Blue Jays trade Curtis Granderson to Brewers for prospect Demi Orimoloye

On August 31st the Toronto Blue Jays traded veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfield prospect Demi Orimoloye. This trade got lost in the Labor Day holiday shuffle here at Minor League Ball so let’s fix that now with a quick look at the newest Toronto prospect.

Demi Orimoloye, OF: Born on Lagos, Nigeria, Orimoloye and his family moved to Canada when he was an infant and he grew up playing baseball in Ontario, making him a local acquisition for the Jays. Drafted in the fourth round in 2015 by the Brewers, he struggled with contact issues initially but has made some progress over the last year.

In 2018 Orimoloye hit .260/.343/.419 in 215 at-bats for Wisconsin in the Low-A Midwest League, then .237/.304/.372 in 253 at-bats after being promoted to Carolina in the High-A Carolina League. He combined for 20 doubles, 12 homers, 22 steals, 41 walks, and 128 strikeouts between the two levels.

Listed at 6-4, 225, Orimoloye is a right-handed hitter and thrower born January 6th, 1997. The 21-year-old stands out for his combination of above-average speed, power, and arm strength. He’s made slow but steady progress improving his pitch recognition and swing mechanics and has more work to do in those departments. On the right day he looks like a prototype power/speed right fielder but is still inconsistent turning his physical tools into game skills.

Right now I rate him as a Grade C+ prospect, with considerable upside but considerable uncertainty on if he’ll reach that upside.

Having the Canada connection is a nice publicity bonus for the Jays and Orimoloye a good return for the 37-year-old Granderson.