June 16: The Rays announced today that Whitley has been added to the club’s active roster with righty Mason Englert optioned to Triple-A Durham as the corresponding active roster move.
June 13: The Astros announced that they have traded right-hander Forrest Whitley to the Rays in exchange for cash considerations. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com first reported that Whitley was going to the Rays while Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported the cash return. The Rays’ 40-man roster count climbs from 38 to 39. Since Whitley is out of options, they will need to open an active roster spot once he reports to the team.
Whitley, 27, is a complete wild card at this point. Selected 17th overall in the 2016 draft, he put up huge numbers in the lower minor league levels as a teenager, working around a 50-game drug suspension going into 2018. His performance vaulted him towards the top of prospect lists. Going into 2019, Baseball America ranked him #5 overall and the top pitcher on the list.
He has hit a number of speed bumps since then, largely due to injuries. Shoulder problems seemed to hamper him in 2019, as he finished that year with a combined 7.99 earned run average across various minor league levels. The minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020. He required Tommy John surgery in March of 2021, wiping out that season and most of the following year. He got back on the mound in 2022 but showed plenty of rust, posting a 6.53 ERA over his 40 minor league innings. In 2023, a lat strain limited him to 30 minor league innings with a 5.70 ERA.
The Astros added Whitley to their 40-man roster in November of 2020, to protect him from being exposed in the Rule 5 draft. He used up three options in those 2021-23 seasons. The Astros were granted a fourth option for 2024 but the clock was ticking, so they moved him to the bullpen.
He showed some promise in that role last year. He logged 34 innings at the Triple-A level with a 2.12 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was high but he struck out 31.5% of batters faced and got grounders at a 55% clip. He also made his major league debut, logging 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
He came into 2025 out of options and started the season on the injured list, this time due to a bone bruise in his left knee. He was reinstated from the IL on April 19th but went back on the shelf on April 27th due to a left knee sprain. He was reinstated in late May but didn’t last long before the Astros decided to give up and designated him for assignment. Around those IL stints, he has thrown 7 1/3 innings this year with ten earned runs allowed. He struck out eight opponents but gave out six walks, hit another batter and threw a wild pitch.
Whitley’s future is anyone’s guess at this point. The talent that made him the top prospect in baseball may be in there somewhere. He still averages in the upper 90s with his fastballs. But he’s now out of options and has proved so little. His major league track record consists of just 10 2/3 innings, which haven’t been especially impressive. He was good in the minors last year but has otherwise been hurt and/or ineffective.
The Rays have a strong reputation when it comes to developing pitchers, so it’s a good landing spot for him. However, they are also a contender, currently holding one of the three American League Wild Card spots. Since Whitley is out of options, he will have to produce some results in order to stick on the roster. If he does, the Rays can cheaply retain him for years to come. He came into 2025 with just six days of major league service time, meaning he can’t get to arbitration until after 2027 and isn’t slated for free agency until after the 2030 season. But as mentioned, those will be moot points if he can’t right the ship.
Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images
Idi Amin?
It’s still pretty early in the day to be drinking, is it not?
It’s 5-o’clock somewhere. LOL
“You can even ask Idi, he know what Amin”
– Poc Fu, Fu Schnickens, “True Fuschnick”
Uganda be kidding me…
Uganda be sorry that you said that…
Sounds like Whitley is about to become MLB’s new surprise ace. Those Rays sure know how to turn arms around. Of course, we can also expect an injury just his stock climbs.
Houston also has that reputation, so I’m not sure about that.
Houston basically didn’t even give him a chance. He dominated AAA for multiple months last season and they wouldn’t call him up. They gave him all of seven innings this season.
It’d be a miracle. Whitley has been in Houston’s system for TEN years. He was given more opportunities than any player I can recall.
Wish the best for him and hope he becomes the star he was touted to be.
The Mets have that reputation, too, since Stearns was hired.
I think it is safe to say we’ve had enough blockbuster trades for one day!
Is it too early to call Forrest Whitley the 2026 comeback player of the year?
He’ll be the best reliever in the AL next season.
I’m not convinced that he’s definitely done as a starter. This year’s injuries were a bone bruise in his knee, followed by a sprained knee.
Other than TJ surgery, Whitley doesn’t have a history of arm injuries. In 2023, he had a significant lat strain that kept him out most of the seaaon. Since 2019, Whitley’s only thrown 176 2/3 innings. IMO the Astros would have preferred to keep him but they’re in a playoff race. They can’t afford to let him “learn” at the MLB level, and he’s out of options.
NavalHistorian — I think the Rays are in a playoff race too.
Don’t you have to do something first before you can come back? He hasn’t done anything yet other than be a name on a page on Baseball America and MLB.com.
Daniel Bard in 2020 and Jonny Venters in 2018 were fringe major leaguers before winning the award
Daniel Bard pitched 4 full pretty good seasons, 7 years earlier. Venters pitched 3 full seasons, including 1 All Star season, 6 years earlier. Neither were “fringe major leaguers.” Forrest Whitley has pitched a grand total of 8 GAMES in the major leagues. They are not the same.
He didn’t say they were the same, but neither player were known commodities. Both had one good season out of the bullpen and then were out of the league for a period. Weird hill to die on.
But a damn fine hill to live on. Serious;y, both pitchers were high end major league relievers for very good teams. That is not what I would call a fringe major leaguer. And it is definitely a lot more than a guy with 8 career appearance with an ERA in double digits.
Had a 1.89 era last year in 32 appearances in AAA last year. Also not even arbitration eligible until 2028
Because he’s out of options, I understand why the Astros needed to move on from Whitley. They can’t have a guy in the pen they can’t trust in games.
But IMO Whitley’s not “done” in MLB. Between his injuries and the suspension, Whitley’s still technically a rookie. If he can just stay healthy, I think this is a great trade for the Rays. If anybody can get him back on track it’s Tampa.
Suspended for drugs or beating a woman?
This would have been a huge prospect splash just a few years ago.
Rays will turn him into an ace and then trade him for their 2030 future ace
Or their next Junior Caminero.
Or their next Wander Franco.
Or their next Christopher Morel.
Or their next Jake Mangum
Rays get another arm they can burn through.
Rays gonna turn him into a demon.
surprised dodgers didn’t get him if it’s just cash considerations
I think the Rays will try to sneak him through waivers in a couple of weeks.
If Tampa just had to trade for him he’s probably not sneaking through waivers at the moment. The fact that they did that shows they think some other team might claim
Cash considerations isn’t much of a trade though.
You’re probably right, but I would still bet money that he’s DFA’d within a month.
I assume he’ll get injured on the plane ride to Tampa
Indeed Forrest has hit his share of speed bumps, what with Jenny telling him to run so much.