Angels News: Leo Rivas sent to Reds to complete Raisel Iglesias trade

The Angels have completed the Raisel Iglesias trade.

According to multiple sources, the Angels have completed their trade for Raisel Iglesias by sending shortstop prospect Leonardo Rivas to the Cincinnati Reds as the originally reported player to be named later.

Rivas, 23, was once a highly-touted prospect in the Angels’ system, but has slowly lost his luster in prospect circles as his production has mightily declined as he has gotten to the upper levels of the minors. From 2015 to 2018, Rivas was routinely putting up wRC+ marks from the 120s all the way up to the 160s — excellent marks at any level. In 2019, across 80 games combined between both rookie ball and High-A, Rivas posted a 93 wRC+, a far cry than what came to be expected of him.

Rivas’s main calling card appears to be his speed as FanGraphs currently projects him to have as high as 70-grade speed. Rivas is not currently being projected to be much of a hitter and definitely lacks power, but he could turn out to be a light-hitting utility man and pinch runner at the major league level. There is a lot still to like about Rivas despite his current projection considering he showed signs of potential impact status in his early days in the Angels system.

Andrew Rhodes of Prospects1500 had the following to say about Rivas last season:

Rivas has excelled in one area his entire pro career, that’s in his ability to walk. Even with dealing with injuries this season, he still managed to have a walk percentage over 10. Rivas plays primarily at short but has been getting experience all over the field, with the utility role being more of what he profiles as. Barring more injuries Rivas will begin 2020 in High-A Inland Empire.

While not a major loss, he is still a solid asset in the organization. However, Raisel Iglesias figures to be an even better asset to the organization in 2021 as the Angels have found their first consistent ninth-inning man in quite some time.