Marlins trade rising rookie pitcher Gallen to Diamondbacks for top prospect Chisholm
The Miami Marlins traded rookie starting pitcher Zac Gallen to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday for top hitting prospect Jazz Chisholm a little more than an hour before MLB’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.
“It’s a little shocking any time you get traded during the season,” Gallen said shortly after being informed of the trade. “Last time I was traded during the offseason so I was able to get my bearings. It’s a little bit quicker of a turnaround, but I’m excited.”
Gallen, 23, came to the Marlins as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade in December 2017 and made a quick impression in his first seven MLB starts this year.
Gallen has compiled a 2.72 ERA over 36 1/3 innings. He threw a career high seven innings in each of his last two starts, a win over the Chicago White Sox and a loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday that saw him hold one of MLB’s most potent lineups to just four hits and two earned runs.
“I’ll always be grateful for the Marlins for letting me make my debut,” Gallen said. “Any time you can open some eyes and do what you can, it’s good for your career.”
The Marlins have said they would need to be blown away by an offer to trade away from any of their starting pitchers under team control.
They believe they got that in Chasholm, a left-handed hitting shortstop ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Diamondbacks’ top prospect and the No. 59 overall prospect in MLB.
The 21-year-old from the Bahamas who signed as an international free agent in 2015 is a career .253 hitter with 53 home runs over four minor-league seasons. He is hitting .204 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI in 89 games at the Double A level this season.
“Chisholm posts impressive exit velocities from the left side of the plate with an explosive swing that has natural loft. He showed in 2018 that he not only could tap into his plus raw power, but also apply it across the entire field, as some of Chisholm’s longest home runs were hit to straightaway center. Chisholm’s power does come with swing-and-miss tendencies, so he’ll need to refine his aggressive approach as he develops. He’s an above-average runner who receives praise for his instincts on the basepaths.”
Gallen is the second player the Marlins have traded over the past week as they focus adding to their minor-league system. The team traded veteran reliever Sergio Romo, along with pitching prospect Chris Vallimont and a player to be named later, to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday for left-handed, power-hitting first base prospect Lewin Diaz.
This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 3:08 PM.
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