Sometimes top prospects turn into the faces of the league; other times they fade into obscurity and become nothing more than a what-if. Having one of the best farm systems in baseball the last decade, the Los Angeles Dodgers have seen countless examples on both sides of the coin.
The Dodgers have a fairly good track record of knowing which prospects to keep and which to trade. Andrew Friedman and Co. aren't perfect (see: Yordan Alvarez and Oneil Cruz) but more times than not, if the Dodgers trade a top prospect, they don't end up panning out. And when they make someone untouchable, it typically pans out the other way, too.
Unfortunately, that is not the case with every young talent, and certainly isn't the case with former No. 1 prospect Diego Cartaya. Once deemed untouchable in trade talks by the Dodgers, Cartaya has since entered the realm of irrelevancy. The Dodgers quickly gave up on him after the 2024 season and it took even less time for the Minnesota Twins to give up on him in 2025.
The Twins released catcher Diego Cartaya, a former top prospect with the Dodgers, after they claimed Jhonny Pereda off waivers.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) July 23, 2025
Cartaya had five hits in 59 at-bats (.085 average) with 40 strikeouts in AAA.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot,our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Diego Cartaya fall-off gives Dodgers fans a much-needed reminder
It's hard to remember a fall-off happening this quickly for a top Dodgers prospect. Not every top prospect turns into a superstar, but it's rare that they don't even get a chance to become a big leaguer.
Cartaya's struggles were impossible to ignore as he climbed the Minor League ranks, and his story serves as a firm reminder to fans who grasp onto prospects. Every prospect, even the ones who seem like the sure thing, is a dice roll. Nobody is guaranteed for success.
This is important to remember as the Dodgers head into the 2025 MLB trade deadline. The Dodgers don't have many roster needs but can take a big swing if the right package presents itself. A Steven Kwan-Emmanuel Clase package has been floated out as a possibility, and the Dodgers would be foolish not to make it happen.
In fact, the recent history of top Dodgers prospects should make the team even more willing to take a massive swing. Cartaya is one of several recent top prospects who have failed to live up to the hype.
Gavin Lux is a fine player but the Dodgers essentially gave him away this offseason for a Minor Leaguer. Bobby Miller went from dark-horse Cy Young candidate to literally unusable at the big-league level. Dalton Rushing is currently floundering against MLB pitching as Will Smith's backup.
Cartaya got a brutal wake-up call from the Twins that his MLB dreams may be over. Meanwhile, the Dodgers got a firm reminder that being over-protective of prospects is a bad strategy.