The key to the Dan Haren trade just might be the player to be named later. Neither Patrick Corbin nor Rafael Rodriguez were among the Angels Top 10 prospects per Baseball America.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweeted from the Arizona perspective:
Told the player to be named in the deal is a top prospect….
Not going to be Mike Trout. Dbacks have a list to pick. Not sure when they have to decide.
The 18-year old Trout was named as the second best prospect in baseball by Baseball America in their midseason report earlier this month.
Dan Woike of the Orange County Register speculated:
Sources say LHP Tyler Skaggs, the #Angels 2009 supp. 1st-rounder, is a strong candidate to be player to be named later
#Angels can’t trade Skaggs until Aug. 7. That would make the trade more even, but Angels still seem to have gotten the better of it.
Trout, who turned 19 on July 13, is 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 19 games, including 14 starts, with Class A Cedar Rapids this season.