Rays deal Delmon to Twins

The Rays completed a six-player deal late Wednesday to send AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHP Matt Garza, SS Jason Bartlett and a minor-leaguer.

The Rays also gave up INF Brendan Harris and minor-league OF Jason Pridie.

The Rays get Garza, who will go right into their rotation, and Bartlett, who becomes their starting shortstop. They also get minor-league RHP Eduardo Morlan, a 21-year-old who was 5-3 with 18 saves and a 3.10 ERA with Class A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain. He struck out 99 in 69 2/3 innings.

"It's a business decision, and it helps out both teams,'' Young said. "We had too many outfielders and one of them had to go.''

Young said he was "excited" to to join the Twins and would "go over there and help out their club with 100 percent effort.''

He said he was not surprised the Rays would trade him because "you always know if there's an offer they can't resist they're going to pull the trigger.''

The Rays were in serious discussions throughout the day and earlier seemed poised to get veteran reliever Juan Rincon, but concerns surfaced about his elbow, and Morlan was substituted in the deal.

"I haven't heard anything," Young said when reached on his cell phone mid-evening Wednesday. "Just gimme a call when something gets done or not done."

The key pieces to the deal is Bartlett, who would step into the team's starting shortstop role, and Garza, a talented 24-year-old right hander who likely would become the Rays' No. 3 starter.

The Rays are also close to working out a deal to sign veteran free-agent reliever Troy Percival, who pitched under Rays manager Joe Maddon with the Angels. Percival pitched to a 1.80 ERA in 40 innings with the Cardinals last season after coming back from arm problems that led him to a brief retirement.

"Percy has huge admiration for Joe Maddon and he's instructed me to kind of really roll up my sleeves and get something done within the next couple days," Percival's agent, Paul Cohen, said Wednesday.

Reports of the potential deal surfaced around mid-afternoon and Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman left Wednesday afternoon's stadium rendering unveiling abruptly, with his BlackBerry attached to his ear after telling the Rays PR staff he wasn't available for comment.

The Rays would lose a key piece out of their prized outfield. The 22-year-old Young hit .288 with 13 homers and 93 RBIs and made 16 outfield assists.

Garza was 5-7 with a 3.69 ERA in 16 appearances last season. Bartlett is a career .271 hitter, a base-stealing threat and owns a .967 career fielding percentage, but he is coming off a season in which he made a career-high 26 errors.

Harris, who hit .286 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs, opened his first full major season as the Rays starting shortstop, but was moved to second later in the season when questions about his range and durability arose.

"My phone's been blowing up all day," Harris said when reached on cell phone. "I haven't heard anything from Tampa directly, so I'm just waiting. I'm really surprised though."

Pridie, who was just added to the team's 40-man roster last week, was selected by the Twins in last season's Rule 5 Draft and returned to the Rays before the season. he had 14 homers and 26 stolen bases between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

In other Rays news, the team traded right-handed reliever Brian Stokes to the Mets for cash considerations. Stokes, who was 2-7 with a 7.07 ERA, was taken off the 40-man roster last week and designated for assignment.

Comments

[D-Ray Ray]

Stupid trade, the only reason a team gives a #1 pitcher who is a prospect is because he's either damaged or not really a #1. It's different when it's a $$ thing, this is not. DY is going to be a great player. He already hits for average, power #'s will go up as he reaches 25 y/o, could be a little more patient at the plate to improve OBA; his arm is top notch and his glove is improving. This the same team that passed on Ryan Howard for Baldelli??

[Love the Hot Stove League]

I'd like it better if it were E. Dukes, instead of Young in this trade, even if we got less, or had to give up a little more. As it is, based on most of the prior comments to this thread, this has a little of a Abreu(Young) for Stocker(Bartlett) feel. I'm assuming the Bartlett for better defense at SS argument refers to superior range over Harris, rather than superior glove(even though being able to get to more balls will often inflate the error total). Don't forget A.Friedman(presumably with some of G.Hunsicker's counsel) found Pena, Reyes, and Harris last year, and while those were bargain basement free agent pickups, it gives him both cred, & benefit of doubt consideration when it comes to talent evaluation. Unfortunately they can't all be Zembrano for Kazmir trades.

[Clancy]

Look, you can bring in Tom Seaver, Ron Guidry, or Jerry Koosman; however without relief pitching, you're still going to be in the AL East cellar. Especially with an ownership demanding you pull the starters after six innings to save their arms. Dumb deal, but that's why this organization has finished dead last nine out of ten years.

[Patrick]

Sorry, *pleasantly* surprised

[Patrick]

Die hard Twins fan here. I think you'll all be presently surprised with Garza. He's in the same class as Hughes and Buchholz. He's got a really live fast ball and once he realizes that's not the only pitch he has, he's going to be a stud. Bartlett is going to be good too. We all love Garza on Twins blogs but it seemed people were more upset Bartlett was going. He did have some trouble in the field this year but it was mostly mental mistakes. Release point, decision making, etc. He's fast and he has range. He's a contact hitter who will average near .300 once he learns to be consistent. Rincon... yeah, thanks for taking Rincon. Good trade for both teams, though I still think the Twins got the better of the deal. Young is going to be a stud.

[J]

Stefan is right, Delmon has probably been dying to get out of here since he was drafted. He has displayed signs of not being much of a team player, after he whined about playing center when we had so many injuries in the outfield.

The mistake too many small teams make is waiting to see if they can get better to resign their young talent. When they don't, they lose the talent and get nothing in return. This not only ensures we get something in return, but it betters our situation to sign other young talent in the near future.

Could we get more for Young? Possibly. But if Garza keeps improving, the prospect of Kazmir/Shields/Garza at the top of the rotation, with Price coming soon, that is very exciting.

[Marshall]

its decisions like this why they lose 100 games a year

[wow]

This deal is about getting Garza. Garza is a very good young major league pitcher. There isn't one Twins fan who is happy to see him go, even the one's who love this trade. But giving up Young to get Garza is too steep. If this deal is going to work out for the Rays, Bartlett needs to cut down those errors, and Rincon needs to pitch like he did pre-07.

Even though I think the Rays should get more for Young, this trade is about improving the team for next season. At least it's the first sign in years that the Rays are trying to improve now. Otherwise, they should just wait for Brignac, Davis, McGee, and Price, and keep Young.

The Rays pitching staff will definitely be better in 2008 with Garza. But for Delmon Young?

[Jon]

as a Twins fan I thank you for this trade.

[Stefan]

Young is talented,yes. He is also spoiled,surly,and is already counting the days until he is able to become a FA and leave.Getting Garza,who is a potential young stud stating pitcher, which in the long run, is a good trade for us.I'd much rather us keep,and continue to build with Crawford and Upton,than Young.

[David]

I really really really really really really DO NOT like this trade!!!!!!!

why give up Delmon Young for a shortstop (for defense) who made 26 errors last year and a reliever who is sometimes ok but really struggled last year. We have enough starting pitching, what we need are established, consistent relievers. In this trade there is nothing but more questions.

[mike]

In addition to the Young deal, the Rays are also moving toward a deal to sign reliever Troy Percival, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports.

Wow the Rays might make a difference this year if these things happen...

[Ray]

Absolutely stupid move by the Rays, but are we surprised? Let Delmon go with probably the best arm in MLB?

And a player that was 2nd in ROY votes?

Who they going to put out in right now, Rocco? That might last 1 game before he goes down again with another hamstring problem.

[RAYS FAN]

LOL -- they traded brian smokes to the mets!!! bahahaha! poor mets. hey at least we're rid of him now!

[frantman2]

Seems like the Rays aren't getting enough value here. You're giving up probably the second-best right fielder in baseball (behind Vlad Guerrero) and getting an average at best shortstop, a possible No. 3 starter and an average reliever? There's got to be more out there than that for Young. And who's going to play right field?

[Brett]

Garza is a stud. I just hope the Rays are not making this deal expecting Baldelli to be back healthy. We all know how that turns out every year.

[RAYS FAN]

sorry i don't think anyone can have a "reputation as a good fielder" and make a career-high 26 errors. bartlett is an average player at best who has stunk up the twins team. i bet they're glad to get rid of him. and now it looks like we're going to be without delmon, who revitalized our offense.

[J]

This deal does show big stones, but does not represent good value for the Rays. Long term, it would be better to hold onto Young. Develope Reid Brainac and the pitching prospects from within, as Bartlett's D is not that great--average at best. Does this mean Dukes is staying? If this rumor is true, this MUST be one of a minimum of three major deals to be made immediately. Kudos for the guts...

[brad]

we dont want those bums!

[keith]

adding garza will go a long way to stabilizing an already promising young rotation. excellent trade.

(for both teams, actually).

[mike]

Why include Harris? His stats seem to be better than Bartlett. Young is going to be a star, and a Young for Rincon and Garza would be a better deal for us, especially since Rincon had a bad year last year.