Angels Acquire Kyle Kubitza from the Braves

[Angelsjunky]

From John Sickels:

 

6) Kyle Kubitza, 3B, Grade B-: Age 24, hit .295/.405/.470 in Double-A, nice swing from the left side, draws walks, strikes out a lot, high OBP type, not as much home run power as you’d expect given size/strength but not punchless. Has made progress on defense, not a gold glove but will field well enough to play regularly if the bat produces as expected.

[The Dude]

Don't know much about any of the players involved in the deal, I just hope Kubitza can at least be an average 3B. Like the high OBP and steals.

Edited January 8, 2015 by The Dude

[Spirit]

Uncanny.

 

 

Thirsty for ... ummm ... Kubi?  

[Inside Pitch]

Trevor Reckling! 

 

Here's BA's top Angels prospects for the last decade. They had him #2 the same year we ranked him #1. 

 

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE Year Player, Pos. 2014 Org. 2005 Casey Kotchman, 1b Out of baseball 2006 Brandon Wood, ss Sugar Land (Atlantic) 2007 Brandon Wood, ss Sugar Land (Atlantic) 2008 Brandon Wood, ss Sugar Land (Atlantic) 2009 Nick Adenhart, rhp Deceased 2010 Hank Conger, c Angels 2011 Mike Trout, of Angels 2012 Mike Trout, of Angels 2013 Kaleb Cowart, 3b Angels 2014 Taylor Lindsey, 2b Padres

 

I always forget about T-Recks..   I just never got on that bandwagon.  I was thinking Torres cause of the lefty and 17 hype..

[Tyler]

On 1/8/2015 at 6:28 PM, Inside Pitch said:

These kinds of trades take a lot of nads.... or stupidity.  With Sanchez, there seems to be so much upside but at 17, there is so much more risk, particularly after the increase in velocity.  I think you may end up liking Kubicza more than you think.  He's not young but he wasn't really old for the league and those triple slash lines are actually VERY impressive given the park he played in.  His home park makes Arkansas look downright hitter friendly.   HR rates of 73/58 (100 being average), runs, 2Bs/3Bs, LD rates -- all below 100...    Check these out http://statcorner.com/team/430/2014/Mississippi%20Braves  There are warts there but risk is risk.

 

Seems like a clear case of trading away a high ceiling for a very high floor..   

 

If he grows into more in game power, than I'll be satisfied, but I'd like a little more in return for a high-upside LHSP than a low contact, 25% k rate in AA 24 year old.

[Inside Pitch]

If he grows into more in game power, than I'll be satisfied, but I'd like a little more in return for a high-upside LHSP than a low contact, 25% k rate in AA 24 year old.

 

Yeah..   I totally get where you're coming from.  But he may be a guy who's power was masked some by the environment.    I don't know if Dipo makes that trade if not for the Heaney and Tropeano deals.

[ettin]

Gubicza meet Kubitza

[bloodbrother]

Here's video of one of his home runs this past year

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?&sid=milb&content_id=34900885

[KevinJ14]

#122 [/size]SoWhat

Posted 19 October 2014 - 09:25 AM

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I'd look into dealing for Kyle Kubitza of the Braves. He could be a future lead off man

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#17 [/size]SoWhat

Posted 08 December 2014 - 10:51 AM

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All I wanna see the Angels do is swing a deal for Andrew Heaney

First Heaney, now Kubitza. I think JD has been reading my posts

Ever mention anything about Moncada?

Edited January 8, 2015 by KevinJ14

[Second Base]

I definitely wouldn't have made the trade, but I certainly  understand where Dipoto is coming from.  The internal 3B options were pretty underwhelming, the organization has stocked itself full of good young starting pitching and after watching the bullpen implode his first couple of years, Dipoto has built an elite pen with depth on top of depth.

 

Sanchez is going to be a major league starting pitcher by his 21st birthday and will be a #1/2/3 by his 25th. 

 

So I'm not upset, I like the players we got back, I just would not have made that trade. 

[Richard]

and Nate Smith & Tyler DeLoach. 

 

and hopefully Hunter Green has a bounce back year after missing last year.

[ettin]

Since everyone is taking credit for their predictions: http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/angelswincom_2015_los_angeles_angels_of_anaheim_primer_part_ii_the_starting_infield/17772449

"Because the Angels appear to be focused on Green being a super-utility player it would seem more logical that Jerry Dipoto would rather acquire a left-handed hitting third baseman."

"Beyond those two, there are some interesting young left-handed hitting 3B prospects that include Garin Cecchini (Red Sox), Brock Holt (Red Sox), Jake Lamb (Diamondbacks) and Kyle Kubitza (Braves) that are possibly available in trade."

However I did end up selecting a different option but it was certainly my hope we'd get a more permanent solution.

[Blarg]

I just like Jose Rondon that much. I'd much rather have the rest of his career than Street for a season and a half.

 

The move that turned the bullpen around last season was Frieri for Grilli. That was a brilliant move by Dipoto.

 

Grilli was just a mid 3 era guy and not a linchpin to the bullpens success. He also will be pitching somewhere else this season so it's not as though he was a long term solution. Street truly stabilized the bullpen by reducing the workload responsibility of all the relievers and allowing many to take lower leverage roles and succeed more often.

 

Rondon may or may not make the transition to the majors, that is now the Padres developmental responsibility. Dipoto has restocked the minors with talent greater than just one player with the slew of 2nd base options, Baldoquin and now Kubitza. Only a few short months after trading for Street the Angels minor league system is now in better shape than before the trade.

 

Extending Streets contract would not have any impact on whether the trade worked for the Angels or not. Street's performance last season and his projected impact on this season, balanced with other acquisitions makes Rondon somewhat of a non factor. At least that is how I see it without being attached to any one player.

Edited January 8, 2015 by notti

[HaloCory22]

Uncanny.

All you white people look alike.

[Bruce Nye]

Those Erstad comparisons got LTH's attention.  

[nate]

24 years old in AA?  Meh.

[SoWhat]

Since everyone is taking credit for their predictions: http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/angelswincom_2015_los_angeles_angels_of_anaheim_primer_part_ii_the_starting_infield/17772449"Because the Angels appear to be focused on Green being a super-utility player it would seem more logical that Jerry Dipoto would rather acquire a left-handed hitting third baseman.""Beyond those two, there are some interesting young left-handed hitting 3B prospects that include Garin Cecchini (Red Sox), Brock Holt (Red Sox), Jake Lamb (Diamondbacks) and Kyle Kubitza (Braves) that are possibly available in trade."However I did end up selecting a different option but it was certainly my hope we'd get a more permanent solution.

You mean me. I made my prediction in October, a month before you 

Edited January 9, 2015 by SoWhat

[wopphil]

He was 23 for half the season. Turned 24 on July 15.

[wopphil]

Kubitza is a very interesting prospect. He has improved dramatically at every new level, which seems quite rare.

[Oz27]

One thing nobody has mentioned is, with Kubitza set to start the season at AAA, we could potentially look to move Freese around the deadline. We're obviously not bringing him back and if Kubitza hits well enough in AAA to show he can match or beat Freese's production (not exactly the hardest thing in the world to do), maybe we can move Freese and get something in return instead of seeing him walk for nothing.

[Second Base]

Grilli was just a mid 3 era guy and not a linchpin to the bullpens success. He also will be pitching somewhere else this season so it's not as though he was a long term solution. Street truly stabilized the bullpen by reducing the workload responsibility of all the relievers and allowing many to take lower leverage roles and succeed more often.

 

Rondon may or may not make the transition to the majors, that is now the Padres developmental responsibility. Dipoto has restocked the minors with talent greater than just one player with the slew of 2nd base options, Baldoquin and now Kubitza. Only a few short months after trading for Street the Angels minor league system is now in better shape than before the trade.

 

Extending Streets contract would not have any impact on whether the trade worked for the Angels or not. Street's performance last season and his projected impact on this season, balanced with other acquisitions makes Rondon somewhat of a non factor. At least that is how I see it without being attached to any one player.

 

I thought the Angels would really regret losing Segura, but then they got Rondon.  I thought they'd reget losing Rondon, Morris and Alvarez.  But they replaced Rondon with Baldoquin, Morris with Heaney and Tropeano and Alvarez with Gott and now Hyatt.

 

Dipoto uses prospects as currency, but he's smart enough not to deplete his system.  He does what he needs to restock it.  Smart man.  

[Tyler]

Grilli was just a mid 3 era guy and not a linchpin to the bullpens success. He also will be pitching somewhere else this season so it's not as though he was a long term solution. Street truly stabilized the bullpen by reducing the workload responsibility of all the relievers and allowing many to take lower leverage roles and succeed more often.

 

Rondon may or may not make the transition to the majors, that is now the Padres developmental responsibility. Dipoto has restocked the minors with talent greater than just one player with the slew of 2nd base options, Baldoquin and now Kubitza. Only a few short months after trading for Street the Angels minor league system is now in better shape than before the trade.

 

Extending Streets contract would not have any impact on whether the trade worked for the Angels or not. Street's performance last season and his projected impact on this season, balanced with other acquisitions makes Rondon somewhat of a non factor. At least that is how I see it without being attached to any one player.

 

But getting rid of the negative (Frieri) and getting a positive (Grilli) turned the bullpen around. Jepsen was having a career year with or without Street. 

 

I disagree with the last part, but you're entitled to your own opinion as am I. I'm not attached to any one player, just simply preferring one to another.

[wopphil]

One thing nobody has mentioned is, with Kubitza set to start the season at AAA, we could potentially look to move Freese around the deadline. We're obviously not bringing him back and if Kubitza hits well enough in AAA to show he can match or beat Freese's production (not exactly the hardest thing in the world to do), maybe we can move Freese and get something in return instead of seeing him walk for nothing.

Don't think they will do it at the deadline, unless they fall out of contention, but perhaps they look into moving him right now.

[ItzTacosYerrp]

who ever said 3rd basemen win championships, no one

 

oh well dipoto making moves jezuuuusss

[ettin]

You mean me. I made my prediction in October, a month before you

Perhaps on e-paper but I thought about it in my head before you put words to print! LOL!

EDIT: Don't know why my smiley face got deleted.... stupid work computer.

Edited January 9, 2015 by ettin