2062.34 Nine Trade Kawano Back to Bears
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 1:07 am
Buyer's remorse or seller's remorse? Or maybe neither. Sometimes it's just a matter of the right fit at the right time. But either way, GM Rob McMonigal went back to San Fernando and sent Sakutaro Kawano their way in exchange for minor leaguers IF Alberto Hernandez and SP Civan Goyunc.
Kawano started off slow and made the original trade look like a waste of money. He was 0-2 with a 6.66 ERA in 5 starts in April. It was seeming like a massive bust, especially if you read the reports of one of our rival newspapers. May wasn't much better, 1-3 with a 5.51 ERA. But there were some signs this was an aberration. His BABIP in April was .421 and then .337 in May. His FIP was 2.97 in April and 4.10 in May, showing that a lot of the issues were a generally okay defense just letting him down start after start.
That was good news for the Comp Pick or Better hunting McMonigal. Though just in case, since comp picks don't apply if a player gets picky and waits too long to sign and/or if there's an injury (plus a few things scouts told me privately that McMonigal disliked internally), the Nine pulled the trigger and picked up what definitely would be a late Round One type player maybe even better in Hernandez.
Hernandez, originally a 9th round pick in 2061 by the Bears, might cause some to wonder why not try for a more prestigious selection. But despite his lower draft stock, Hernandez really showed growth in 2062, putting him into the conversation as a legitimate prospect. At the time of the trade, he had a .338 average, .466 OPS (thanks to 48 walks to 27 strike outs), and a WAR of 2.5. His OPS+ was an eye-popping 172 and he managed positive zone rating at second while still learning the ins and outs of the position. Scouts love his eye and potential contact, but say he's not quite there yet. A full year in Silver Springs should tell us if this was all hype or a legit sleeper that McMonigal snagged for an impending free agent.
Goyunc is a minor league free agent from Turkey whose main claim to fame so far is a no hitter against Lexington just a few weeks ago. Not to shabby a no hitter is a no hitter but his long-term prospects are pretty slim. He's got average ratings from the scouts, but there isn't a standout pitch or extreme stuff. He does work hard though and is only 19 so he could develop further. A 76 FIP- in his second professional year isn't too shabby, though. A nice sleeper pick to go along with the main event.
Overall, I like the deal but I don't love it, because Hernandez isn't a lead pipe cinch. But on the other hand, getting something now that's definitely BBA-ticketed is better than not being sure of getting anything at all. I'll be curious to see if McMonigal tries this more often. Of course, he'd love not to want to because they're in a playoff hunt, but realistically, that's not happening anytime soon.