This article is part of our John Sickels' Column series.
Prospects in the Alberto Callaspo Trade
The Royals traded Alberto Callaspo to the Angels for Sean O'Sullivan and Will Smith. This deal makes some sense for both teams: the Angels need a third baseman due to the failure of Brandon Wood, while the Royals want to make room for prospect Mike Moustakas. They also add some pitching depth.
Sean O'Sullivan, RHP: O'Sullivan technically is not a rookie, having pitched 51.2 innings in the majors last year and another 13 this year, but he's not exactly an established talent, so he fits into these prospect reports. Stocky at 6-2, 230 pounds, the 22-year-old O'Sullivan was a third round pick in 2005 from Grossmont Junior College. He had a brilliant season for Low-A Cedar Rapids in 2007 (2.22 ERA, 125:40 K:BB in 158 innings), but suffered a loss of velocity in subsequent seasons and has never quite regained it, working now at 88-92 MPH. He also has a workable curveball and changeup, and he throws strikes. Scouts say he has good sinking action with the fastball, although his GO:AO ratios don't support this observation. In the majors, he projects as a fourth or fifth starter.
Will Smith, LHP: Like O'Sullivan, Smith is a junior college product, drafted in the seventh round in 2008 from Gulf Coast Community College. Big and strong at 6-5, 235, he has an average fastball at 87-90 MPH, but it often looks faster than that due to the contrast with his very good
Prospects in the Alberto Callaspo Trade
The Royals traded Alberto Callaspo to the Angels for Sean O'Sullivan and Will Smith. This deal makes some sense for both teams: the Angels need a third baseman due to the failure of Brandon Wood, while the Royals want to make room for prospect Mike Moustakas. They also add some pitching depth.
Sean O'Sullivan, RHP: O'Sullivan technically is not a rookie, having pitched 51.2 innings in the majors last year and another 13 this year, but he's not exactly an established talent, so he fits into these prospect reports. Stocky at 6-2, 230 pounds, the 22-year-old O'Sullivan was a third round pick in 2005 from Grossmont Junior College. He had a brilliant season for Low-A Cedar Rapids in 2007 (2.22 ERA, 125:40 K:BB in 158 innings), but suffered a loss of velocity in subsequent seasons and has never quite regained it, working now at 88-92 MPH. He also has a workable curveball and changeup, and he throws strikes. Scouts say he has good sinking action with the fastball, although his GO:AO ratios don't support this observation. In the majors, he projects as a fourth or fifth starter.
Will Smith, LHP: Like O'Sullivan, Smith is a junior college product, drafted in the seventh round in 2008 from Gulf Coast Community College. Big and strong at 6-5, 235, he has an average fastball at 87-90 MPH, but it often looks faster than that due to the contrast with his very good curveball. His biggest problem is lack of an effective changeup. He usually throws strikes, but they aren't always quality strikes, and command within the zone is another issue he'll need to address. He has split 2010 between three levels, posting a composite 5-8, 5.53 record with a 79:42 K:BB in 109 innings, giving up 134 hits. Still just 21, he could use the change of scenery and some stability with a new organization. He projects as a fourth or fifth starter.
