Rays Have Big Hole In Roster After Dealing Forysthe

The Rays busy offseason continued this week. The Rays dealt Second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange they received starting pitching prospect Jose De Leon.

De Leon, 24, entered the 2016 season as the 24th overall prospect by MLB.com and the fifth-best right handed pitching prospect.

Baseball America had him ranked as the Dodgers’ third best prospect. He didn’t disappoint in 2016 ascending all the way to the majors.

He made four September starts going 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA (12-ER/17-IP). With the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City he went 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA (25-ER/86.1-IP). He struck out 111, held opponents to a .194 average, and posted a 5.55 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in 16 starts. He also missed parts of the season with ankle and shoulder injuries.

De Leon Happy To Be With Rays:

Jose De Leon spoke with Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com (Here) and had some interesting things to say.

In the interviews he talks about being told about the deal shortly before heading to Los Angeles for Fan Fest, his desire to win multiple World Series, how he learned the most in four starts last year while not pitching, importance of work ethic, and that his dad is good friends with Rays’ third base coach Charlie Montoyo.

Moving Forsythe Not Easy For Rays’ Front Office:

“It’s a bittersweet day, though, as we part ways with Logan Forsythe in this trade.” Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations/General Manager Erik Neander said in a press statement He’s not only a first-class player, but he’s also a great teammate and leader in the clubhouse. We will miss him, and we thank him for all he did as a Ray.”

Forsythe, Matt Lollis, Brad Boxberger, Maxx Tissenbaum, and Matt Andriese were acquired from the San Diego Padres in 2014 in exchange for Alex Torres and Jesse Hahn.

The 2014 campaign was a tough one for him as he hit .223/.287/.329 with six homers in 336 plate appearances. Relegated to the right handed side of a platoon through much of his early career, he received his first shot at everyday playing time in 2015 after Nick Franklin strained an oblique at the end of spring training. He took full advantage of the opportunity hitting .281/.359/.444 and hit 17 homers.

In 2016, he was put into the leadoff spot on Kevin Cash‘s lineup, and hit .264/.333/.444 with a career high 20 home runs. He became the first middle infielder in franchise history with back-to-back seasons of at least 15 homers.

In his three years with the Rays he hit .262/.334/.419 (354-for-1,352) with 43 home runs and 146 RBI. Unfortunately, he was never able to get a taste of the good life with the Rays as they had a winning percentage of just .480 (225-261) during his three seasons.

Andrew Friedman Lands Forsythe Once Again:

Former Rays President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman chased Forsythe for several season, including at the trade deadline in 2013, before acquiring him in January of 2014. His admiration toward Forsythe hasn’t waned since he departed St. Pete for the West Coast.

“We feel (Forsythe) will fit in incredibly well within the fabric of our group off the field, and on the field feel he’s a great fit in terms of the type of baseball player he is.” Andrew Friedman told reporters including Jon Weisman of Dodger Insider. “He’s a grinder, a professional hitter, can really handle left-handed pitching as well as right and has some versatilty, is a good baserunner, and we felt like was the type of player we needed to be aggressive to go out and add to our current group.”

Rays Have Options To Replace Forsythe:

While the trade may have strengthened the pitching depth for 2017 and beyond, it’s left a hole in an already anemic offense. The Rays have plenty of options interally on how to fill Forsythe’s spot at 2b and the market is also flush with players who profile well with the bat that could make the lineup even better than before the trade.

Internally, the Rays could platoon Nick Franklin and Tim Beckham, they could move Brad Miller from first to second, or they could move Matt Duffy from shortstop to second. The other shoe has yet to drop and the full impact of the Forsythe move on the 2017 club will be judged by how they make the next move.

Do the Rays sign Mike Napoli or Chris Carter to man first base and move Miller to second? Do they trade for Jurickson Profar of the Rangers and move Duffy to second?

It will be interesting to see how the team finishes their offseason as spring training is rapidly approaching.

Rays Finalize Deal For Tolleson:

Lost somewhat in the Logan Forsythe trade was the official signing of reliever Shawn Tolleson. He will earn a guaranteed $1M in salary and has incentives worth another $1.15M. Incentive details were provided by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times :

35 games: $50,000

40: $75,000

45: $75,000

50: $100,000

55: $150,000

60: $200,000

65: $250,000

70: $250,000

Tolleson, 29, is 14-8 with a 3.92 ERA (218-IP, 95-ER) over his five-year career with the Texas Rangers (2014-16) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2012-13). From 2014-15, he went 9-5 with a 2.88 ERA (144-IP, 46-ER) in 137 appearances, ranking sixth among major league relievers in innings over that span.

Rays Payroll and Roster Projection:

There are a few questionable names on the opening day projected roster. It’s doubtful that the Rays’ front office will be satisfied with Mallex Smith, Jason Coats, and Enny Romero all on the opening day roster.

Keep in mind, the Rays’ did draft Kevin Gadea in Rule 5 from the Seattle Mariners and will be taking a long look at him during camp. Also, both Mallex Smith (acquired in the Drew Smyly deal with Seattle) and Jason Coats (claimed off waivers from the White Sox) are more than likely ticketed for the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate Durham Bulls.

After trading Logan Forsythe, the Rays projected Opening Day payroll sits just shy of $60MM. This figure also includes the signing of outfielder Colby Rasmus to a one-year $5MM deal that has not been finalized by the team. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter) this is not due to a physical issue.

Colome’s Name Still In Trade Discussions:

Alex Colome‘s name continues to surface in trade rumors.

Colome delivered a sub-2.00 ERA (1.91 in 54.2-IP), striking out 11.3 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.4 batter per nine. He also added 37 saves.

He is also a year away from arbitration increasing his attractiveness on the market. The Nationals remain the logical partner. They traded for closer Mark Melancon last season but lost him in free agency this winter.

Former Rays’ OF Mahtook At Tigers Fan Fest:

Mikie Mahtook attended the Tigers Fan Fest and told reporters how he received news that he was dealt.

He also spoke about his desire to compete. “Any athlete wants to compete,” Mahtook said. “Nobody wants to be given anything. I think competition is good for the team. I think it’s good for everyone involved. It’s going to be fun situation.”

As for what the Tigers can expect from him? “I think they can expect more of what happened in 2015 than last year,” Mahtook said. “Last year was kind of an anomaly for me. Offensively, I think I’ll be an asset to us.” See an interview with Mahtook (Here).

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