ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays have traded a key component of their offense for a young pitcher the budget-minded franchise believes can help it re-emerge as a playoff contender.
Second baseman Logan Forsythe was dealt Monday to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jose De Leon, a 24-year-old right-hander who’s viewed as one of the top starting pitching prospects in baseball.
Rays senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager Erik Neander described the opportunity to land a player with De Leon’s potential as simply too good to pass up.
“At the same time, it’s bittersweet,” Neander said, adding that Forsythe has been an important part of Tampa Bay’s lineup and the Rays had no intention of entering the 2017 season without him before learning they might have a chance to obtain De Leon.
The 30-year-old Forsythe’s departure leaves the team without a clear-cut plan for second base. He hit a career-high 20 homers last season, when he batted .264 with 52 RBIs in 127 games, and is signed for this year at $5.75 million.