The A’s managed to get a fourth notable prospect in the Matt Olson deal, nabbing a pitcher who dominated in Low-A as a 19-year-old in Joey Estes.
Estes ranked No. 359 on our RotoProspects Top 500 Rankings before the trade, but rises to No. 345 due to the move to the spacious Oakland Coliseum. He goes from the Braves’ No. 15 prospect to No. 10 on the A’s list, fourth among pitchers.
Estes was taken in the 16th round in the 2019 draft out of a California high school by the Braves, who were able to buy him out of a Long Beach State commitment with a $500K bonus.
He struggled in his pro debut in 2019, posting a 8.10 ERA over 5 starts before the pandemic cost minor leaguers a year of development. Estes flourished in 2021, putting up a 2.91 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 127-29 K-BB in 99 IP.
Estes is strike thrower with a solid three-pitch mix, featuring a fastball that sits in the low-90s but can reach 96-97, and 50-grades on his slider and changeup. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation guy, but in Oakland that could be pretty useful in fantasy.