Juan De Paula

De Paula was considered the lesser of the two prospects that came over from the Mariners at the end of August as part of the deal for International League MVP Ben Gamel. The lanky 6-foot-3 right-hander is not a hard thrower, although he is still maturing and can hit the low-90s on the radar gun with his fastball. De Paula does throw strikes, as evidenced by his 53:11 K:BB in 41 innings in the Arizona League in 2016. De Paula also tosses a changeup and curveball, with the latter needing the most work. The hope is that De Paula fills out, gains a few more ticks in velocity on his fastball, and can throw all three of the above-referenced pitches for strikes. The 19-year-old out of the Dominican Republic remains largely projection, though, and a return to rookie ball could be in the cards.