Rays deal Forsythe to Dodgers for top prospect De Leon
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays on Monday 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 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jose De Leon, a 24-year-old righthander 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. His contract includes a $9 million team option for 2018.
“Replacing Logan Forsythe is not going to be easy. We recognize that,” Neander said.
De Leon made his major league debut in September and was 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA in four starts. He went 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 16 starts and 861⁄3 innings last year at Class AAA Oklahoma City, where he was sidelined for stretches by ankle and shoulder injuries.
The Rays think the young righthander is not far away from having a chance to join the big league rotation.
Odds and ends
The Rangers and freeagent first baseman James Loney agreed to a minor league contract. … The Giants are working to finalize a minor league contract with South Korean infielder Hwang Jae-gyun, who could provide some insurance at third base.