DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have traded star outfielder J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team confirmed Tuesday.
In return, the Tigers have acquired prospects Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.
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Lugo was the Diamondbacks' No. 4 overall prospect. The 22-year-old infielder is hitting .282 with a .753 OPS, seven home runs and 21 doubles in Double-A this season.
Alcantara, 21, was the Diamondbacks' No. 15 overall prospect. He is batting .279 with a .706 OPS, three home runs, 11 stolen bases and 15 doubles in 86 games in High-A ball.
King is not ranked among Arizona's top 30 prospects. The shortstop is batting .261 with a .333 on-base percentage for Arizona's rookie league team.
It's the first big trade for the Tigers this season, with more players expected to be moved before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.
Here's what experts around the country are saying about the trade:
ESPN's Keith Law: This seems like a very light return for JD Martinez even as a rental; I don't think Arizona gave up any of their top ten prospects in the deal, but they got a player who's probably worth two wins to them the rest of the season.
Sports Illustrated: Lugo is the best of the bunch, though that isn’t saying much. The 22-year-old Dominican third baseman isn’t much with the bat and has a mere .753 OPS in Double A coupled with an overly aggressive approach at the plate, but he is a solid defender at the hot corner. Last August, minor league guru John Sickels graded Lugo as a B- prospect, noting that he has “the range, arm, and reliability to stay” at third long-term. As for Alcantara and King, both are years away from the majors: The former is 21 and still in high A ball, and the latter is just 18. Both are shortstops with little power and lots of speed, though both have gotten positive marks on their defense.
MotorCityBengals: The overall haul for Martinez may seem somewhat underwhelming, but the Detroit Tigers were able to snag a potential long-term successor to Ian Kinsler at second base in Lugo should they decide to move him there.
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