The Rays opened a rotation spot this morning by buying and selling Aaron Civale to the Brewers. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions stories on X that Shane Baz will take that rotation spot, seemingly taking on Civale’s scheduled begin on Friday. For now, the Rays have recalled reliever Justin Sterner to offer the bullpen an additional arm, as Topkin instructed they’d.
The recall of Baz is a reasonably logical subsequent step, because it strains up with reporting from final week. Katie Woo, Patrick Mooney and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Rays might make some beginning pitching out there, not essentially as deadline “sellers” however merely due to being able the place that they had a relative surplus within the rotation.
On the time of that report, the Rays had an enormous league rotation of Civale, Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, with Baz and Jeffrey Springs each nearing returns from Tommy John surgical procedures. The reporting indicated that the Rays might commerce one in all their veteran starters to bolster their system and/or improve one other space of their roster, then backfilling the rotation with Baz or Springs whereas additionally saving some cash. All that’s now coming to go this week. Civale and his $4.9MM wage have been traded to the Brewers, with the Rays including infield prospect Gregory Barrios to their system.
The membership is at present 43-42 and solely three video games out of a playoff spot, however the hope is that subtracting Civale whereas including Baz will go away the membership’s aggressive probabilities in 2024 comparatively unchanged or even perhaps improved.
Baz was acquired as a part of the lopsided deal that despatched Chris Archer to the Pirates for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and a participant to be named later, which ultimately turned out to be Baz. The younger righty was already a notable prospect at the moment, because the Bucs drafted him twelfth total in 2017.
His first full season within the Rays’ system was very robust, as he made 17 Single-A begins with a 2.99 earned run common. His 10.8% stroll price was a bit excessive however he struck out 25.4% of batters confronted. After the minor league have been canceled in 2020, Baz was much more spectacular in 2021. He had a 2.06 ERA over 78 2/3 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A, placing out 37.9% of batters confronted whereas giving out walks at only a 4.4% price. He additionally made his main league debut with three begins and a 2.03 ERA.
Going into 2022, Baz was thought-about the eighth finest prospect in your entire league by Baseball America, with different shops equally bullish. The Rays have been absolutely hoping for him to determine himself on the large league degree that yr however his well being bought in the best way. He underwent arthroscopic elbow surgical procedure to take away free our bodies from his pitching elbow in March and commenced the season on the injured checklist. He was reinstated in June and made six begins earlier than being shut down with an elbow sprain which ultimately led to Tommy John surgical procedure in September.
He missed all of 2023 whereas rehabbing and commenced this yr on the injured checklist as nicely. He was reinstated from the injured checklist in Could however optioned to Triple-A to proceed increase his workload there. He appeared to point out a little bit of rust early on, with a 7.71 ERA by his first 5 minor league begins this yr. However he’s been fairly dominant in his most up-to-date 5, with a 1.57 ERA in these outings.
Since Civale had a 5.07 ERA with the Rays previous to being dealt, it’s fully potential that Baz will have the ability to improve the present rotation, primarily based on the best way he was pitching in 2021 and the way he has seemed previously month or so. In complete, the strikes showcase how a membership can stroll a tightrope of each shopping for and promoting, because the Rays saved some money and netted a prospect that might assist them down the road whereas concurrently protecting their aggressive hopes alive right here in 2024.
For Baz, by spending greater than a month within the minors earlier than being recalled, his path to free company goes to be pushed again. He got here into this season with two years and 14 days of service time, due to his call-up late in 2021 after which two years largely spent on the injured checklist. However by the point he’s recalled to take the ball on Friday, it’ll have been greater than six weeks since he was optioned on Could 23, which means he received’t have the ability to get to the three-year mark right here in 2024.
He’ll be a lock for Tremendous Two standing on the finish of this yr and can due to this fact get 4 journeys by arbitration as a substitute of three, assuming he stays up with the massive league membership the remainder of the best way, however the earliest he can qualify without spending a dime company at this level is after the 2028 marketing campaign.
For the Rays, they may maybe make one other sequence of strikes like this, with Springs nearing a return from his surgical procedure as nicely. The lefty bought as much as three innings pitched in his most up-to-date rehab begin and may very well be prepared for reinstatement shortly. Even when they commerce Eflin or Littell, who can every be managed by 2025, the long-term rotation image seems good. Shane McClanahan must be again from his personal Tommy John surgical procedure subsequent yr and is below membership management by 2027. Pepiot is below management by 2028 and Bradley one yr past that. The Springs extension goes by 2026 with a membership possibility for 2027. Drew Rasmussen, who’s at present on the IL after final yr’s inner brace surgical procedure, might be managed by way of arbitration by 2026. Tyler Alexander is on non-compulsory project and pitching decently within the minors, with the potential to be retained by way of arbitration past this yr as nicely.
