August 27: Brantly cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Triple-A Durham, per the MLB.com transaction log. It isn’t clear whether he’ll elect free agency or rejoin the Bulls for the rest of the season.
August 24: The Rays announced that catcher Rob Brantly was designated for assignment. Catcher Ben Rortvedt was activated from the team’s family emergency list in the corresponding move, and Rortvedt will resume his usual share of the catching duties with Alex Jackson. Rortvedt was initially placed the paternity list last week, but Bally Sports’ Tricia Whitaker reported (via X) that Rortvedt was moved to the family emergency list in order to spend a bit of extra time with the newborn baby.
Brantly’s minor league contract was selected to Tampa’s roster at the time of Rortvedt’s departure, and Brantly’s brief stint with the Rays saw him make nine plate appearances over three games. It marked his first Major League playing time since he appeared in a single game with the Yankees during the 2022 season.
A third-round pick for the Tigers in the 2010 draft, Brantly was traded to the Marlins in July 2012 and he appeared in 98 games with 356 PA for Miami over the 2012-13 seasons. That initial dose of playing time remains the bulk of Brantly’s MLB resume, as he has since received 109 PA in 39 games spread over seven different seasons, while bouncing around the league as catching depth. Tampa Bay signed Brantly to a minor league contract this past offseason, making the Rays the 12th different organization Brantly has been part of since the start of his pro career (plus he has been with the White Sox on two separate occasions).
This journeyman career has included multiple outright assignments, so if Brantly clears waivers and the Rays outright him to Triple-A, the 35-year-old has the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency. Brantly’s reputation as a solid defender who works well with pitchers could earn him interest from yet another club in free agency or on the waiver wire, or Brantly might just opt to remain with the Rays at the Triple-A level.
Does Alex Jackson have compromising pictures of someone in Tampa?
Right. Did he really do any worse than Jackson? My guess is he’s sent back to Durham, then becomes the 3rd catcher/bullpen catcher after September 1st. Will make a fantastic coach if that’s what he wants to do according to things I’ve read, heard, and seen.
Dude’s like Santa Claus. He comes around once a year.
What?
Like, from 1998?
Huh? Their first season was in 1998, 26 years ago. No one from last century is still playing on any team.
If I was a paying member of this website I would cancel my subscription, because they clearly don’t care when trolls like MickeyTheMod ruin the experience for everyone else.
MickeyTheMod is just looking for ways to annoy people for his own entertainment. Probably best to mute him if you find him annoying.
This site has turned into craigslist. Decent honest people getting trolled by people with no lives and no friends.
Man,if only there was a button you could hit so that you wouldn’t see any of an annoying person’s posts…
I’m going to guess that you mean not one Ray from Opening Day 2024 is still on the active roster but maybe you are just trolling.
But that’s not true, so…
Hey, maybe the Giants can claim Brantly and keep the catching carousel going while Bailey is on the IL.
I for one am shocked to find out that Wade Boggs at 66 no longer plays for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays or the Tampa Bay Rays.
I think Brantly accepts the assignment back to Durham. He’s Durham’s third catcher and has only started 18 games at catcher and about 45 overall (the rest at 1B/DH). He seems like the type who could become a bullpen coach or a low minors manager when he stops playing. Parts of 12 seasons at AAA, you really have to love the game.
the same bait only works in a lake until all the fish have bit. hope you have a some backup lures as you troll…
Change your user name, eh? Did you get banned for trolling?
Why are guys like Jackson, DeLuca, and Walls getting starts, let alone in the majors? Kinda sad this team was hanging around .500 for quite a while but don’t really care enough to put their best players on the field.
Because they’re cheap and have ‘good defense’. Jake Mangum is mashing in the minors but we don’t care because Siri and Walls and DeLuca all have better defense but can’t hit a beach ball.
Expected. But to be honest, him and Jackson are interchangeable. I’m hoping for a fire sale or DFA frenzy after this year. Rays have no hope except pitching and Caminero and some guys early in the minors.
I feel like it’s 2014 seeing this post
He must have accepted the trip back to Durham, because he’s in uniform, just warmed up the pitcher, and is in the dugout. My guess is that when rosters expand on the 1st, he may be called back. His hit profile, even with his 1-9 effort, was much better than Jackson’s has been all year. If he’d only hit from the right side, he would have taken Jackson’s spot earlier…
The same Rob Brantley that was part of the Miguel Cabrara trade? Interesting, didn’t think anyone from that trade was still playing baseball.