The centerpiece to one of the Tampa Bay Rays’ first rebuilding trades is now a part of his own deal.
The Rays have traded shortstop Willy Adames along with reliever Trevor Richards to the Milwaukee Brewers prior to Friday’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for pitchers Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen.
Adames was the key part in the trade deadline deal in 2014 that sent pitcher David Price from Tampa Bay to the Detroit Tigers. The 25-year-old made his Major League debut in 2018 with the Rays, and in four seasons with Tampa Bay, hit .254/.320/.420 with 43 home runs and 124 RBI. In 41 games this year, Adames was hitting .197/.254/.371 with 5 homers and 15 RBI.
Richards started the year in the big leagues, but was sent to Triple-A at the end of April. He was recalled on Thursday and pitched in the 10-1 win over Baltimore.
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.
