Angels complete Brian Goodwin trade with Reds

The Los Angeles Angels have officially finalized the Brian Goodwin trade with the Cincinnati Reds after acquiring their player to be named later.

When Billy Eppler and the Angels announced a last minute deal that sent fan favorite Brian Goodwin to the Cincinnati Reds just before the MLB Trade Deadline, the did so with the infamous “Player to be Named Later” as part of the return package. However, they didn’t take long to come to an agreement over who that player would be.

On Wednesday evening, the Angels announced (via Twitter) that they had acquired pitching prospect Jose Salvador to complete the deal with the Reds.

While the initial known return of Packy Naughton brought the Angels an arm with a proven track record in the minor leagues, Salvador is much more of a gamble for the organization. At just 20-years-old, the left-hander has yet to pitch outside of Cincinnati’s short-season affiliates and was not part of their 60-man player pool in 2020.

While his experience is limited, the results have been encouraging for the young lefty. In 111.1 innings dating back to 2018, he owns a 5-3 record with a 3.07 ERA, a 1.141 WHIP, and an 11.6 K/9.

From a scouting standpoint, information is a bit more limited. According to Reds Minor Leagues, he runs his fastball in the low to mid-90s. He complements that with an above-average curve that he controls well and has good swing-and-miss quality. As with any young pitcher, the key to remaining a rotation candidate will be whether he can develop a third pitch. Right now, that looks like a change-up, but it said to be below average at present.

Unlike Naughton, who appears to be about a year away from being a viable rotation option, the acquisition of Salvador is definitely more of a long-term gamble. The Angels are hoping that the development on his offerings continues, while he also adds size to his 6’2″, 170 pound frame. He’ll likely be assigned to Burlington to begin his first season with the Angels.

At such a young age, the Halos have the benefit of time to work with him, but it is hard seeing the team adding him to the 60-man player pool in 2020. That means the Angels and their fans won’t really get a sense of how this trade played out until at least 2021.

That’s somewhat of a tough sell when considering they gave up two years of control on a viable major league piece.