The Rays have traded right-hander Matt Seelinger to the Giants as the player to be named later in last week’s Erik Kratz trade, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Seelinger, 24, was the Pirates’ 28th-round pick back in the 2017 draft, but he landed with the Rays as part of last summer’s trade that sent Adeiny Hechavarria from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh. This season, Seelinger opened the 2019 campaign at Class-A Advanced Charlotte, where he’s allowed 10 runs in nine innings of work.
Inauspicious start to the current campaign aside, Seelinger enjoyed a very strong year in 2018 when he posted a combined 2.80 ERA with 13.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.4 HR/9 and a 33 percent ground-ball rate in 45 innings of relief. He’s been a pure reliever who’s typically been older than the average competition he’s faced, but he does have 111 career strikeouts against 29 walks in 84 innings as a professional. Given that the trade in question sent a veteran backup catcher who’d already been designated for assignment to Tampa Bay, a relief prospect with a history of missing some bats and decent results against younger competition is a fairly reasonable return.
Kratz has seen just four plate appearances since being acquired by the Rays, but he should be in line for a fair bit of playing time with each of Mike Zunino, Michael Perez and Anthony Bemboom on the injured list. For now, Kratz will team with fellow trade acquisition Travis d’Arnaud to handle the bulk of the Rays’ catching duties.
Good luck Kratz. You still can’t hit and pretty soon you will have played for all 30 clubs!
12 organizations down and 18 to go!
2 more to tie the record!
But will he play long enough?
……More than you’ve played for as he runs to the Bank
Looks like a nice prospect for SF considering what they’re giving up.
Exactly. He’s a long shot to make an impact, but he’s at least got somewhat of a chance to make the bigs. That’s not bad a 38 year old backup catcher, and I like Kratz.
Crash Davis but with much more time in the Show!
Oops… I missed a word.
*thats not bad FOR a backup catcher
The giants made out like bandits here.
They gave Milwaukee Hinojosa for Kratz b4 the season, and now they trade Kratz for Seelinger. That’s not bad at all.
Hinojosa is the better prospect of the two.
I agree. 24 year old relief pitcher that is still in High A is not necessarily a great prospect. Is a prospect just no where near a top one.
A 24 year old relief struggling at A+ at that..
They traded a struggling potential utility man if everything goes right for a struggling potential middle reliever if everything goes right. This whole series of transactions didn’t net them anything.
Surprised the Rays had to give them anything… maybe cash or “future considerations”… Maybe the Mets can trade Bonilla?
Only 17 more payments to go!
mlbtraderumors can’t even keep up with all the Giants’ moves. Andrew Suarez called up and starting tonight.
Giants need to eat some of Longo’s salary, trade him and let Pablo play 3rd. Pablo is too good to sit on the bench and Longo is too bad to take his spot. Plus Pablo is younger and gladly plays for the minimum salary.
100% with ya
Longo’s beyond done while Pablo’s the best hitter on the team (numbers wise-currently)
I hate seeing Longo’s name in the lineup, but it does mean Pablo will be available to showcase his incredible pinch hitting late in the game…as evidenced by yesterday’s game
Let Pablo Pablo!
Only problem with that is Pablo’s likely too fat to play every day. We all love Pablo, there’s no doubt about that, but his current role gives him the opportunity to remain fresh for spot starts and pinch hitting duty. Everyday grind would likely wear him down quickly
You make a good point about Pablo being more effective when he stays fresh. I just get so frustrated with Longo. When the Giants traded for him and took on his massive contract, I thought it was an awful idea, but I also thought the Giants would at least get a couple years of effective play. The Giants have gotten absolutely nothing from him.
He could be suffering from lack of testicular fortitude
If Pablo lost 45 pounds, he might be in good enough shape to start twice a week.
Fellow Sufferers,
It is time for the MacAss Williamson update. Yep he stinks just as bad as before he was designated for assignment. Has there ever been a player with such little testicular fortitude? there are countless Giants who can hit 150 and play the outfield. Bring up Helilot and he will hit 150 and he has a better glove.
Someone else write the requiem for MacAss. I grow tired of watching and making excuses for the mysterious case of shrinking testiculars when he sees a major league park.
The Sacramento River Rats have issued a statement that they will be disinfecting their entire facility due to the malady of “shrinking testicular fortitude” Two latest cases confirmed are MacAss Williamson and Tyurown Shoelaces Beedy. The disease is said to be incurable.
The temper tantrums of the obsolete. If the Giants designated Derek Holland would anyone notice?.