One AL Scout thinks the SF Giants made 'the worst trade of 2022'
The Seattle Mariners defeated the San Diego Padres 3-2 in their spring training opener thanks in large part to a significant contribution from former SF Giants prospect Prelander Berroa. Berroa was the winning pitcher for Seattle and struck out three across a pair of scoreless innings. Berroa struck out some impressive opposing bats, including Xander Bogaerts and Nelson Cruz.
The Mariners acquired Berroa from the Giants last year in a trade for infielder Donovan Walton, and Berroa has emerged as one of the most electric arms in the organization. Seattle Times Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish wrote about Berroa's electric arsenal of pitches. His article included one quote that will have some Giants fans tearing out their hair.
Former SF Giants prospect Prelander Berroa throwing a pitch for the Mariners in spring training. (2023)
Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
“'Prelander Berroa for Donnie Walton might have been the worst trade of 2022,' an opposing American League scout said," wrote Divish. “'And it might not be close.'”
The Giants first acquired Berroa as part of a three-player package they received from the Twins for reliever Sam Dyson at the 2019 MLB trade deadline. Berroa struggled to wrap up the 2019 season, but clearly made strides during the early part of the pandemic.
When Berroa returned to the minors in 2021, he struck out 135 hitters in 98.2 innings pitched with a 3.56 ERA at Single-A. Berroa did struggle with control, walking 53 hitters over the course of the season. Still, he showcased an impressive ability to maintain upper-90s velocity on his fastball alongside a nasty slider and developing changeup.
Berroa moved up to High-A in 2022, and despite being more than a year younger than the average player in the league, he continued racking up strikeouts and limiting opposing runs. He struck out 16 hitters in 13 innings while allowing just one run before the Giants traded him to the Mariners for Walton.
Berroa made 13 more starts with the Mariners' High-A affiliate before he was promoted to Double-A. Over that span, Berroa struck out nearly 40% of the batters he faced and had a 2.41 ERA. His walk rate remained high (14.9%), but was far from enough to overshadow his dominance as a 22-year-old.
At Double-A, Berroa's walk rate spiked even further, driving his ERA up to 4.37. However, he still struck out 53 hitters in 35 innings pitched at the hitter-friendly Texas League. While Berroa will need to corral his command if he wants to stick in the rotation, he has elite potential that the Mariners are excited to see.
SF Giants infielder Donovan Walton rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam. (2022)
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Making matters worse for the Giants, Walton's tenure in San Francisco has been far less successful. While he hit roughly .300 with a slugging percentage north of .500 from 2021-22 at Triple-A with the Mariners, he hit just .158/.179/.303 in 78 plate appearances with the Giants.
More importantly, Walton was atrocious defensively at shortstop. While he only made two errors in 13 games in place of Brandon Crawford, he amassed three outs below average at the position, per Outs Above Average.
Eventually optioned to Triple-A, Walton was unable to pick up where he left off. He posted a measly .225/.345/.358 triple-slash in 20 games with the Sacramento River Cats. Given his struggles, the Giants designated Walton for assignment and outrighted him to the minors.
Walton re-signed a minor-league contract with the Giants this offseason. His deal included an invitation to big-league camp, but he will almost assuredly start the season at Triple-A. However, it's hard to envision him contributing at the MLB level this season.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi may deserve some criticism for trading Berroa for Walton, but to be fair, San Francisco made another trade last season that is arguably even better.
The Giants acquired J.D. Davis-one of the team's best hitters after the trade deadline-and three pitchers who now rank among the 30 best prospects in the farm system from the Mets (Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour, and Nick Zwack) for Darin Ruf. Ruf was abysmal in New York, hitting .152/.216/.197 in sporadic playing time.
Nevertheless, Prelander Berroa is turning heads this spring with the Seattle Mariners. The SF Giants and their fans are once again reminded of one trade the organization probably wishes it could undo.
