The Giants have acquired RHP Michael Main as the PTBNL in the Molina-to-Texas deal. Quite frankly, this trade just went from pretty good to really good. Main was the Rangers 1st round pick (24th overall) in the 2007 draft. In John Sickels’ 2010 prospect ranking for the Rangers, he placed Main as the #6 overall prospect in a pretty deep Rangers farm system.
Fellow Sweet Spotter, Baseball Time in Arlington, has an excellent scouting report on Main which you can find, here.
Conclusion: Didn’t change OFP grade. Main is a fast-twitch athlete with the potential for two plus pitches, average command/control projection, and an aggressive approach on the mound. His FB has above-average movement when located down in the zone and his CB features a late two-plane break that is very effective against RH. His CU needs further development to become an average major league pitch and he needs to find consistency in his mechanics. His overall feel for sequence and situation is present, but often overshadowed by his ultra-competitiveness and desire to attack hitters.
Like most potential starting pitchers, Main’s chances at playing as a SP are going to come down to his third pitch — the changeup — and whether or not he can continue to develop it. If not, he’ll likely end up in the bullpen where he can add a little velocity and work as a fastball/curve pitcher.
Main will head to AA Richmond and (I assume) slot into the rotation. While pitching in the California League this year, Main’s K/9 has taken a hit — down from 8 (2009) to 7.1 strikeouts per 9 — but his walk rate is very good ( 2.1 walks per 9).Main dealt with a viral infection that caused him to miss part of the ’09 season, so it’s possible that he’s just getting back on track, healthwise.
Bottom-line: Adding a former 1st round pick — labeled a B prospect by Sickels — is a steal for the Giants. Main is a power arm with upside that the Giants must be salivating to work with. I’m calling this a win for the Giants. It’s hard to not really like what Brian Sabean did in this trade.
