CHI
Julian Merryweather, P
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Scouting report
Merryweather was once one of those anonymous, strike-throwing Cleveland prospects who had a dramatic uptick in stuff a little later in pro ball. For Merryweather that meant mid-90s heat, a good changeup and curveball, and a breakout 2017 during which he nearly reached the majors. Then he needed surgery before the 2018 season began, was traded that year as part of the Josh Donaldson rental deal, and wasn't back until late in 2019 as a reliever, when he looked ready to make an immediate bullpen impact, sitting 95-97 (up from 93-96) with his fastball in the Arizona Fall League. He threw harder still when the 2020 season finally rolled around, parked at 96-99 and touching 100. Toward the very end of the season he was once again shut down with elbow tendinitis. It's concerning that over the last several years, Merryweather has been healthy and pitching in games for just a few weeks. But he has knockout backend bullpen stuff right now, and for a lot of prospects in this and other systems, that would be a great outcome. He's prominently represented here, despite his age, because of that. It's also worth noting a fourth option year has been imposed upon Merryweather due to his injury history, which isn't great for him but certainly buoys his trade value a little bit because teams value roster flexibility. (Alternate site, MLB)