall of backstop slugged a hearty .288/.358/.498 with 26 doubles, two triples, and eight homeruns. Last season, despite a couple stints on the disabled list, Murphy continued to flash above-average offensive production at a premium position. In 31 games in the PCL he slugged .308/.386/.625 with six doubles, one triple, and 10 homeruns. And he held his own in 20 games with Oakland as well, batting .245/.333/.566 with nine extra-base hits.

Scouting Report: Despite never stringing together more than 98 games in a professional season, Murphy’s power morphed from below-average to a consistent long ball threat last season. And he’s done so while maintaining that aforementioned high contact approach at the dish. The hit tool remains below average, but it won’t cripple a team’s lineup (even if he wasn’t flashing the type of power he owns). After opining that his peak season would be.249/.339/.390 last year, I’d bump it something closer to Boston’s Christian Vazquez’s showing in 2019 (.276/.320/.477). Like a few of the Athletics’ other top prospects, he just needs to stay on the field long enough.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2019

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5. Daulton Jefferies, RHP

FB SL CU CH Command Overall 55+ 50 60 55 60 50

Background: Persistence is one hell of an attribute, isn’t it? Take, for example, Daulton Jefferies. Absurdly dominant over his final two seasons at the University of California, Berkley, Oakland snagged the wiry right-hander in the opening round, 37th overall, in the 2016 draft – despite a shoulder issue that limited him to just 50.0 innings during his junior campaign. Two brief starts into the following season Jefferies hit the disabled list for a different type of serious arm issue: elbow woes that required Tommy John surgery. Injuries and setbacks limited him to just one single, two-inning appearance in the Arizona Rookie League in 2018. And, well, most of the baseball world had completely passed the former first rounder by. Until 2019 happened. Quickly making up for lost time, Jefferies was Bob Gibson-esque during five appearances in High Class A to open the year and he continued to dominate upon a promotion up to the Texas League. The former Golden Bear sported a 93-to-9 K/BB ratio in only 79.0 innings.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 23-year-old pitchers to post a strikeout percentage of at least 26.5% with a sub-4.0% in the Texas League (min. 50 IP): Daulton Jefferies. That’s it. No one else.

Let’s take it one step further:

Since 2006, only two 23-year-old pitchers met the aforementioned criteria: Daulton Jefferies and Matt Stites, who accomplished the feat as a full time reliever.

Jefferies commands the strike zone with sniper-like precision, something that’s hardly believable given his lengthy stints on the disabled list. He attacks hitters with a lively low-90s fastball that will kiss – on occasion – the mid-90s. He’ll throw two distinct breaking pitches: a traditional slider that’s (A) average and (B) tends to get a little slurvy at times, and the a far superior upper-80s cutter that he spots incredibly well on the first base-side of the bag. Jefferies will also mix in an above-average change up. He’s very reminiscent of a Tim Hudson-like competitor. There’s #3-type upside, but – again – can he stay on the mound?

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020

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6. Robert Puason, SS

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 30/55 30/55 40 50 50 50

Background: The A’s made their infatuation with the young Dominican shortstop abundantly clear – for everyone to see. The front office spent slightly more than 86% of their entire international bonus pool on the dynamic, young, switch-hitting shortstop. The final specs on the deal: the then-16-year-old was inked to a deal worth $5.1 million.

Scouting Report: Regarded as one of the top two prospects on the international scene last season; Puason, a 6-foot-3, 165-pound shortstop, physically looks like a ballplayer entering his early 20s. He’s lean, yet muscular. Explosive and twitch with fluidity and flair, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Fast hands, but the swing’s long and needs to be shortened – especially from the left side. From what I saw, Puason looked a bit overmatched in the Instructional League, but there’s gobs of potential as a true five-tool threat in the coming years. One more final thought: he may outgrow shortstop and slide into a comfortable spot as a third baseman.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2023

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7. Austin Allen, C

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45 55 20 50 55 50

Background: Locked behind a ridiculous amount of catching depth – Francisco Mejia, Austin Hedges, Luis Torrens, and top prospect Luis Campusano – San Diego flipped the lefty-swinging backstop to the A’s in early December as part of the return to the Jurickson Profar. Allen, who was acquired along with outfielder Buddy Reed, split time between San Diego’s Class AAA affiliate – the El Paso Chihuahuas – and the big leagues. In 67 games in the Pacific Coast League, Allen slugged a hearty .330/.379/.663 with 27 doubles and 21 homeruns. Per the Deserved Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average threshold line by 28%. He also bated .215/.282/.277 with a quarter of doubles in 34 games with the Padres.

Scouting Report: The quintessential Oakland A’s hitter. Within a year’s time, Allen’s going to be recognized as one of the better acquisitions in the offseason. The hit tool is below-average, but he compensates with 25-homer thump and solid contact skills wrapped up in a premium position. In terms of upside think Travis d’Arnaud’s showing in 2019 when he slugged .251/.312/.433 with 16 homeruns in roughly 400 plate appearances. Really, really like this pick up by Oakland.

Ceiling: 2.0- to 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2019

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8. Logan Davidson, SS

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45 50 40 55 50/55 50

Background: Davidson’s old man, Mark, starred for Clemson’s baseball team during the 1982 season, batting .336 with 16 doubles, a pair of triples, and eight homeruns with 18 stolen bases. The elder Davidson was selected in the 11th round of the draft by the Twins that season and (A) spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues playing for the Twins and Astros and (B) won a World Series ring with Minnesota in 1987. Logan, who’s sister starred as a tennis player at Stanford, has been a consistent – sometimes dominant – performer at the plate for the Tigers during his collegiate career. As a freshman, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound switch-hitting middle infielder batted a hearty .286/.388/.473 with nine doubles and 12 homeruns. But his production faltered mightily during his first trip through the Cape Cod League that summer. In 37 games with the Falmouth Commodores, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native batted a puny .210/.317/.266 while fanning in more than a quarter of his plate appearances. Davidson the Junior raised the bar during his sophomore campaign for Head Coach Monte Lee, batting .292/.408/.544 with 18 doubles and 15 homeruns to go along with 10 stolen bases in 63 games. Once again, however, his numbers cratered once he squared up against the elite Cape Cod League pitching; he hit .194/.292/.266 with another problematic strikeout rate (26.4%). Last season Davidson picked back up where he left off the previous year in the ACC: he slugged .291/.412/.574 with a career best-tying 18 doubles, two doubles, and 15 homeruns. Oakland snagged him in the opening round, 29th, and sent him to the New York-Penn League for his debut; he hit a lowly .239/.345/.332 with seven doubles and four homeruns.

Scouting Report: Here’s what I wrote prior to the draft last season:

“Consider the following:

Taking it one step further:

Only three players in the aforementioned group owned at least a .260 Isolated Power: Shaffer, Bart, and Davidson. Shaffer, a former Clemson stud, was the 25th overall pick by the Rays in 2012. And the Giants selected Bart with the second overall pick in 2018.

A red flag of sorts for Davidson, however, is that his production has largely plateaued during his collegiate career – sans some moderate upgrades in the power department. But it’s his performances in the Cape Cod League – both times – that scream caution. His smooth footwork and arm should allow him to stay at short, but there’s some concern as to whether he’ll make enough contact in the minor leagues.

Ceiling: 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2022

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9. Grant Holmes, RHP

FB CB CU CH Command Overall 55 60 50/55 50 45 45

Background: With the type of long, luxurious, flowing curly locks that would make Judy Garland jealous, Holmes – finally – returned to the mound after missing the majority of 2018. A shoulder injury forced him out of action until two late season starts with Stockton. Healthy and showing no ill side effects, Holmes made 22 appearances, 16 of which were starts, with the Midland RockHounds of the Texas League. He tossed 81.2 innings while posting a solid 76-to-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A first round pick in 2014, Holmes made his Class AAA debut in his final start as well, throwing 4.2 innings against the Tacoma Rainers, fanning five and walking one while surrendering one earned run. The hefty right-hander averaged 8.4 strikeouts and just 2.9 walks per nine innings last season.

Scouting Report: Holmes didn’t need to reinvent himself as a pitcher…but…I have some concerns about his long term future as a starting pitcher. The 6-foot, 224-pound righty looked incredible robotic and stiff last season, lacking a lot of fluidity throughout his hips. And he seems to be relying solely on arm strength alone. The former 22nd overall selection owns a solid starter’s repertoire: an above-average fastball that sits consistently in the 93- to 94-mph range; a hard, upper 80s cutter that’s become a reliable go-to pitch; a plus, hard curveball in the low 80s; and a power 88-mph changeup that (A) doesn’t offer a whole lot of velocity separation and (B) lacks the type of movement that makes Zack Greinke’s power changeup a viable big league pitch. With respect to his work in Class AA last season, consider the following:

Since 2006, only four 23-year-old pitchers met the aforementioned criteria in the Texas League (min. 75 IP): a strikeout percentage between 21.5% and 23.5% and a walk percentage between 7.0% and 9.0%. Those four pitchers: Jerad Eickhoff, Yunior Marte, Ariel Pena, and Grant Holmes

Holmes has been a long, long time personal favorite. But I ultimately think he slides into a high leverage, multiple-inning type of relief arm.

Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020

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10. Jordan Diaz, 3B

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 40/50 45/55 30 45 50 45

Background: Signed out of Monteria, Colombia on August 13, 2016, Diaz spent the following year splitting time between the foreign and stateside rookie leagues, hitting a combined .244/.277/.287 with only seven doubles. The front office kept the 5-foot-10, 175-pound third baseman back in the Arizona Summer League for a longer look in 2017. And the results were greatly improved: in 48 games with the AZL Athletics, Diaz slugged .275/.366/.388 with 11 doubles, two triples, and one homerun. Last season the front office bumped the then-18-year-old up to the New York-Penn League. And he continued to take important offensive strides. Playing in a career best 70 games with the Vermont Lake Monsters, the young Colombian batted .264/.307/.430 with 17 doubles, one triple, and nine dingers. His overall production, as measured by Baseball Prospectus’ Deserved Runs Created Plus, topped the league average threshold by a whopping 44%.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, only one other 18-year-old player – former Phillies top prospect and current Royals free agent signing Maikel Franco – posted a DRC+ between 140 and 150 in the New York-Penn League (min. 200 PA). Franco, while never a personal favorite, was typically recognized as a Top 100 prospect multiple times during his minor league career. And while he’s never lived up to those lofty expectations, he’s quietly been a league average bat and low end starter throughout his career.

As for Diaz: his power is quickly become a legitimate 55-grade threat in the coming years. He consistently makes contact, though his walk rates are slightly below-average. Like Franco, the young third baseman looks like a potential low end starting caliber third baseman, maybe a little more if the hit tool progresses better than expected. One word of warning: his production worsened as the year advanced.

Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2023

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Statistics provided by FanGraphs, BaseballReference, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport, and TheBaseballCube.