The Tampa Bay Rays don’t have the spending power of other powerhouses in the AL East, but they do focus on the trade market to improve their chances of making the postseason.
On Monday, they executed a minor trade, on paper, but one with potentially important repercussions for their playoff run.
“#Rays bolstering bullpen depth by acquiring LHP Garrett Cleavinger from #Dodgers. Mostly at AAA this season, has 47 Ks in 29 IP. Rays give up German Tapia, 18-year-old OF with DSL team,” Rays insider Mark Topkin tweeted.
#Rays bolstering bullpen depth by acquiring LHP Garrett Cleavinger from #Dodgers. Mostly at AAA this season, has 47 Ks in 29 IP. Rays give up German Tapia, 18-year-old OF with DSL team.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 1, 2022
Cleavinger hasn’t thrown many big league innings this season, but has shown he can be successful in the past.
He had a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings last season, for example.
This time, he has a 10.38 ERA, but he has only pitched 4.1 frames in the bigs.
A Talented Pitcher
In Triple-A, however, he owns a strong 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, striking out an impressive 47 hitters in the process.
If there is a squad that values organizational pitching depth in MLB, it’s definitely the Rays.
They understand that they have to keep significantly more than 40 players on the roster sharp and ready to play important innings, or pitch in Cleavinger’s case.
In the trade, the Rays are giving up a good piece for the future, a 18-year-old outfielder currently playing in the Dominican Republic.
The two teams know how to value, nurture, and coach talent, and they both know what to look for.
For the Rays, the need for a quality relief pitcher with projection outweighed their need to have a high-upside young player at the rookie level.
It may not be a flashy move, but Cleavinger could really help the Rays as they try to make it out of the tough AL East alive.
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