DODGERS DEAL FOR THE VERSATILE VALERA
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired infielder/outfielder Breyvic Valera from the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Johan Mieses.
What does it give the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have done a great job in recent years of scouting and developing infield talent, and Valera might be yet another such unpolished gem. Over his past two seasons at the Triple-A level, he has really blossomed as a contact hitter and also brings switch-hit ability, patience and speed to the dish.
What does it give the St. Louis Cardinals
Mieses is a power hitter who was a California League (high Single-A) All-Star in 2016. He fell back to earth in 2017--batting a paltry .160 in half a season at Double-A--but the pop and potential are still very much there. Clearly, the Cards decided more power was needed in their organizational outfield depth.
Fantasy impact
Both Valera and Mieses are intriguing talents who might eventually provide some fantasy punch as major leaguers, but both are currently blocked at the MLB level by a lot of depth. Valera is much closer to being big-league relevant, however, so keep him on your list of minor-league infielders to monitor as 2018 progresses.
