The Tampa Bay Rays addressed one of their thin spots of their roster Saturday, acquiring catcher Christian Bethancourt from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor-league outfielder Cal Stevenson and minor-league pitcher Christian Fernandez.
Bethancourt returned to the big leagues this year with the Athletics for the first time since 2017. In 56 games with Oakland, the 30-year-old catcher hit .249/.298/.385 with four homers and 19 runs batted in while backing up Sean Murphy. He spent 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis and 2019 in South Korea.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Betancourt, pitcher David McKay was designated for assignment. He is scheduled to join the team on Monday when the team starts their next homestand against Boston.