The Rays are in agreement with right-handed reliever Garrett Acton on a two-year minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). It’s a split deal that would pay him at the MLB minimum rate of $740K next season and a $775K salary in 2025 for any time he spends in the big leagues.
Acton, 25, made his major league debut last season. The Illinois product pitched in six games, allowing eight runs in 5 2/3 innings. While his small sample results were rough, Acton averaged nearly 96 MPH on his fastball in that time. Over 29 Triple-A innings, he had an impressive 26.4% strikeout percentage and a decent 8.8% walk rate. Acton has posted big strikeout tallies throughout his time in the minors, although the fly-ball specialist has also had trouble keeping the ball in the yard.
Oakland released Acton in the middle of July. He had been placed on the minor league injured list with an undisclosed health issue on June 11. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Acton had undergone Tommy John surgery. He’s likely to miss most of next season, explaining the two-year term on the deal.
Acton has less than one year of MLB service and a pair of option years. If the Rays add him to the 40-man roster at any point within the next two seasons, they could easily move him between Tampa Bay and Triple-A Durham.
Wonder if Tommy John gets any residuals everytime the surgery is named. He’d make a fortune in his post playing days.
But Tommy John is so much easier to say than Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.
Rays are going for it
You know it’s serious, when they sign a A’s pitcher
This is when Oakland realized that they screwed up.
I think so. He’s put up really good stats in the minors. I hope he recovers well.
They probably didn’t want to pay for his post-TJ rehab.
Tough Acton.
Only thing athletic about him is his foot.
Never heard of her
@yanks2 checking in to let us know he still doesn’t know anyone. Thanks for the update.
2025 reliever of the year
Never heard of him. But it’s the Rays, so I’m guessing 65 innings of 1.70 ERA out of the pen
Traded to Phillies with 4yr/70mil extension by AS break.
Hey if he blossoms & a team wants to give up a big return any team will say yes.
The sun sets over the Gulf as Bendix returns from a long day of partying down the St Pete strip to scour the waiver wire and dumpster diving section of the MLB free-agent pool. He rapidly logs into MLB.com’s database. Even in his inebriated state his fingers, familiar with the hop and skip across the keyboard, quickly enter his login and password. As he reaches for an Old Fashioned nightcap, he drools slightly at the thought of grabbing another aging, broken arm off the trash heap. Like a modern baseball Dr. Frankenstein, he looks forward to breathing life into another carcass chewed up and spit out by the baseball machine. And grinding it up and spitting it out in the name of the Rays pitching juggernaut.
“Ah…Acton…Tommy John Surgery…mmmm”
He licks his lips and sneers.
He’s found his man. Or…arm.
The wretched doctor fires up an email to his agent.
“I must have him. I must have his arm. He will be a beautiful creature in my stable of broken arms and souls. An undead organic pitching machine. Ready to pitch until his arm falls off again in the name of Tampa Bay Rays pitching meat grinder.”
Outside the St Pete high-rise, the maniacal laughter of the mad doctor can barely be heard over the gun shots and first responder sirens.
Another TJS resurrection story is written…
Another Tampa Bay Tommy John casualty is born, from cradle to grave. It’s written in the stars. The deal with Devil (Rays) is signed.
The payment, know to all by now, comes in the form of a future date with the surgeon. His second Tommy John surgery is already scheduled for late 2024.
But Acton, like most before, could care less. The brief bump in stats his stint with the Rays will grant him means he can have a better FA contract. All part of the Devil (Rays)’s dance…
*Neander