A couple hours ago, 2024 Tampa Bay Rays leadership met with 2024 Cleveland Guardians leadership to put the finishing touches on one of the biggest trades ever.
THE 2024 TAMPA BAY RAYS ACQUIRE:
STEVEN KWAN - LF
You loved Randy? Yeah? Wait to see how much you love this little guy. His name is Steven and he's a complete lovebug. We're going to turn him into Isaac Paredes with better contact skills and elite defense. This replaces the Randy wins at a MUCH lower payroll obligation. Oh, and did we mention he's prearb? Flap flap, baby.
FRANCO ALEMAN - RP
Franco Aleman's name reminds me of beer. He also has a track record of striking out other prospects, even though he's not ranked or really thought of as a "guy" guy. Hoping he can be an eye-popping stuff reliever for us in late-2024 or 2025. (Mostly his name reminds me of beer.)
THE 2024 CLEVELAND GUARDIANS ACQUIRE:
BRAYDEN TAYLOR - 3B
Taylor was a 19th overall pick, and he absolutely pummelled the ball in his pro debut this year. He is an immensely talented hitter but the strikeout rate is enough to separate him from our other top prospects and let him headline this massive return.
DOMINIC KEEGAN - C
Dominic Keegan has proven that he can hit well in the minors, but the defense is a bit lackluster. He seem like he should have an MLB career but not as a prized piece or starting backstop—unless the strike zone becomes automated soon.
MASON AUER - OF
If you asked us last year, trading for Mason Auer would've likely been a pretty tall order. Unfortunately he struggled with the AA level all year. Maybe it's just a blip on the radar, but with our renewed outfield prospect depth he could be included in this deal.
GARRETT CLEAVINGER - RP
Garrett Cleavinger is a prearb 30 year-old who's been serviceable but not great out of our bullpen. The Guardians demanded that we include a reliever, and this is an easy enough pill to swallow.
LUKE RALEY - LF/1B
Imagine going back to spring 2023 and imagining Luke Raley would be a hot commodity on the trade market. With a 130 wRC+ and okay underlying batted ball data, now it might make some sense. Likewise though, it's hard to imagine Raley being anything more than a league-average bat with limited defensive ability in 2024 and he's out of options.
Stay tuned for more 2024 Tampa Bay Rays news!
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