Seven players changed teams in a deal that sent Alex Torres to the Padres.
The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired utilityman Logan Forsythe, right-handers Brad Boxberger, Matt Andriese and Matt Lollis, and infielder Maxx Tissenbaum from the San Diego Padres in exchange for left-hander Alex Torres and right-hander Jesse Hahn, according to a team announcement.MLB Daily Dish was first to report that Forsythe was headed to Tampa, with Torres likely part of the package going back to the Padres.
As we reported earlier in the week, the Padres had received calls from "a number of teams" who were interested in acquiring the versatile Forsythe. Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com noted that the Yankees were a realistic destination for him before the Rays became aggressive in recent days.
Forsythe, 27, hit .214 with 6 HR and 19 RBI In 75 games with the Padres in 2013, his third major league season. He appeared at five positions (third base, shortstop, second base, left field, and right field) for the Padres last year and will likely serve as a super-utility player for Tampa next year. He is a lifetime .241 hitter with 12 HR and 57 RBI in 228 career games.
Boxberger, 25, has appeared in 42 major league games out of the Padres' bullpen over the last two years, notching a 2.72 ERA in that span. The former first round pick was one of the four players acquired by the Padres from Cincinnati in the Mat Latos trade, but his ceiling as a prospect has seemed to decline since then. Because of his high strikeout totals (12.5 K/9 in four major league seasons, 10.3 K/9 in the majors), Boxberger could eventually become a late-inning reliever, or even a closer.
Andriese, 24, was ranked by MLB.com as the Padres' 19th best prospect following the season in which he compiled an 11-7 record and 3.27 ERA in 27 appearances (25 starts) between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A Tucson. He profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation starter due to his strong command, but may need to work on his delivery.
Lollis, 23, was 3-8 with a 4.62 ERA across three levels of the Padres' system in 2013, with struggles coming at both Double-A and Triple-A. The reliever appeared in 32 games for Double-A San Antonio, registering a 6.28 ERA in 38.2 innings of work. The former top prospect has struggled in recent years after being selected in the 15th round of the 2009 draft.
Tissenbaum, 22, hit .277 with 2 HR and 49 RBI for Single-A Fort Wayne last season after being drafted by the Padres in the eleventh round of the 2012 draft. The Canadian is a middle infielder who is listed as both a second baseman and shortstop.
Torres, 26, seems to be a good for the Padres, who have been pursuing left-handed relief help in recent weeks. In 58 relief innings with the Rays in 2013, he was 4-2 with a 1.71 ERA, and seems set to join a Padres bullpen that already added Joaquin Benoit earlier in the offseason. According to Padres' GM Josh Byrnes (via Corey Brock of MLB.com), Torres will work as a reliever in 2014, but the organization is open-minded to using him as a starter in the future.
Hahn, 24, was the Rays' sixth round pick in the 2010 draft, and was 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 20 starts with High-A Charlotte. He was ranked by MLB.com as Tampa's 18th best prospect after the season, and did not crack Baseball America's top 10 list this winter. According to a National League scout, Hahn "could be an impact arm out of the Padres' bullpen sooner rather than later. His profile as a starter is fringy but his fastball is legit."
MLB Daily Dish first reported that Forsythe was headed to the Rays and Torres was likely on his way to Tampa. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times confirmed Torres' involvement (via Twitter), and ESPN's Keith Law reported that Hahn, Andriese, Lollis and Boxberger were changing hands (AllTwitterlinks). Topkin then reported that a fifth player could be headed to Tampa as well (via Twitter), which was confirmed when the Padres announced the deal.