The Cleveland Guardians had designated right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill for assignment this week as a way to free up a roster spot for one of the prospects they protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
That gave him a limited window to work out a trade, waive him, or send him to the minor leagues.
The last two options weren’t necessary, as the Guards quickly found a trade match in the Colorado Rockies.
In exchange, the Guardians are getting minor league catcher Kody Huff.
Who is Huff?
Guardians podcast host and Twitter user @JL_Baseball offered some details about the new Guards minor leaguer.
“Cal Quantrill has been traded to the Colorado Rockies for Kody Huff. Huff is a catcher the Rockies drafted in the 7th round in 2022 out of Stanford. Had some potential def. versatility but has only been a C. Not R5 eligible for 2 more years. Likely headed for High-A in ’24,” he tweeted.
Cal Quantrill has been traded to the Colorado Rockies for Kody Huff
Huff is a catcher the Rockies drafted in the 7th round in 2022 out of Stanford. Had some potential def. versatility but has only been a C.
Not R5 eligible for 2 more years. Likely headed for High-A in '24.
— Justin (BSky – jlbaseball) (@JL_Baseball) November 17, 2023
The most important takeaways here are the following: he plays catcher and he doesn’t have to be protected on the 40-man roster for two more years.
In that time, he will have to prove to the Guardians that he is worth keeping around.
The tools are there for him to do so.
He hasn’t turned 23 and had a good season in Single-A, with a 104 wRC+ and a .262/.357/.374 line in 86 games and 340 plate appearances.
Power is still not fully developed, but he has very solid plate skills.
In other words, he has potential to be a major league catcher, even if it’s likely he makes it as a backup.
There is value in those, especially if he finds some power.
As stated, the Guards will have two years to evaluate him.
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