In a minor trade, the Rockies and Red Sox swapped role players with minimal upside in hopes they each can unlock something that the former team couldn’t. Yoan Aybar, a 23-year-old former OF who couldn’t cut it on the field so he swapped to the mound, and Christian Koss, a 21-year-old 2019 draftee, changed teams.
We’ve published our Rockies 2021 List and Red Sox 2021 List already, so we’re laying out the scouting reports of each player.
Yoan Aybar, LHP
New #23 prospect for Colorado
Physical Description: Lean frame at 6'2", 210 pounds with little, if any, projection remaining. Athletic body, strong lower half. Shoulders are broad, muscular arms. Former outfielder turned pitching prospect.
Delivery & Mechanics: Works from the stretch only. Throws across his body from the third base side of the rubber. Throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a lengthy arm motion and not-so-deceptive delivery. Struggles to stay in sync at times, but that is to be expected from someone who is only two years into pitching. Arm is a tad late at foot plant, as well.
Fastball: Fastball is lights out when Aybar is on. Reportedly has touched 100 MPH in the past, but primarily sits in the mid-to-high 90s with some run to it. Pitch is primarily located armside, has some trouble commanding pitch at times. Even when it's not on, the pitch is useful for getting outs. Velocity tends to taper off during longer outings. With further development of control/command and more movement, could be a plus-plus offering. Grade: 60
Slider: Main secondary offering with two-plane shape to it. Lack of consistency with pitch creates some concern. Slider/Cutter hybrid at times. Pitch sits in the mid-to-upper 80s, primarily 86-88 MPH. Could become an above-average offering with further development, but looks more like fringe-average offering presently. Grade: 45
Changeup: Not thrown very often. Sits in the mid-80s with some sink to it, but overall, not likely to be anything of worth in the future, if he keeps it in his repertoire. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Struggles to find the strike zone. Throughout his career, he has walked 55 batters across 85 innings of work. Development of control/command will be key. If he can learn to land the fastball glove side, could see a bump in grade, but both grade as below-average currently. Control: 40 | Command: 40
Overall: Has the makings of a solid fastball/slider combination out of the bullpen, but needs to develop consistency with control/command and slider. At worst, he's a low-leverage relief arm that could be used sparingly. At best, likely an average high leverage arm with a nasty fastball/slider combo. His development will be very intriguing to watch as he progresses through the Rockies system.
OFP:35
Role:30-Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk :Extreme
Evaluator:Tyler Jennings
Christian Koss, INF
New #37 prospect for Red Sox
Physical Description: Wiry and athletic frame. Sturdy and narrow torso with long legs. Strong lower half. Lanky build with room for added weight and muscle. Shows bits of speed and agility around the infield.
Hit: Short and compact right-handed stance. Crouched with extended elbows. Good timing and balance in his swing, stays within the ball. Upper and lower half stay connected to create good extension. Head stays down through contact, solid approach. Solid hit tool with good contact pull side. Quick hands pounce on pitches inside. Takes good hacks on the ball. Patient approach at the plate, stays deep in the count and knows his tendencies. Struggles to make solid contact to all fields. Tendency to swing heavy on off-speed away and up in the zone. Grade: 45
Power: More of a contact-oriented hitter, but showed glimpses of increased power. Creates good extension with extra base-hits to the gaps. Drives the ball pull side, little power to the opposite field. Showed signs of improvement, could improve raw power with more development. Grade: 40
Field: Average infielder with good range and instincts. Contorts his body, makes throws from difficult angles. Average speed to make up ground, good glove-to-hand transfers. May not stick at shortstop long term. Bounced around the infield, could be more suited at second or third base. Grade: 50
Arm: Average arm strength for an infielder. Gets the ball out quickly, but lacks desired velocity. Good accuracy from all three positions, throws remain on target. Makes the necessary throws. Calm and composed, throws aren't rushed. Lack of arm strength could point to a position change. Grade: 50
Run: Average speed with solid quickness and burst out of the box. Aggressive base stealer at times, lacks the top-end speed to steal bags consistently. Doesn't stretch for extra bases. Good glovework makes up for lack of speed defensively. Grade: 50
Overall: A 12th round pick out of UC Irvine in 2019, Koss showed glimpses of potential in his first pro season with the Rockies. His calm approach and ability to make solid contact stand out. He lacks pure raw power, but showed strides of improvement last season. His range and athleticism bodes well for his defensive prowess, though his average speed and arm could translate to second or third base.
OFP:30
Role: 30-Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: High
Evaluator:Isaiah Burrows