Sports Illustrated: Gausman & Ranaudo "could be pitching against each other in MLB by season's end"

For this week's prospect watch, we are going to treat the minor-leaguers as commodities in a stock market

(Five) Prospects to buy

1. 2B/SS Nick Franklin

2. SP Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles: He sure knows how to impress the Orioles front office in his first full pro season after being picked out of LSU. His ridiculous 29-1 strikeout-to-walk rate in Double-A gives him a chance to move quickly to the majors. The Orioles are not afraid to turn to their top prospects in time of need, as evidenced by Manny Machado's and Dylan Bundy's call-ups last year.

3. SS/2B Dee Gordon

4. SP Gerrit Cole (of UCLA): Cole's control hasn't been good, much less near Gausman's, but he isn't giving up much of late in Triple-A. Watch his walks totals in his starts. Once those walks disappear, we could see Cole getting the call.

5. SP Anthony Ranaudo, Boston Red Sox: Hey, if we are jockeying Gausman, we have to at least mention Ranaudo, who was a first-rounder out of LSU two years prior. Ranaudo doesn't have Gausman's incredible ceiling, but he is equally scorching in Double-A. Both could be pitching against each other for the AL East title by the end of the end of the season.


Prospects to sell
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2. C Mike Zunino (of Florida)...Zunino has completely tanked
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5. SP Dylan Bundy, Baltimore Orioles: Bundy's elbow exam Monday showed no structural damage to the ligament, and he was prescribed rest for six weeks. The good news is he doesn't need surgery. The bad news is he will not be a candidate to arrive before the All-Star break, if he even pitches in the minors before then. If you're holding Bundy , hoping he'll make an impact this year in non-keeper leagues, you can cut him for Gausman, Cole or Ranaudo.