The Rays have released infielder Rickie Weeks to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for newly acquired Sergio Romo, the team announced. Weeks had been on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, though he’d been on a rehab assignment in Triple-A. Andrew Kittredge has been optioned to Triple-A Durham to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Weeks, 34, hit .216/.321/.340 in 112 plate appearances with the Rays earlier this season, totaling 90 innings at first base in his lone action on defense. Weeks was brought in largely due to his track record of success against left-handed pitching, but he stumbled to a .176/.333/.275 through 63 plate appearances. Weeks had a solid campaign at the plate as recently as 2016 with the D-backs (.239/.327/.450) and has handled lefties well throughout his career, so he could latch on elsewhere as a minor league signee.
Romo, who had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers, was acquired by the Rays on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
It’s crazy how a career can decline so fast, for a 3 to 4 year span there, he was one of the most feared second baseman to pitch to in the game. Him, Fielder, Braun, Corey Hart and Nyjer Morgan were fun to watch.
Steroids will do that
no proof
He was tested throughout his career. Jeez. I get so tired of this nonsense.
How do you know he was even tested once?
Everyone is
At the min during the regular season and again before playoffs start
You think guys haven’t found ways to get around testing? I’m sorry but wasn’t A-Rod tested his whole career? And then admitted to using?
It’s why it’s stupid to hear someone get caught when so many do it without. Not just baseball either.
No kylewait89 A-Roid unfortunately was not tested throughout his career
Every player is tested, at minimum, four times per season and once in the offseason (if they’re under contract). Some players are tested more often.
Nothing about Nyjer Morgan and his antics was “fun” to watch.
“Morgan base hit up the middle and the Brewers are moving on!” That was fun to watch
What!??? Dude Nyjer Morgan was the man!
Nyjer Morgan was a douchebag
The comments on here are ridiculous. Steroids. First off before you make a comment like, maybe do some research. Rickie Weeks career declined from all of his wrist injuries. He had one of the quickest bats when he came up. After injuring both wrists multiple times, you will never have the same bat speed.
I do not recall him being feared
Weeks was never that good and hardly a feared hitter, idk where u get your info from but someone who was the #2 pick in the draft in 2003 one would expect more production out of him
Nah. There’s a ton of #2 picks that never even played in the majors. 90 % of all players ever drafted will never make the majors, so to have even Weeks’ career is a win.
“Andrew Kittredge has been optioned to Triple-A Durham to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.”
Is this supposed to be the 25-man roster, not 40?
I wouldn’t be completely shocked if this was the end of the line for Weeks. 2016, he was ok as a bench guy, however, going back to 2012, he’s a .229/.324/.393 hitter (93 OPS+) while playing well below average defense (-7.6 dWAR since 2012) and overall, has been worth -1.5 WAR in that time span.
He had a nice run in Milwaukee back in the day though.
.239 Is not solid
With the new sabermetrics I suppose the .450 slugging was what he referred to. I agree….nothing special.
A 777 OPS for a middle infielder/bench player is pretty good. It’s not 1965 anymore. Batting average is maybe the worst way to measure a player’s value.
.284 against lefties…sounds like a useful bench guy to me.
.239 avg. is a solid campaign in 2016 ??? Good writing ….
He had a great sugging percentage you nitwit. Batting average isnt the end all be all of offensive capability
Yeah, that was necessary… and calling someone a nitwit for no reason isn’t good for your “sugging percentage”.
You seem confused, connfyoozed.
Typical Sabermetrics guy. Nitpicks stats, and calls people names for thinking the number of hits per AB you get don’t mean anything.
You don’t have to be a saber metrics person to realize batting average is a flawed stat that is way overrated
It wasnt for no reason. He was insulting the writer for saying his 2016 was good based solely off his low batting average which is a flawed way of looking at it.
obp over .320 is nice
Its not that nice.
Your face isn’t that nice
.327 OBP and .450 slugging are pretty good. Nobody looks at average as the end all/be all anymore
Nobody except half the posters here anyway.
LOL preach
stop looking at average to judge someone
Weeks’ weeks in the major leagues have been numbered for a while now.
wah-waah.
He looked terribly out of shape. Good spring but couldn’t hit anything when the bell rung.
A’s should pick him up, but I know they hate the Weeks’ family
Last of a dying breed, you don’t see second baseman like he was anymore. Short stocky guys with middle of the order pop. He and Dan Uggla looked like Strong Saftey’s in the NFL playing second base where normally you have a little guy with little to – no pop playing there.
If this is the end of the road he carved out a nice little career for himself.
How Rickie is solid and here in the same site other writer said Puig .263.323.416 is mediocre?
.750 ops for a corner outfielder is pretty mediocre
A .284/.368/.642 from the left side line for a bench player isn’t bad.
Puig was an everyday player in a prominent role hitting just above .260. In losses he hit a messily .185, again as a starter.
Not comparing apples to apples here. Bench vs. starter.
I can’t believe there is this much talk about Rickie Weeks and Nyjer Morgan. Both mediocre players at best while in their prime.
Perhaps, but both were solid contributors to a 2011 Brewers’ divisional run. Nyjer was a D-Bag to some, and a sparkplug to a surging young team to others. it’s probably a little bit from columns A and B. Weeks was, in his Prime, pre-injuries, a top-10 @B.
Honestly had no idea he was even still playing professionally. Let alone still at the major league level
I love how a solid campaign equates to .239 BA and .325 OBP, amazing!