The Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres made a significant trade late Thursday night.
The Rays are sending outfielder Tommy Pham to the Padres in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infield prospect Xavier Edwards. San Diego will also reportedly receive a prospect from Tampa Bay.
The deal sending Tommy Pham from the Tampa Bay Rays to the San Diego Padres is done, sources tell ESPN. Outfielder Hunter Renfroe and middle-infield prospect Xavier Edwards head back to the Rays. Padres will get another minor leaguer.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 6, 2019
Tommy Pham
Pham, 32 next March, hit .273/.369/.450 with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, 56 extra-base hits and 25 stolen bases in 145 games for the Rays in 2019. That was good for a 119 OPS+ and 3.7 bWAR
Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2018 trade deadline, Pham’s time in Tampa Bay may not have lasted that long, but he certainly made an impact. In addition to helping the Rays reach the postseason for the first time since 2013, Pham set a franchise record with a 48-game on-base streak and also joined B.J. Upton as the only players in franchise history with a 20/20 season.
Hunter Renfroe
The Rays will be replacing Pham with a more powerful bat in Renfroe, and adding pop to their lineup was a priority heading into the offseason. In 140 games for the Padres in 2019, Renfroe hit .216/.289/.489 with 33 home runs and 64 RBI. His 33 homers would have tied Austin Meadows for the team lead on the Rays.
That’s pretty similar to the line he’s put up for his career: .235/.294/.494 in 390 games over parts of four seasons. Renfroe doesn’t have Pham’s eye at the plate. He strikes out 28.1% of the time and doesn’t post high on-base percentages, but the Rays clearly like the power.
Renfroe, 28 in January, is also cheaper and more controllable than Pham. He’s projected to earn $3.4 million next season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season. Pham is projected to earn $8.6 million next year and will be eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.
Quick analysis of the Padres-Rays deal, which @Ken_Rosenthal said was close:
– Tommy Pham turns 32 in March and has less control but is high-OBP guy, which SD needs
– Hunter Renfroe has power, excellent OF D but a low OBP
– Evaluators adore Xavier Edwards, a dynamic 2B prospect— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 6, 2019
Xavier Edwards
The Rays also pick up a highly-regarded prospect in Edwards. MLB.com ranked him as the fifth-best prospect in San Diego’s farm system and the 72nd-best in the game. The 20-year-old switch hitter slashed .336/.392/.414 in 77 games in Single-A in 2019, earning a promotion to High-A. He fared well there, too, hitting .301/.349/.367 in 46 games.
Edwards doesn’t have much power, as he hit just one home run all season. However, his speed and contact skills are impressive. Edwards stole 34 bases this past season.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
