Reports indicate that the Minnesota Twins have shipped switch-hitting, part-time catcher Ryan Doumit to the Atlanta Braves for Lefty Starter Sean Gilmartin, their then-4th-best prospect according to MLB.com.
Gilmartin comes as an addition to an already-loaded Twins' farm system, as MLB.com ranks him as the 13th-best prospect in Minnesota. He'll likely start 2014 with the Rochester Red Wings, Minnesota's Triple-A affiliate. He will get the chance to rebound after a disappointing 2013 campaign, which saw him average 5.74 earned runs per nine innings at the Triple-A level, his biggest sample size in 2013. He started 17 games at this level, pitching in a total of 91 innings. He averaged 6.43 K/9 while averaging 3.26 BB/9. Gilmartin doesn't showcase an overpowering fastball as it sits in the upper 80s, but features an above average changeup and slider. He also mixes in a curveball, but isn't known for relying on it. This information can be found on MLB.com, under the Twins' profiles of their 20-best prospects.
Ryan Doumit and his total salary expense of $3.5 million will be headed to Atlanta, tweets Darren Wolfson. He will likely spend most of his time at catcher, rotating with the likes of Evan Gattis and Gerald Laird, though Doumit spent limited time as a corner outfielder in Minnesota, and may continue to do so in Atlanta. Doumit, who's role with the Twins was frequently the designated hitter, will not be able to fullfill this role often now that he'll be primarily playing in National League parks. Not known for his defense, Doumit put up solid offensive numbers as a Twin, hitting 32 home runs in 1,066 total plate appearances. He held a batting average of about .260 during this span.
Terry Ryan and Co. likely now plan on using Josmil Pinto at catcher in an increased capacity during the 2014 season. Pinto showed through a limited 83 plate appearances in 2013 that he may be above average offensively as a hitter, though he may need to improve his defensive play to be considered the everyday backstop. Pinto impressed during his short stint at the major-league level in 2013, compiling a triple-slash line of .342/.398/.566. He hit a total of 4 home runs, batted in 12 runs and was able to score 10 times during this stint, though an inflated .440 batting average on balls put in play (BABIP) may indicate that he was particularly lucky and may experience a regression of some sort in 2014.
This trade will currently go down as a somewhat low-profile deal, but has the potential to be significantly impacting to both teams. The Twins continue to add to their highly-regarded farm system in their pursuit of heightened-future success as a club, hoping that Gilmartin is an impact-type player come time for a playoff run. The Braves add to their already-playoff-caliber club an offensively dangerous veteran who can contribute immediately, and at a reasonable price.
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