The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired first baseman Jesus Aguilar from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Jake Faria. Aguilar, a six-year veteran, will head to his third new team after spending time with the Brewers and the Cleveland Indians.
#Astros acquire catcher Martín Maldonado from #Cubs, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
Tampa Bay Rays Acquire Jesus Aguilar
Aguilar’s Career
Aguilar started his career with the Indians in 2014. He would spend the next three years in Cleveland until he signed with the Brewers in 2017. Over his three years with the Indians, Aguilar obtained a .172 Batting average and 5 RBI. Aguilar only played a total of 35 games with the Indians, but things quickly changed the following year.
When Aguilar joined the Brewers in 2017, he played his first full season in the majors. During his first year, he batted .265 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. Aguilar had a breakout year in 2018, finishing the year with a .274 batting average, 35 home runs, and 108 RBI. He finished 16th in MVP voting and made his first All-Star appearance.
This season Aguilar is batting .225 with eight home runs and 34 RBI. While this hasn’t been his best year, Aguilar still poses the power to go deep and knock in runs. Over his last 30 games, Aguilar is batting .288 with three home runs and nine RBI. Expect him to bounce back in the second half.
What to Expect from Aguilar
Rays fans should be excited as they have added a right-handed power hitter into the lineup. Aguilar will fit in nicely at DH and will also be able to add depth at first base. He has also been used as a pinch hitter, which is a nice piece for the Rays to have in their back pocket. The Rays have done a great job at finding places for players to play, so the addition of Aguilar should be no different.
Aguilar also has one year of postseason experience, which will be great for a Rays team that has very little October experience. With his eight years of MLB service, he may also play a mentor role for the Rays as they have many young guys still learning on the job.
Overall this is a great pickup for the Rays. They add a power hitter into the lineup while keeping their farm system intact. Look for Aguilar to make an impact in the home run department on an already solid Rays team.
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