LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have traded faded prospect Diego Cartaya to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for a 20-year-old minor-league pitcher.
The 23-year-old Cartaya was the top-rated international prospect when he signed for a $2.5 million bonus from the Dodgers in July 2018. He quickly started appearing in rankings of the top prospects in baseball. But his performance drifted farther from his perceived potential as injuries stalled his development.
The Venezuelan catcher was designated for assignment last week when the Dodgers had to open a 40-man roster spot for Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim.
Cartaya never played more than 95 games in any of his five seasons in the Dodgers’ organization, batting .236 with a .775 OPS. He struggled offensively as he advanced to higher levels, batting .204 with a .681 OPS in 139 games at the Double-A level and .208 with a .643 OPS in 49 games at Triple-A last season.
With the 10-year contract extension given to Will Smith last spring, Hunter Feduccia gaining big-league experience last season and Dalton Rushing rising, Cartaya was the odd man out in the Dodgers’ catching ranks.
In return, the Dodgers received right-hander Jose Vasquez who just turned 20 in December. Vasquez has spent the past two years pitching in the Dominican Summer League since signing with the Twins. The 6-foot-4 right-hander is 5-2 with an 8.05 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 57 innings.