For the second time in as many days, the Tampa Bay Rays have acquired an infielder. On Day 2 of the Winter Meetings, the Rays and Padres struck a deal – acquiring Ryan Schimpf.
After making their first deal of the Winter Meetings yesterday, acquiring Joey Wendle from Oakland, the Rays added infielder Ryan Schimpf from San Diego, on Tuesday afternoon.
The 29-year-old LSU product has spent parts of the last two seasons in the majors. He has a lifetime .195/.317/.492 slash-line with 19 doubles, 34 home runs and 76 RBI in 142 games. He provides versatility having played 66 games at second base and 58 at third. In his career, 67.4 percent of his hits have gone for extra bases. The highest ratio in the majors (min 500 PA) over that span.
In addition, his 12.97 AB/HR ratio over the last two seasons ranks sixth in the majors and third in the National League (min. 500 PA), behind Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton (11.74) and Los Angeles’ Cody Bellinger (12.31).
Schimpf began last season as the Padres starting third baseman and hit .158/.284/.424 (26-for-165) with 14 home runs and 25 RBI in 53 games. He was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on June 9 and remained there through the end of the season.
In 2016, he was selected to the Padres active roster on June 14 and went on to hit 20 home runs in 276 at-bats in the majors. His 20 home runs that season tied for fourth among major league rookies and ranked third at the time for a single season among Padres rookies, behind Nate Colbert (24) in 1969 and Jedd Gyorko (23) in 2013.
All 20 home runs came from July 1 through the end of the season. During that span he lead National League rookies, tying Gary Sánchez (NYY), for the most among major league rookies.
Heading to San Diego
In exchange, the San Diego Padres welcome Deion Tansel. He hit .280/.345/.392 (83-for-296) with four home runs and 43 RBI in 85 games over parts of two seasons in the Rays organization. He spent last season with Short-A Hudson Valley, batting .277/.336/.403 (53-for-191) with three home runs and 33 RBI in 53 games.
