Brewers acquire new pitching project in completion of Mark Canha trade

After the Milwaukee Brewers lost their talented backup outfielder, Blake Perkins, to a fractured shin in late February, the team scrambled to find a right-handed replacement who could fill in against left-handed pitchers and balance out the Brewers' left-handed-dominant outfield. Ultimately, the team opted to bring in veteran outfielders Mark Canha and Manuel Margot to battle for a position on the Brewers' bench while they waited for Perkins' return, which is expected to come in late May. Which veteran won the roster spot in the end? Neither. Instead, the Brewers opted for switch-hitting prospect Isaac Collins as the team's fifth outfielder, who graduated from his prospect status on Saturday, April 19.

However, before the Brewers cut ties with Canha, they were able to swing a trade with the Kansas City Royals that netted them cash and a player to be named later. According to Curt Hogg, the Brewers beat reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that player has officially been named.

Brewers insider reveals final piece of the Mark Canha trade

As Hogg mentions in his tweet, Cesar Espinal has yet to pitch stateside, but he has already been traded twice. After originally signing with the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 at the age of 16, Espinal was traded to the Royals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jonathan Heasley in December of 2023.

In the Dominican Summer League (DSL), the 6'2" Espinal has spent time as both a starter and a reliever. Espinal, who has pitched just 73 innings in his professional career, has shown a keen ability to strike opposing batters out, posting a strikeout rate of 24% or higher in each of the last two seasons. However, according to FanGraphs, Espinal has struggled with command early on in his career, walking a concerning 20.4% of the 93 batters he faced last season.

At just 19 years old and already with parts of three professional seasons under his belt, Espinal is an exciting young prospect with a long way to go before he's impacting the big-league roster. However, it's possible that the Brewers could elect to start him in the Arizona Complex League (ACL) or even Low-A, given that he doesn't have much more to prove in the DSL.

For the Brewers to get anything in return for a minor-league signing that they made in late-February is a huge win, and who knows, maybe Espinal will be the next great Brewers pitching prospect.