Reese acquires Christian Bethancourt from A

Christian Bethancourt He said his goodbyes to his Oakland colleagues today, according to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (Via Twitter). A’s Bethancourt was traded to Rays in exchange for a pair of young dropouts, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Via Twitter). In exchange for Bethancourt, Rays sent a defensive player Cal Stevenson And the right hand Christian Fernandez To Auckland, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Via Twitter). Both teams announced the deal.

Bethancourt, 30, returned to Majors for the first time since 2017. However, his career began in 2013 with the Braves. Atlanta eventually exchanged him for Padres, where he played from 2016-2017. Up until that point in his career, Bethancourt owned a .222/.252/.316 streak across 489 board appearances. Since then, Bethancourt has been suspended in Triple-A – with Brewers in 2018 and Pirates in 2021.

This season, Bethancourt is back in the arena for the largely water-walking Auckland club. The right hitter cut .249/.298/.385 in 182 board appearances while catching and playing first base. He has also spent ten matches as the designated hitter.

For the Rays, they have a versatile defender who can handle the point of contact. Tampa loves defensive variety, and Bethancourt’s ability to move around the diamond will make it possible to keep at least three hunters on the roster when Mike Zunino Proceeds from injury.

Of course, Rays hasn’t taken much offense from any of the masques on the list. Zunino 43 wRC+ scored modestly in the plate before entering the injured list, with backup Rene Pinto Posted 27 wRC+ in 51 panel appearances and Francisco Mejia She tops the group with 74 wRC+. Bethancourt’s 99 wRC+ improves on this set, but more than that, it gives the Rays some depth in a position it previously lacked.

He thought rays had some interest Wilson ContrerasIt’s probably the highest commercial target available on the market, though Ken Rosenthal athlete Note a reservation by Tampa to drive high rental prospects like Contreras. The Bethancourt acquisition doesn’t necessarily knock Tampa out of the race for Contreras, but it does give it plenty of leverage in subsequent negotiations.

In many ways, Bethancourt is kind of everyone’s version of Contreras. It is an offensive upgrade that strikes with his right hand and can move around the diamond when needed. In his favour, Bethancourt doesn’t take on Contreras’ financial obligations, perhaps giving Tampa another reason to close this deal now. By taking this step today, Rays are giving themselves a month to reassess their situation and determine if a larger spray is needed.

eye rays David McKay for the mission to make way on Bethancourt’s 40-man roster. After spending most of the spring with the Rays, McKay signed up with the Yankees to start the season. The Rays demanded that he cancel the waivers, but he spent most of the season in Triple-A. He will now again be subject to exemptions.

As for Oakland, they would choose a pair of junior officers for a veteran who might not have been a good fit for their next competitor. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com This quote is provided by the Director Mark Kotsaiwho said “Christian has done a fantastic job while here. It is difficult to trade a player who has had an impact on and off the pitch. He has been a captain at that club. .. I am happy for him because he is going to a team that is in competition and in need of catching up.” Kotsay still has two catchers on the list Sean Murphy And the Stephen Vogt.

For Auckland, none of the players who will return are the best, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a future in the seniors. Besides, given the minimal investment in Auckland in Bethancourt, two small dropouts represent a solid return for the utility holder.

Stevenson isn’t one of the best, but he’s a fast enough player that his ability to play midfield offers a cleaner path than most, despite being 25 years old already. Originally a 10th-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, Stevenson has spent the past two seasons in the Rays ranch system. At Triple-A this year, Southpaw hit .265/.376/.353 in 203 board appearances.

Fernandez was originally signed by Rays out of Venezuela in 2016. The 22-year-old scored 2.79 ERAs across 58 tours for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs. He will go to High-A where he will join Doran Lansing.