Rays acquire veteran shortstop Hechavarria
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are in the thick of the AL East race and hoping Adeiny Hechavarria can help them stay there.
Tampa Bay acquired the veteran shortstop from the Miami Marlins more than a month before the trade deadline Monday, saying he’s a “Gold Glove-calibre” defender who’s also capable of making them better offensively.
The Rays, who open a series at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, ended play Sunday with a 40-38 record — 2 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
“We certainly feel we have as good a chance as anybody,” Rays vice-president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said, adding that Hechavarria, who began his career with Toronto, is a “talented player who’s going to help us win.”
The Marlins received right-handed pitcher Ethan Clark and outfielder Braxton Lee in the swap.
With Matt Duffy sidelined all season with a foot injury, Tim Beckham has been playing shortstop for the Rays. The former No. 1 overall draft pick is hitting .278 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs, but missed two of the past three games after being struck in the left hand by a pitch.
Hechavarria has been on the disabled list since May 10 because of a strained left oblique. He has played nine minor league rehab games in the last 10 days, Bloom said he likely will join the Rays in Pittsburgh and be activated “very soon.”
With the newcomer taking over at shortstop, the versatile Beckham likely will move to second base.
The 28-year-old Hechavarria is hitting .277 with one homer and six RBIs in 20 games for the below-.500 Marlins. He hasn’t made an error this year.
Hechavarria is a career .255 hitter in six seasons in the majors. Born in Cuba, he defected in 2009 and signed a four-year deal with Toronto in 2010. Hechavarria was dealt to the Marlins in a blockbuster 2012 trade that netted the Blue Jays Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson, among others.