Tampa Bay Rays have decided to add some badly needed depth to their outfield with the help of St. Louis Cardinals. Rays announced on Thursday that they have engaged in a trade with Cardinals, which landed them veteran outfielders Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena.
In order to get Martinez and Arozarena, Rays sent talented pitching prospect Matt Liberatore and catching prospect Edgardo Rodriguez to St. Louis. The teams also swapped picks, with Tampa Bay sending their 38th overall Round A pick to Cardinals and receiving 66th overall Round B pick back.
“This is a deal that we made because we have really strong evaluations on the players that we acquired,” said Rays general manager Erik Neander in a statement. “It’s a deal that strengthens our Major League club not just in ’20, though both these players certainly fit really well in our mix, but it’s something that strengthens us for years to come.
Martinez comes to Tampa with one year remaining on his deal but is arbitration-eligible through 2022, which gives the team more control. The 31-year-old played 128 games with the Cardinals in 2019, hitting .269 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs.
Arozarena, on the other hand, made his MLB debut last season, appearing in 19 games. He had a batting average of .300 with one homer and two RBIs.
While additions of Martinez and Arozarena will be valuable for Tampa Bay Rays’ playoff aspirations in 2020, they might regret parting way with Liberatore in the future. The 20-year-old, who was Rays’ ninth overall pick in 2018, posted a 3.10 ERA and 76 strikeouts in the minors last season while also allowing only two home runs.
