This is the time of year when young players in contending Major League Baseball organizations start rightfully getting nervous.
If a team thinks it can win the World Series, top prospects instantly become potential trade candidates in late July. The Los Angeles Dodgers are always of that belief, and they've got a handful of top prospects to spare, as usual.
So as the Dodgers are compiling their trade deadline wish list, which certainly includes relief pitching and may well involve something even more dramatic, which young players might need to have an emergency packing plan?
Perhaps, one writer speculates, the number-one preseason prospect in the organization could be up for grabs.
On Friday, Baseball America's Mark Chiarelli named catcher Dalton Rushing as the number-one "blocked prospect" in baseball who could be moved at the deadline.
"(Rushing) ranks No. 21 on our Top 100 and has the tools to become one of baseball’s more dynamic catchers with plus raw power, strong plate discipline, ample speed and an above-average arm," Chiarelli wrote.
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"But he doesn’t have a path to regular playing time this year. The 24-year-old has just 68 at-bats since debuting two months ago, as he’s stuck behind Will Smith while getting only spot duty at first base... Rushing is talented enough to headline a deadline deal, and moving him might be the best outcome for everyone involved."
Rushing hasn't done much in the majors so far (.602 OPS, one home run), but it's easy to excuse his lack of production based on corresponding lack of playing time. He had a .938 OPS in Triple-A this year and a .931 OPS in four total minor league seasons.
With the deadline fast approaching (Jul. 31 at 6 p.m. EST), we'll soon see if Rushing's future takes him out of Los Angeles.
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