The Rays announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired right-hander Sean Poppen from the Pirates in exchange for cash. Pittsburgh had recently designated Poppen for assignment. Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster is now full.
Poppen has been optioned to Triple-A Durham for the time being but could see some action in the big leagues with his new club before long, given the regularity with which the Rays have shuffle up their pitching mix in recent seasons.
The 27-year-old Poppen has seen time in the Majors in each of the past three seasons (2019-20 with Minnesota, 2021 with Pittsburgh) but hasn’t found much in the way of success. He’s tallied 20 2/3 innings in the bigs but yielded 18 runs (15 earned) on 30 hits and 11 walks with 23 strikeouts. Poppen’s sinker averages 94.4 mph and has resulted in a solid 46.8 percent ground-ball in his limited big league action. He pairs the pitch with a slider and a seldom-used changeup, but none of the three offerings has been particularly effective against MLB opponents.
Poppen has had more success in the minors, where he sports a 3.39 ERA and a strikeout per inning in parts of five professional seasons — mostly as a starting pitcher. All 13 of his MLB appearances to date have come out of the bullpen, but it’s possible the Rays could look to stretch him back out, either as a multi-inning reliever or as a true depth option for the rotation. The Harvard product is a former 19th-round pick who has never been considered to be one of his organization’s top products, but he carries a respectable 3.88 ERA in 65 Triple-A innings.
Poppen fresh arm for the Rays pitching mix
And I’m sure his wife Mary will love to move from Pittsburgh to Tampa!
Because of her British sensibilities, I’m sure she’ll find Florida dreadful. And who could blame her?
Waz poppen
watch this guy be the next career nothing to go to tampa and suddenly show up on those “nastiest pitches” compilation videos
…and he wins Cy Young award 2022!
I was thinking the exact same thing Party! If I were a general manager I would always take a long pause whenever Tampa Bay inquired about one of my players that I thought I had no use for.
This makes Tampa Bay my second favorite team
And this makes you the biggest idiotic troll
It is extremely childish, but as a German, I love the name Poppen. It means the same in my language as the last name of a certain NFL kicker with the given name Sam…
Gruß,
BSHH
Poppen traded to Rays.
Poppen becomes the next Mariano Rivera.
Why?
Be concerned if the A’s or Rays are interested in your castoffs or marginal players. Both organizations have an amazing ability of turning perceived trash into potential treasure (at least in the short term.)
A fresh arm for the bullpen
#boothisman
D’oh boy!
Poppen might be a guy who tries too much at the MLB level and over thinks. Which could hurt any player when they can’t stay “loose”. If any organization that can turn a guy around, Tampa Bay is the place. If he can’t string it together with the Rays, he’ll be just a farm hand rest of his career or he starts a different chapter in his life away from baseball. I wish him well in Tampa Bay and I hope he figures it out. His pitches can be nasty at times
Then again. poppen fresh may just be a guy who sucks.
“When The Pittsburgh Pirates…sell you for cash…you know at that very moment…That BigLeague Dream you had when you sucked as a 18 year old who was scouted by some “scout” who couldn’t scout for the Lost Patrol…is OVER”
(‘Maybe he overthinks or tries too hard”
Lol. Now I KNOW I am back on a Bucs thread. Ahh…the excuses we make to “appease over paid/underperforming buffoons…just so “we can feel good that we gotta a team too”.
J…F…C!
“Maybe Raul Mondesi would have played harder for us..if we gave him more Hugs”
“why make Derek Bell prove himself? Didn’t you know he was actually Lou Gehrig all these years?”
‘Oh come on…Pedro Alvarez and Rod Barajas and
Chris Archer…werent THAT Bad! I mean…we DID sign Saint Sean de Rodrigue’…twice…just to keep em “happy” after the game. Nutting and Hurdleball didn’t mind either all those years
(And yet the team…still sucked).
Why is it…that so many of today’s flamers want to “make em feel GOOD” and worry if their wittle feewings get huwwt…at age 27? These are GROWN MEN. They suck.
Quit…coddling..them Pittsburgh.
If a player..a PROFESSIONAL (paid more in 2 years than you will see in a lifetime) can NOT “play in Pittsburgh?” Then GET rid of them.
Right down to the floorboards. Rip this thing apart and rebuild it.
(Which is exactly what they are doing)
By the time Poppen Fresh here, and his little “lets psychoanalyze ass” learns how to “not try so hard to throw a round shpherical object 60 ft 6 inches over that white thingy…baby steps across the floor…baby steps to the rubber. Baby steps ball in hand. Baby steps throw ball. Yay! Good job! High Five…33 year old!
That’s why Poppen Fresh here was sold fer cash.
By the time HE ( if ever) puts it together? He will be 33.
Too old…to begin the training. (Says Yoda)
And he gone.
Next up? On the action. Plunko
Get him outta here and every other 27+ year old scrub…and get MORE pitching. And more and more
Like an endless line of arms.
And the rebuild…IF you have a supply of young arms? Will turn it around
But Poppen Fresh here? 27.
He is a never was already.
Bye
Sean Poppen pitched very well in A ball and not so much in AA and above.
Pirates front office thinking… uh oh !!!
Bob Nutting( Pittsburgh Pirates Owner) favorite trades are for cash!!! He prefers cash over prospects that he has to pay.
I wonder if current major market teams started to prefer transactions of players for cash would get anyone at MLBs attention???
Woo hoo. There’s big news.
Poppen Fresh going to Tampa.
‘A landmark move in the annals of baseball history”.
What next? “Pittsburgh Pirates sign 10 year extension with the GREEN TAB in Verona. For exclusive coverage, see page 5 for Bucco News. Get yours today. And in NEXT edition…centerfold CLAY HOLMES in a full pictorial”
Ahh…the Bucs. “Makin Moves No One Cares About”