Tampa Bay Rays

The Oakland Athletics announced Saturday they traded catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for two minor league players, right-handed pitcher Christian Fernandez and outfielder Cal Stevenson.

Bethancourt returned to the majors for the first time since 2017 when he was recalled by the A's in mid-April. He's compiled a .249/.298/.385 slash line with four home runs in 56 MLB games this season.

Neither Fernandez nor Stevenson is listed among the Rays' top 30 prospects by MLB.com.

Bethancourt was a highly rated prospect in the Atlanta Braves' organization after signing as an international free agent in 2008. He made his MLB debut in 2013 and reached as high as No. 82 on MLB.com's list of the sport's top prospects in 2014.

The Panama native was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2015 and received his most extensive playing time in 2016, hitting six homers in 73 games for the Friars.

He became a free agent after the 2017 season and made stops with three MLB organizations, the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates, along with a stint in South Korea's KBO League before landing in Oakland ahead of the 2022 campaign.

With the A's in the midst of a rebuild, Bethancourt was able to earn a long-awaited return to the majors in a multifaceted role. He's played catcher, first base and designated hitter, and he even pitched a scoreless inning in a blowout loss to the Braves in June.

Now 30, he'll look to stick in the majors as an option off the bench for the Rays.

Oakland capitalized on Bethancourt restoring some trade value to add a couple of more players to its farm system, which MLB.com ranked 22nd out of the league's 30 franchises before the season.

Fernandez, 22, has compiled a mediocre 3.79 ERA in 72 appearances (43 starts) across five minor league seasons. That said, he's shown some promising signs this year with a 2.79 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 58 innings in Single-A.

Stevenson, 25, doesn't bring much pop (10 extra-base hits in 57 Triple-A games this season) but he carries some intrigue thanks to his on-base ability and speed. He's compiled a .407 OBP and 60 stolen bases in 323 appearances across four years in the minors.

Expect Oakland to seek out more prospects ahead of the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline with starting pitcher Frankie Montas, outfielder Ramon Laureano and catcher Sean Murphy among the team's veteran trade candidates.

The Tampa Bay Rays celebrated Pride Night during Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox, but some players on the team chose not to participate.

This was the organization's 16th Pride Night event at Tropicana Field. For the first time, the Rays added rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms, specifically the "TB" on their caps and the sunburst on their right jersey sleeves.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that "well more than half the players appeared to participate." However, pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among the players who peeled off the sunburst on their sleeves and wore the standard hats.

Adam was elected by team officials to speak about opting out of wearing the uniforms, and he cited religion as the reason:

A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision. So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it's just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it's just that maybe we don't want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who's encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It's no different. It's not judgmental. It's not looking down. It's just what we believe the lifestyle he's encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.

Veteran outfielder Kevin Kiermaier is one of the players who have a differing view, saying that he was raised to treat people equally.

"It's one of those things, my parents taught me to love everyone as they are, go live your life, whatever your preferences are, go be you," Kiermaier said. "I can't speak for everyone who's in here, obviously, but this is a family-friendly environment here at a big league ball field. ... We just want everyone to feel welcomed and included and cheer us on. No matter what your views on anything are."

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty voiced his displeasure with the Rays players who refused to wear the logos:

Rays manager Kevin Cash addressed the situation after Sunday's game, saying he doesn't think it will divide the team.

"First and foremost, I think the organization has done a really good thing to have Pride Nights supporting our gay community to come out and have a nice night at the ballpark," Cash said. "Impressed that our players have had those conversations and we want to support our players that choose to wear or choose not to wear to the best of our capabilities."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law earlier this year that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten to the third grade.

Despite the state government's apparent efforts to marginalize the LGBTQ+ community, the Rays have remained involved in efforts to support it. According to Topkin, Tampa Bay was "the first pro sports team to sign an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting same-sex marriage and joining the 'It Gets Better' campaign to fight youth bullying."

Saturday's Pride Night had an attendance of 19,452, while the season average for Rays games is 16,868. Sunday's series finale against the White Sox had a crowd of 11,162.

The Tampa Bay Rays are helping in the efforts to curb gun violence in the United States.

Ahead of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay announced it donated $50,000 to Everytown for Gun Safety's support fund, which it explained "is the largest gun violence prevention organization in America."

The statement also said, "We all deserve to be safe in schools, grocery stores, places of worship, our neighborhoods, houses and America. … This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes."

The Rays' Twitter header is an image with the words "end gun violence."

Both teams announced they will use their social media pages to provide facts about gun violence during the game:

Tampa Bay's donation comes after a shooter killed 10 people at a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, and another killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.

Following Tuesday's violence, Ryan Bergeron of CNN noted "there have been more mass shootings than days in the year" in the U.S. in 2022.

The Detroit Tigers have acquired Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes and a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick in 2022, the team announced Monday.

Meadows had spent the last three-and-a-half seasons in Tampa Bay after beginning his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Meadows "was getting prominent mention in trade talks" in recent weeks, so the move doesn't come as a surprise. The Philadelphia Phillies were among the teams that inquired about the outfielder, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.

The 26-year-old had a solid 2021 season, slashing .234/.315/.458 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI in 142 games. He split his time between left field and designated hitter, but the Rays have a little more flexibility entering the 2022 season, leaving Meadows as a possible trade candidate.

With an outfield of Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier and Manuel Margot, the Rays can possibly use Harold Diaz or even Yandy Diaz as their designated hitter with Meadows now in Detroit.

As for the Tigers, they needed more depth in the outfield with Akil Baddoo, Derek Hill and Robbie Grossman currently first on the depth chart at their respective positions. It's possible Meadows takes over for Hill in center field, or Detroit can shift Baddoo to center and put Meadows in left.

Meadows is under contract through the 2024 season and is set to make $4 million in 2022. He has two years of arbitration in 2023 and 2024.

As for Paredes, he can play second base, third base and shortstop. Last season, he slashed .208/.306/.319 with one home run and five RBI in 23 games. However, it's unclear how he'll fit into a group in Tampa Bay that includes Brandon Lowe, Diaz and Wander Franco. 

As the market for free-agent hitters picks up, the Tampa Bay Rays could entice teams looking for a bat with a trade for outfielder Austin Meadows. 

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Meadows is "getting prominent mention in trade talks" as MLB teams look for help in the outfield.

The first major domino in the outfield market fell Wednesday. The Athletic's Jayson Stark reported the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a four-year deal with Kyle Schwarber worth just under $20 million per season. 

The Rays have uncharacteristically been involved in several free-agent rumors. The franchise doesn't usually spend big money on talent, but after reaching the World Series in 2020 and winning 100 games last year, the front office apparently believes the window of contention is wide-open. 

Rosenthal noted Tuesday the Rays are "serious" about wanting to sign first baseman Freddie Freeman. It's unclear if their pursuit will pay off, especially with teams that have been willing to hand out big contracts talking to the five-time All-Star. 

Meadows could net a significant return in a trade if the Rays decide to move him. The 2019 All-Star has a .260/.333/.489 slash line with 70 homers, 225 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 375 career games. 

Outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Meadows has posted a well-above-average OPS+ in every year of his career. He is projected to earn $4 million this season through arbitration and is under team control through 2024.

The Rays have arguably the best roster in Major League Baseball. They can afford to push a player like Meadows in trade talks if they believe a return can help them improve at other positions of need.    

Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Tyler Zombro is planning on resuming his playing career after he was struck in the head by a comebacker in June.

Zombro told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he intends on attending minor league spring training and he expects to pitch again this season. He said he underwent a CT scan in December that revealed that the fracture he suffered had healed.

"They said, 'You're good to go,'" Zombro said. "So I've booked my housing for spring (training), and I'll be there."

A right-handed reliever, Zombro was pitching for Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate in Durham when he was hit by a line drive up the middle that was clocked at 104 mph. The ball struck him on the right side of his head above his ear, causing him to fall unconscious in a scary scene.

Zombro had to have 16 plates and 32 screws installed into his head "to stabilize his skull and reduce pressure on his brain," per Topkin. He also lost motor skills on the left side of his body temporarily and had his speech impaired.

Zombro spent about a week in Duke University Hospital before being discharged. He told Topkin that he's close to a full recovery.

"Within the next month to two months, I certainly will be 100 percent," he said.

When Zombro makes his eventual return to the mound, Topkin stated he will do so while "wearing protective headgear under his cap, a custom-fitted Kevlar-padded insert, with no other limitations or special treatment."

The Tampa Bay Rays will have to abandon their plan to split an MLB season between St. Petersburg, Florida, and Montreal.

The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reported MLB has struck down the idea, an outcome that is "sure to frustrate and stun team officials." The Rays were expecting to move forward with the strategy and pursue new open-air stadiums at both sites.

Almost everybody agrees the Rays deserve better than Tropicana Field.

The location is less than ideal since it's not actually in Tampa, Florida, and forces fans to put up with traffic coming to and from games. The venue itself isn't really suited for baseball, either, which anybody who has seen a ball carom off the catwalks can attest to. 

Constructing a new stadium in Tampa is proving difficult, however. The process has been ongoing for years with little in the way of tangible progress.

The "Sister City" plan emerged as an alternative. Team owner Stuart Sternberg told Topkin in December 2019 he had lost hope in remaining in the Tampa region on a full-time basis:

I'm open to any conversation. They'd have to show me why it would work. We did work previously, we spent years on it. Some of the really solid business leaders, earnestly, and in a caring fashion, tried to make it work. But if there's a genie in a bottle somewhere that wants to show me why it would work—I just can't envision it. You never say never, but I can’t envision it. It's less than highly unlikely.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsed the plan in February 2020.

"People continue to believe that the two-city alternative they’re exploring is viable and could be a really good solution for keeping baseball in Tampa Bay," he said, per Topkin.

Manfred added he's "100 percent convinced and, more importantly, the other owners have been convinced by Stu, that this is best way to keep Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay."

However, the split-season approach has always been met with a measure of skepticism.

Playing in Tampa and Montreal presents obvious logistical questions because of the significant distance between the two cities and the fact they're in separate countries. Fans in both cities may never feel the Rays are truly theirs, too, given the dual loyalties.

Then there's the matter of constructing two new stadiums. Topkin reported each venue was estimated to cost around $500 million or $600 million, and Sternberg said the Rays were projecting to average 25,000 fans in each city.

According to Topkin, it's unclear whether MLB's decision will lead Rays ownership to pursue relocation.

Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez's death has been ruled a suicide. 

Per TMZ Sports, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner announced Ramirez's cause of death. 

The Rays announced on Tuesday that Ramirez died at the age of 28. 

Ramirez's family issued a statement after the medical examiner's report was released, via Adam Berry of MLB.com:

The loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived. Unfortunately, we sometimes don’t see the signs. Struggling in silence is not OK. It is our commitment to honor our son’s life by helping other families. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child. We are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support. Our son felt loved by all of you. Thank you to our family, friends and everyone else far and near for the outpouring of love and support. God bless you! Rays Up in Heaven

A 28th-round pick by the Rays in the 2016 MLB draft, Ramirez played three seasons in the minors before being released after the 2018 season. He joined Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash's staff in 2019. 

Speaking to Josh Tolentino of The Athletic in April 2019, Ramirez expressed hope that one day he would get the opportunity to manage in the big leagues. 

"Hopefully, at some point, I will get a chance to manage a team or be a bench coach or carry on an important role like that, even if it’s something like coordinator," Ramirez said. "That’s what my goal is—to get into a coaching role like that and stay there for a long time."

Ramirez was part of the Rays staff during their run to the World Series in 2020. They also won back-to-back AL East titles the past two seasons, including winning a franchise-record 100 games in 2021.    

The Miami Marlins have reportedly acquired infielder Joey Wendle in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Craig Mish of MLB Network.

The Rays reportedly will receive outfield prospect Kameron Misner in return, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Wendle earned his first All-Star selection last season, finishing the year with a .265 average and .319 on-base percentage with 11 home runs, 73 runs and 54 RBI. He primarily played third base in 2021 but also spent time at second base and shortstop.

The versatility could be especially valuable for a Marlins team with a lot of holes after going 67-95 last season.

Consistency is the biggest question mark for Wendle, who produced a .786 on-base plus slugging in the first half of 2021 but a .687 mark in the second half. The 31-year-old was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2018 when he hit .300 in 139 games, but he has averaged just .260 at the plate over the past three seasons.

It was enough for the Rays to move on from a key contributor to last year's 100-62 record.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also previously reported Tampa Bay needed a trade to clear a roster spot for Corey Kluber. 

The Rays also receive the Marlins' No. 21 prospect in the deal, according to MLB.com.

Misner was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and has displayed a wide skill set in the professional ranks. The 23-year-old hit .253 with a .355 on-base percentage in 102 games across Single-A and Double-A last season, adding 12 home runs and 26 stolen bases.