The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins kicked-off the 2017 trade market on Monday afternoon.
At 6:15 pm the Rays made it official. They have acquired shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the Miami Marlins in exchange for prospects, RHP Ethan Clark and OF Braxton Lee.
OFFICIAL: The #Rays have acquired SS Adeiny Hechavarria from Miami in exchange for RH Ethan Clark and OF Braxton Lee. pic.twitter.com/MK2h7dlmwN
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 26, 2017
Limited to just 20 games so far this season due to a left oblique strain, the Rays are hoping that Hechavarria will return soon from the 10-day DL.
Over the last 10 days he has played in nine rehab games for Double-A Jacksonville and High-A Jupiter, batting a combined .320 (8-for-25).
To make room for Hechavarria on the 40-man roster, the Rays placed right-hander Diego Moreno (shoulder bursitis) on the 60-day DL.
One Hech of a Defender
Hechavarria has played six season in the big-leagues, five of them with the Marlins. During his tenure in Miami he posted a .976-or-higher Fielding Percentage each season. And you could very easily make the case that so far this season, he’s having the best defensive year of his career.
Make No Mistake
Zero errors have been committed this season by the cuban-born shortstop. Prior to 2017, the fewest errors committed in a season was nine – that was in 2015. He finished fourth in the NL with a .984 Fielding Percentage that year as well.
In 2014, Hechavarria led all National League shortstops (4.37) in Range Factor per game. Range Factor measures the total number of assists plus putouts, divided by the number of games played. Not bad when you consider that two of the leagues best shortstops, Jean Segura and Andrelton Simmons, finished third and fourth, respectively.
Not Known for His Offense
While his defense is certainly his calling-card, Hechavarria has shown plenty of upside at the plate. He brings a career .255 batting average to the Rays, but his speed is what stands out. Since 2014, his 23 triples are tied for 5th most in the NL.
Bad News For Duffy?
The news of the trade immediately throw into question the future of Matt Duffy in Tampa Bay. After being acquired from San Francisco last season, Duffy has yet to suit up for the Rays in 2017.
Once Hechavarria (oblique) returns from the 10-day DL, Tim Beckham and Daniel Robertson will likely split time at second base. However, the Rays then have a decision to make regarding Brad Miller (groin), who is currently on the DL as well. Duffy has been placed on the 60-dy DL and Miller will not be back until end of July at the earliest.
Prospects in Miami
The 22-year-old Clark was drafted by the Rays in the 15th Round of the 2015 MLB Draft. So far this season, he’s posted a 3-2 record with a 3.11 ERA, for Low-A Bowling Green.
Drafted in the 12th Round of the 2014 draft, Lee spent 2016 and 2017 with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. Just five weeks ago, Lee was the Southern League Player of the Week after posting a 478/.556/.609 slash line. In six games played, Lee was 11-for-23, with three doubles, two RBI, seven runs scored, and four stolen bases.
