The Tampa Bay Rays held their final workout before the start of the 2024 regular season Wednesday afternoon, and a pair of roster decisions have been made. Infielder Austin Shenton was informed that he has made the team’s Opening Day roster, while pitcher Jake Odorizzi will begin the season with Durham Bulls after pitching three innings in the spring finale Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
“We told him last night,” manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday about Shenton making the club. “We felt we better let him know because he’s got a lot of family in the northwest, and that’s a long flight.”
Shenton had a monster year in the minors last season. In 134 games spliut between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, the 26-year-old infielder hit .304/.423/.584 with 29 home runs and 99 RBI.
Cash said Odorizzi, who is coming back from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss all of 2023, will go to Port Charlotte to work out for the next couple of days before going to Durham to pitch in the Bulls home opener on April 2 against Jacksonville. He will be re-evaluated at that time as to whether the team wanted to add him to the 40-man roster or perhaps get one more start in Triple-A.
In addition, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that the Rays will find their backup catcher from outside the organization, acquiring Ben Rortvedt from the New York Yankees in a three-way trade that also involves the Miami Marlins.
#Rays find another catcher for opening day roster, acquire Ben Rortvedt from #Yankees in. 3-way deal with Marlins. Alex Jackson goes to AAA.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 27, 2024
Tampa Bay gets Rortvedt, who played in 32 games last year with the Yankees, while sending minor-league outfielder Shane Sasaki to the Marlins. The Yankees will receive infielder Jon Berti from Miami in the deal.
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.
