Who are the prospects the Pirates got in return for Starling Marte?

In a signal the organization is trending toward a full-scale rebuild, the Pittsburgh Pirates not only traded arguably their best position player, they did so for some international slot money and a pair of 19-year-old minor leaguers who have not played above the lower Class A level.

But who are shortstop Liover Peguero and right-handed pitcher Brennan Malone? A closer look:

Liover Peguero

6-1, 160 pounds. … 19-year-old native of the Dominican Republic was signed for a $475,00 bonus as an amateur international free agent in 2017 and made his professional debut in 2018. … Was rated as the Diamondbacks’ No. 7 prospect by Baseball America, No. 5 by Fangraphs and No. 18 by MLB Pipeline. … Last season, hit a combined .326 (74 for 227) with 11 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 38 RBIs and an .866 OPS in 60 games with Hillsboro (Low-A) and Missoula (Rookie League). … Bats and throws righthanded. … MLB Pipeline said Peguero “has the chance to be a special hitter. He has an impactful swing from the right side of the plate, with plus bat speed that enables him to smash good velocity and make consistent barreled contact, and he’s already developing some game power, with more to come as he adds strength to his projectable frame.” … Baseball America ranked Peguero as the top prospect in the Pioneer League last season.

Today’s player shoutout goes out to #14 Liover Peguero!
The @Dbacks 18th ranked prospect was with us for 22 games this year and had a LEGENDARY playoff walkoff for us. Keep grinding Peggy!#AllHoppedUp pic.twitter.com/FVf7rf6t70

— Hillsboro Hops (@HillsboroHops) October 28, 2019

Brennan Malone

6-4, 205 pounds. … 19-year-old was drafted in the first round (No. 33 overall) last season and received a reported $2,202,200 bonus. … Pitched at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., as a senior but originally from North Carolina. … Pitched eight innings last summer in his first action as a professional, striking out eight and walking five. … Was rated as the Diamondbacks’ No. 9 prospect by Baseball America, No. 10 by Fangraphs and No. 9 by MLB Pipeline. … Before last year’s draft, MLB.com said Malone “had one of the best fastballs (96-97 mph) in the class.”… MLB Pipeline said Malone “has shown an ability to maintain that velocity deeper into starts this spring. He now features two distinct breaking pitches, with a plus slider a big reason for his step forward. It’s a true out pitch.” … According to Baseball America, in 51 innings for IMG last year Malone allowed two earned runs with 69 strikeouts and 14 walks.

Here's a Brennan Malone 75 mph CB for the swing & miss: #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/wOzZdFNZbz

— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) February 22, 2019

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