Rays Make Second Trade, Dealing Andriese to Diamondbacks for Two Players

Tampa Bay made a second trade on Wednesday, dealing RHP Matt Andriese to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rays received catcher Michael Perez as well as minor league pitcher Brian Shaffer. Tampa Bay had dealt Nathan Eovaldi to Boston for LHP Jalen Beeks earlier in the day.

Perez, who was in Triple-A Reno, will be added to the Rays 25-man roster on Thursday, with Adam Moore designated for assignment. Perez was rated the best minor league catcher in the Diamondbacks system according to Baseball America.

Perez gives the Rays a left-hand hitting catcher to go along with the right-handed Jesus Sucre. Perez has thrown out 34.8 pct. of attempted base stealers this season and 38.4 pct. of attempted base stealers in his career. His overall slash line is .284/.342/.417 (62-for-218) with nine doubles, six home runs and 29 RBI in 58 games this season with Triple-A Reno. Against right-handed pitching, the numbers are more impressive at .308/.357/.423 (48-for-156).

Perez was selected by the Diamondbacks in the fifth round of the 2011 June Draft out of high school San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over parts of eight minor league seasons, he is batting .246/.321/.396 (485-for-1,975) with 48 home runs and 285 RBI in 572 games.

The 21-year-old Shaffer is 7–5 with a 2.70 ERA (106.2-IP, 32-ER) and 109 strikeouts in 19 starts for Class-A Kane County this year, his second professional season. A 6th round pick in 2017 out of Maryland and a college teammate for one year of Rays prospect Brandon Lowe, Shaffer ranks among Midwest League leaders in ERA (sixth), strikeouts (tied for second), innings pitched (third) and WHIP (1.08, second). Shaffer also ranks among Diamondbacks minor leaguers in ERA (sixth) and strikeouts (tied for third). Over parts of two minor league seasons, he is 7–5 with a 2.82 ERA (130.2-IP, 41-ER) in 32 apps (29 starts). Shaffer is ranked by MLB.com as the number 23 prospect in the Diamondbacks organization.

The 28-year-old Andriese this year was 3–4 with a 4.07 ERA (59.2-IP, 27-ER) in 27 appearances, four as a starter with the Rays. Over parts of four seasons with the Rays, Andriese is 19–22 with a 4.30 ERA (339-IP, 162-ER) in 99 appearances (48 starts). He pitched a two-hit shutout on May 14, 2016 against the Oakland Athletics, which remains the last complete game thrown by a Rays pitcher.

The move gives the Rays an open spot on the 40-man roster. It also creates room on the 25-man roster with Beeks expected to join Tampa Bay in Baltimore.