ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It was expected the Rays were going to make some moves as Tuesday’s trade deadline neared. After all, it was difficult to see them paying what each of three players would have been due in 2025.
Two of them were dealt Friday. Randy Arozarena was sent to Seattle in the overnight hours and, about 90 minutes before Friday night’s game against visiting Cincinnati, Zach Eflin was traded to Baltimore. Five prospects and a player to be named is the return haul. The Rays are also sending cash to the Orioles.
“It’s hard,” said winded Rays general manager Erik Neander of the trades. “We are a worse team today than we were 24 hours ago.”
Related: Trading Randy Arozarena To Seattle Could Be First Of Few Moves For Tampa Bay Rays
The irony is that Arozarena was traded to a team that went into Friday’s action a half-game ahead of the Rays (52-51) in the wild-card race. Alas, business is business.
“We have to make some difficult choices, and there was a lot of interest in these two players,” said Neander. “Based on the return, it felt like the short-term pain was going to be more than made up for with delayed gratification in our future.”
The popular Arozarena, whose Randy Land section behind him in left field had become a fixture at Friday home games, is making $8.1 million this season with two years of arbitration eligibility. Eflin is due $18 million next season in the final year of his team record three-year pact.
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Neander is likely not done shedding players. Brandon Lowe, who is making $8.75 million this season with two years of arbitration eligibility, could also be on the move. A couple of relievers – Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche? — might have new addresses as well come Tuesday.
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