3 Dodgers prospects that should be untouchable, 2 that should be traded

Dodgers prospect that should be traded: Nick Nastrini

MLB Pipeline ranks Nick Nastrini as the 10th-best prospect in the Dodgers farm system. Los Angeles selected Nastrini in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of UCLA. At one point Nastrini looked like a potential first-round prospect but some struggles at UCLA dropped him to the fourth round.

Nastrini is part of the dynamic Tulsa Drillers rotation that leads all of affiliated baseball in average fastball velocity. The right-hander is certainly doing his part as well, as he has one of the best fastballs in the entire Dodgers organization.

Nastrini is a master of spin rate and his fastball alone is going to take him a long way in professional baseball. His slider is his second-best pitch and plays nicely off of the fastball. He also has a changeup and curveball in his repertoire.

So out of all the pitchers in the Dodgers organization, why Nastrini? The abundance of pitching depth in the farm system makes it easier to trade one of these pitching prospects for immediate help. And at 23 years old, whoever trades for Nastrini can fast-track him to the big-league level.

It's also hard to find a spot for Nastrini in the Dodgers' rotation, both in the short term and in the long term. There's a lot of pitching talent in front of him. His arsenal and occasional struggles with command may land him in the bullpen.

Sure, the Dodgers could put him in the 'pen at the end of the 2023 season to help, but they could get an even bigger return from a team that thinks Nastrini can start and can give him the opportunity.