There was a bit of a lull after the Kyle Finnegan trade, but Mike DeBartolo has struck again. He has traded Alex Call to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitching prospects Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan. The return is stronger than the one Kyle Finnegan received
As @andrewcgolden reported, the Nationals are getting RHP Eriq Swan (2023 4th rd pick, 4.43 ERA at high-A) and RHP Sean Paul Linan (20-year-old from Colombia, 2.78 ERA mostly at high-A, did pitch at AAA this season). https://t.co/PVl66i2Dm7
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 31, 2025
First
off, it stings to lose Call. He was one of my favorite players on the team. I think he is going to have a huge moment this postseason for the Dodgers. He is just that kind of player. However, with the Nats glut of young outfielders, Call was expendable.
The two pitchers the Nats got in return both have stand out characteristics. Swan is your classic flamethrower with command issues. He is the higher ranked of the two because of that pure stuff.
While the results have not really been there yet, Swan has the kind of arm teams covet. He sits in the upper 90’s and can touch 101 MPH. Swan also has a wipeout slider that is a plus pitch to go with it. At 23, he looks like a guy who could be a monster in the bullpen. Even if he is a bit of a wild horse right now, guys with his kind of stuff don’t grow on trees.
However, Sean Paul Linan might be even more intriguing to me. He is a fascinating player mainly because his changeup is one of the better pitches in minor league baseball. It is a Devin Williams style high spin changeup that is almost like a screwball. The change is an outlier pitch and has made him an interesting piece.
He combines that with a decent low-90’s fastball that could gain more steam as he matures. Linan is only 20 years old, which is another added bonus. Linan also has a slider that is a decent third pitch. The Colombian has dominated the lower minors this year, with a 1.21 ERA in 29.2 Low-A innings and a 2.65 ERA in 37.1 High-A innings.
Crazily enough, he also made a couple appearances in Triple-A this year. He was biting off more than he could chew at that level, but still got a lot of strikeouts. Right now, he is in High-A.
This is my favorite return of the deadline so far. However, I will miss Alex Call. Go be great in LA Alex!
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