It turns out the acquisition of first baseman Jordan Luplow was indeed a rental for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay on Friday dealt Luplow to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor-league infielder Ronny Simon.
The 28-year-old was acquired from the Cleveland Indians on July 31, and gave the Rays a right-handed bat and option at first base. He hit .246/.319/.477 with four home runs and eight RBI in 25 games during the regular season, and added a grand slam off Boston’s Chris Sale in Game 2 of the 2021 ALDS.
Simon is a 21-year-old switch-hitting infielder who played in 97 games between Low-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro. He hit .245/.329/.454 with 17 home runs, 63 RBI, and 19 stolen bases while playing second base, third base, and shortstop.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
