The Athletics announced that they’ve designated infielder Rangel Ravelo for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Matt Joyce, whose previously reported two-year deal is now official.
The 24-year-old Ravelo, originally acquired alongside Marcus Semien in the 2014 Jeff Samardzija trade with the White Sox, showed promise through the Double-A level but has struggled more in parts of two seasons at Triple-A. This past season, the Cuban-born Ravelo batted .262/.334/.395 despite playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and his overall work at the Triple-A level has resulted in a similar .265/.332/.391 slash through 528 plate appearances. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com rated Ravelo as Oakland’s No. 29 prospect on their midseason Top 30 list, noting that despite developing into an average defender at first base after moving there from the hot corner, his ceiling is limited due to the fact that he’s a right-handed-hitting first baseman without much in the way of power.
You can’t say that you can’t play 🙁