Moises Ballesteros has a huge opportunity with the Angels he never got with the Cubs

Save for perhaps Arjun Nimmala, acquired in the José Soriano trade, the most well-regarded prospect the Los Angeles Angels acquired at the deadline was Moisés Ballesteros. The slugging 22-year-old was a consensus top-50 prospect entering the season thanks to a mature plate approach and excellent bat-to-ball skills.

Although his offensive talents have yet to translate to Anaheim, everyone should be betting on his bat. He absolutely cruised through the minor leagues at a young age, displaying a combination of power and patience that is exceedingly rare among prospects.

The real question, and the primary reason the Chicago Cubs were willing to part with him, is his glove. Ballesteros only received five starts and 41 innings of action behind the plate with the Cubs this season. Otherwise, he was exclusively used as a designated hitter. As good as he can be at the plate, it's hard to be a valuable player in your early twenties as a DH-only unless your name is Yordan Alvarez.

Thankfully, the Angels have already been giving him more of a chance to display his catching skills, starting him in four of his first 10 contests at the position. If he can be even an average defender, his value would skyrocket immensely.

Angels' recent shakeups are a good sign that they believe in Moises Ballesteros

Ballesteros, standing at a stout 5-foot-8, just isn't a great lateral mover. He's got a good arm, which helps mitigate some of his pop time concerns. However, he's not the best at blocking, framing, or keeping runners honest on the base paths.

Nevertheless, there's also the game-calling aspect of the position, which some teams put a premium on from behind the dish. Considering the front office parted with Logan O'Hoppe at the deadline primarily because they didn't like how he was working with the pitching staff, it's safe to count John Mozeliak and the Angels among that group.

Ballesteros is a smart player who knows the strike zone well, and his lack of defensive prowess can be chalked up to a lack of reps. Catchers are usually slow to develop offensively and take years to work their up a minor-league system; by contrast, Ballesteros' bat was so good that he forced the Cubs' hand to promote him aggressively.

If the Angels traded for Ballesteros just after offloading O'Hoppe, its probably fair to say that they're willing to buy into his development behind the plate. Firing pitching coach Mike Maddux and two assistants is also a telling sign that they want to overhaul their run-prevention program, of which Ballesteros could become a key part.

No matter what, Ballesteros should eventually be able to hit his way into an everyday gig with the Angels. But if this commitment to helping him get better with the glove in his hand pays dividends, Ballesteors may soon emerge as one of the most valuable players on the roster.

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