The Rays have acquired infielder Taylor Featherston from the Phillies in exchange for cash and placed infielder/outfielder Rickie Weeks on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement, the team announced. Tampa Bay also formally announced Kevin Kiermaier’s placement on the DL for a hip fracture and recalled Mallex Smith from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
The 27-year-old Featherston was not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, though it seems that the Rays may immediately be bringing him to the Majors, as Tampa Bay also moved Matt Duffy to the 60-day disabled list, thus opening a 40-man roster spot.
Once a Rule 5 pick by the Angels out of the Rockies organization, Featherston has spent parts of two seasons in the Majors. However, in that time, he’s struggled to an unsightly .156/.207/.233 slash in 197 plate appearances. The defensively gifted shortstop, however, was off to a considerably better start with Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley this season, hitting .270/.370/.394 with three homers and eight doubles. He’s also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Featherston has appeared at shortstop, second base and third base in the Majors, and he’s also seen action in left field and at first base in Triple-A this year.
I’m hoping that the Rays have seen the last of Rickie Weeks. Never seen a hitter swing and miss so much without hitting it hard when he does make contact.
Sorry to see him go. Feel like he’s been a aaa phils guy for forever.
As an Angels fan, “defensively gifted” isn’t even close to how he’s remembered. He was a waste of roster space. Dude has no business in the big leagues. It was his gaffe – the ball sticking in the webbing of his glove, that arguably cost the Halos a playoff spot in 2015 (that, and Houston Street’s spontaneous combustion).
Klentak trades him because fans are calling for Franco to be sent down, which he should be, and now there’s NOBODY at all in the system worth calling up to play 3rd. Typical phillies… Have cash to spend but trade away a decent player for cash when you dont have a lot of good players. I still send him down and send Galvis to 3rd,Hernandez at SS and Kendrick at 2nd base, than call up Williams to play LF
Tell me why Featherston is a good player? Typical Phillies? What a comical comment. You can do exactly what you suggested and still send him down. If you’re upset because Featherston was traded for the peanuts he was worth, I have no idea what to say.