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21 June 2050
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SCLmagpiesnation.com
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Magpies broaden prospect options with trades for infielders Medina and Kubota
By Maggie Pye | 21 Jun | 2,424 comments
Faced with a glut of pitching prospects blocking one another on his minor league roster, Magpies GM Billy DePodesta has swung a pair of trades that removes some of the lesser prospects from his staff and brings in two excellent infield pieces in their place.
The first trade, announced at noon today, saw the Magpies send minor league pitchers Ben Appel and Peter Long plus minor league infielder José Delgado to Lansing, in return for 23-year-old shortstop Yoshino Kubota. Kubota is a rangy defensive player with good plate discipline and lightning speed round the bases. He is likely to see major league action as a September call-up, if not before.
The second trade, confirmed shortly after 4pm, brought the Magpies 19-year-old third baseman Pedro Medina from Santa Fe. Medina, the SCL #76 prospect, was the Outlaws’ first round draft pick last year. He projects to be a power hitter with a good eye. His arm is an absolute cannon. Although he favours third base, he can also play shortstop. He is probably at least two to three years away from competing for a spot on the major league roster. In return, the Outlaws receive pitchers Wilson Gómez and Gustavo Cruz, and minor league first baseman Max Marshall. Gómez and Cruz have gone straight into the Outlaws’ bullpen. Magpies fans were surprised to see the departure of Cruz, who went 9-0 with a 2.27 ERA last season. However he had struggled this season, and a 5.56 ERA had seen him demoted off the active roster. The development of talented young lefty arms like David Gaines and Marv Lewis left Cruz without a spot.
By coincidence, the Magpies face Lansing and Santa Fe in their first week back after the all-star break.
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