I reported early this morning that the Braves had received Arodys Vizcaino as one of the pieces in the Javier Vazquez - Melky Cabrera from the Yankees. They also received lefty Mike Dunn. Here are some scouting report snippets about the two. First up is Vazcaino, here is Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:
Vizcaino gets hitters to swing and miss with a fastball he can crank up to 96 mph. He's got a hammer curveball, a power breaking pitch that could be a plus offering in time. Like with many young pitchers, the changeup lags behind the other offerings. It needs development, but it is emerging as a third pitch for him. He'll make his full-season debut in 2010 at age 19 and looks like a high-end rotation prospect with a ton of upside.
It looks like the Braves have another talented young Latin hurler to add to their stable of young Latin hurlers that already includes Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Dimaster Delgado, Robinson Lopez, and Andy Otero. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked Vizcaino as the number-2 prospect in the Yankees system, saying this about him (after the jump):
Vizcaino's ceiling tops that of any pitcher in the system, by a significant margin. It will take time, but the skills are there for him to become an All-Star starter.
Baseball America's John Manuel passes along this information about Vizcaino, whom he ranks as the number-3 prospect in the Yankees' system:
Vizcaino received the largest signing bonus the club has given a pitcher in [the international] market, signing for $800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2007. He dominated the short-season New York-Penn League last summer before a muscle strain in his back ended his season in August.
It certainly seems that the Braves got themselves a talented young prospect in this deal. Mike Dunn may prove to be more talented than originally thought, and more than just a LOOGY. Once again here is Jonathan Mayo, and his analysis of Dunn:
The 24-year-old lefty does have a power arsenal that could work well in the back end of the bullpen if he can refine his control. He's got a big fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a nasty power slider that he throws up to 91 mph with depth and quickness.
Dunn was a draft-and-follow player out of Southern Nevada Community College, where he was a two-way player. He apparently tried his hand at hitting after being drafted before switching to pitching two years ago. If his college sounds familiar, it is the same school that Braves catching prospect Braeden Schlehuber was drafted out of.
The Braves seemed to view Boone Logan as a lost cause who was arbitration eligible, so acquiring Dunn gives them a higher upside lefty reliever who has more potential than as just a LOOGY, and a player they control for many more years.