The Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Connor Seabold from Triple-A Durham, as first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. To open roster space, the Rays optioned righty Mason Englert to Durham and transferred infielder Ha-Seong Kim to the 60-day injured list. The team has since announced the moves.
Seabold, 29, is a former top prospect in the Phillies and Red Sox organizations who’s struggled to find his footing in the majors. He’s pitched in parts of three seasons between the Red Sox and Rockies, working to a combined 8.12 ERA in 108 2/3 innings. His 16.6% strikeout rate is well below average, though the right-hander carries a sharp 7.3% walk rate. Home runs have been his downfall; he’s surrendered a whopping 25 long balls in his career (2.07 homers per nine innings pitched).
That said, Seabold pitched well for the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization last year and has had decent start in Durham. He piled up 160 innings in the KBO last season and notched a 3.43 earned run average. Seabold punched out 23.8% of his opponents with the Lions and limited walks at a strong 6% clip. He’s pitched 27 2/3 innings with the Bulls this season (five starts, one relief appearance) and logged a 4.55 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. Seabold is sitting just 90.9 mph with his four-seamer — down from the 92.5 mph he averaged in his most recent MLB work — but is relying on the pitch less. He’s throwing more changeups and sliders than in the past and has notched an impressive 13.5% swinging-strike rate.
Kim’s move to the 60-day injured list comes as little surprise. There’d been some thought that in a best-case scenario, he could be recovered from last October’s shoulder surgery by mid-May. Late last month, the Rays suggested it’d be closer to mid-June or perhaps even July before Kim was ready. The 29-year-old hasn’t had a setback, but the Rays are taking his progression slowly and cautiously.
Kim signed with the Rays on a two-year, $29MM deal over the winter. That contract affords him the opportunity to opt out at season’s end. It’s impossible to tell which way he’ll go with regard to that decision until he gets back to the field and we see how he performs in the wake of a major shoulder procedure. Kim hit .250/.336/.385 with plus defense at three infield spots and plus baserunning across the past three years in San Diego. Once he’s healthy, he’s expected to slot in as the Rays’ primary shortstop, though his versatility opens up several paths to get him into the lineup, depending on the health and performance of the rest of Tampa Bay’s infield mix in the weeks ahead.
The move from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL is largely procedural. It does not reset the clock, so to speak, on Kim’s IL stint. He’s required to be on the injured list for 60 days dating back to his original placement on the 10-day IL. He’s already logged 47 days of IL time and wasn’t going to be ready for activation within the next 13 anyhow, so today’s shift doesn’t impact his expected return in any meaningful capacity.
Get well soon 김하성
Rays fans get ready for his 83mph fastball and no out pitch
I was surprised that TB actually spent money on Kim. Hopefully, he’s back soon. TB is normally very cheap
“I was surprised that TB”…I was too. The Dodgers got “Kim”, but not the one I thought they’d get.
Yeah, but it’s also the Rays, so Seabold will probably end up putting up a 3.50 ERA in a long-relief/spot-starter role.
No surprise on Kim not being ready until late June/July, that was the timeframe that the Padres med staff always suggested with this surgery. And the Rays likely expected the same. “The thought” that it would be April or May was generated from Kim’s camp during free agency off-season signing period.
Seabold was never a top prospect with the Phils. Before they traded him he had started to show a little something, but he never approached anything more than “if things go really well his ceiling is probably middle relief” status in Philly.
If Seabold gets more than 5 appearances for Tampa in the majors before being DFA’d, I’ll be shocked. He gives up so much hard contact every time he pitches; he’ll have to get really lucky to stick in the Tampa bullpen for more than a couple of weeks. I can’t believe he’s the best option from the farm to bring up to Tampa.
The best option is not always the option that gets called up first. Rays take things like control and overall development into consideration. Seabold is expendable. I suspect that’s why he is being called up now. The Rays expect a couple relievers back from IL at the end of May to early June.
Man, I forgot Ha-Seong Kim was on the Rays…
I can’t see Kim staying with the Rays next year, I just don’t see a way he could get less guaranteed money opting out.
Yes, this is homer-ism hopefulness, but I could see him doing another 2 year 30 million dollar deal, with maybe a 3rd year club option at 20 mil, and I hope it’s a deal with the padres.
If he aces that deal he’ll still be 30-31 when the next FA opportunity comes along.
I like Kim but have no idea why the Rays signed him. It doesn’t seem like one of their regular logical moves
The opt out makes it a losing proposition
Not necessarily. They can give him a QO and maybe net draft pick consideration if he signs with someone else.
I can’t remember what the split was for his contract for this year and next. At the time I thought it was a little steep for only playing half a year. What is a QO pick worth in terms of dollars and cents I wonder? If teams consider that pick to be worth enough then I can see your point. Wonder how much a QO will tamper down his market as well. Seems like the kind of player that would take a pretty good hit.
HSK is getting $13MM this year and $16MM next year.
According to MLB.com – As a revenue-sharing recipient, if the Rays extend HSK a QO and he signs elsewhere for at least $50 million, the Rays will be awarded a pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A. If HSK signs for less than $50 million, the compensation pick for losing HSK would come after Competitive Balance Round B, which follows the second round. .