The Rays have officially promoted infield prospect Taylor Walls, as was originally reported yesterday in the aftermath of the club’s four-player trade with the Brewers.
This is one of multiple transactions for the Rays, as Tampa also claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Mets, then optioned Grullon and the newly-acquired Drew Rasmussen to Triple-A. Right-hander Chris Mazza was also sent to Triple-A after being activated off the 10-day injured list. Left-hander Cody Reed was moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot.
With Willy Adames off to Milwaukee, the Rays addressed their shortstop vacancy not by calling up uber-prospect Wander Franco, but rather yet another well-regarded Tampa Bay farmhand in Walls. Defensively, Walls has long been big league-ready, as he is considered a plus defender at shortstop and “widely considered the best defensive player at any position in the Rays’ Minor League system,” as per MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. Walls has also stolen 66 bases (though in 99 attempts) during his minor league career and hit .327/.468/.490 over 62 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
This is the fifth time Grullon has been claimed off waivers since September 2020, and the second time Tampa Bay has claimed him in as many months. After initially taking Grullon from the Reds in early April, the catcher was again DFA’ed later in the month and claimed by the Mets. Through it all, Grullon has yet to appear in any Major League games in 2021, but he’ll now head to Triple-A as a depth option.
Shoulder inflammation cost Mazza just under a month of action. The righty posted an 8.49 ERA over his first 11 2/3 innings with the Rays, after being acquired from the Red Sox in the February trade that also brought Jeffrey Springs to Tampa.
Reed only went to the 10-day IL on Wednesday, marking the second time this season that Reed has been sidelined by a numbness/weakness issue in his left thumb. Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that Reed has yet to see a specialist about the problem, though it’s probably safe to assume that next step is coming soon. The left-hander has a 3.72 ERA over 9 2/3 relief innings for the Rays this season.
Franco should have been the next man up…
Walls has held his own this year and deserves a call up. He’s also easier to ship back down to Durham for 10 days at a time as the Rays tinker with their roster.
The question to me is who are the Rays going to ship off next? Brujan is coming, Franco is obviously coming closer to July 1. Who leaves the 25-man?
Remember, this is the team where Jake Cronenworth was surplus. I feel like Walls could be in that same spot.
Brosseau?
I’m thinking Franco. His value is sky high. Might as well cash that in now.
Perhaps not serious. Perhaps.
Good question, I’ve been wondering the same. As much as I want Brujan up yesterday, they have quite the enviable logjam. They’re not calling him up to ride the bench, so they would need to move a starter. I’m on outside looking in here, but maybe you or another rays fan can provide more insight. The options seem to be:
Kiermaier: 11.16 mil (’21), 12.16 mil (’22), 13 mil team option 2.5 mil buyout (’23)
Lowe: 6 yrs/$24M (19-24) & 25-26 team option
Wendle: in 1st year of arb.
Margot: in 2nd year of arb.
Brett Phillips: Arb eligible next year, out of options
Arozarena and Meadows are both pre-arbitration. Wander is playing some 3B in AAA but mostly SS, so I think they’d like to keep Wendle. It makes the most sense for them to to trade an outfielder. My pick would be Brett Phillips, but I wonder if they might move Kiermaier just based on cash.
Phillips has had a good year, but I don’t know if he would get a big return; they’d love to trade KK, but not much need for a glove-first (sometimes only) CF. Lowe is heating up, but I don’t see them trading him. Brosseau may be the first guy out–love the guy, but a tough year and both Brujan and Wander are much better. If they could get something for Meadows or KK, I think they’d do it; Lowe can shift to OF.
It’s a nice problem to have: three hotshot, switch-hitting, highly-ranked prospects…all for the middle infield! I agree w an above comment–if they could get a nice return for Walls, he may be this year’s Cronenworth.
I could see them having to tie Brousseau to KK to make it palatable for someone to take that much money, and to free up roster spots. Maybe they take back an overpriced #4 starter type to help balance the money.
The Rays can’t move Kiermaier without paying most if his contract. The Rays overpaid him for what he already accomplished. He is an aging CFer who doesn’t hit much. The Rays aren’t going to make a deal without adding top prospects or paying his contract way down.
The Rays were moving Walls around the infield at Durham, so he will fit right into the Tampa roster Jenga.
Brujan is next, 2B and all three OF spots.
Wander seems to be rotated between SS/3B at Durham.
Not reason to call up Franco when Walls and Brujan are ahead in program and age. Don’t see a reason for 20 yr old Franco to come up yet as Rays need to make sure they control years 25-28 at least on him. I say Franco gets 40 days max this year!
Nah, they will want his bat in the playoff race. The latest I see Franco coming up is August 1. I do wonder if they will end up trading Joey Wendle.
For example, the Mets could really use a guy like that but they don’t have pieces to trade back.
I think Wander gets DH at bats this year. But who knows?
I don’t see them trading Wendle, he is too valuable defensively and offensively. But again…who knows?
I envy a farm system like this. Soon…
The Rays operate pretty much like the Pirates do…..but with tons of better decisions. It’s all about the competence of the front office.
In fairness to the Pirates, we can’t assess the current front office for a few more years. Cherington is not responsible for the sins of prior management.
The Rays eat up the International Market and they have the best development system in MLB. The Pirates need to follow that model to turn things around. Drafting players is only the beginning the real work is developing them to be serviceable MLB players.
Gruillon’s 6th different organization since September 3 of last year
Already went from BOS to CIN, CIN to TB, TB to NYM, and now from Mets back to Rays lol.
Will this site ever learn the Rays don’t play in Tampa nor are they called the “Tampa Rays?
They’re the Tampa Bay Rays, not the St. Petersburg Rays, and I see Tampa (alone) used once. I don’t really understand the problem.
Nope
Due to innings concerns coming off a short 2020 season – don’t think this is a season low market teams should go after a post season run. There will be teams who will expose pitching to high risk volume that could be costly for years to come. I see continuing to sell in prep for a 2022 more serious run! Don’t give up a prime years control unless you are going for it now!