ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Tampa Bay Rays Communications) — The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired infielder Ryan Schimpf from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league infielder Deion Tansel.
Schimpf, 29, has spent parts of the last two seasons in the majors, batting .195/.317/.492 (86-for-441) with 19 doubles, 34 home runs and 76 RBI in 142 games (126 starts; 66-2B, 58-3B, 1-LF, 1-DH). In his career, 67.4 percent of his hits have gone for extra bases (28-1B, 19-2B, 5-3B, 34-HR), the highest ratio in the majors (min. 500 PA) over that span (since 2016). In addition, his 12.97 AB/HR ratio over the last two seasons ranks sixth in the majors and third in the National League (min. 500 PA), behind Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton (11.74) and Los Angeles’ Cody Bellinger (12.31).
Schimpf began last season as the Padres starting third baseman and hit .158/.284/.424 (26-for-165) with 14 home runs and 25 RBI in 53 games (47 starts). Through the end of May, the left-handed batter led the Padres and tied for fifth in the National League with 14 home runs. He was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on June 9 and remained there through the end of the season, batting .202/.311/.475 (49-for-242) with 19 home runs and 44 RBI.
In 2016, Schimpf was selected to the Padres active roster on June 14 and went on to hit 20 home runs in 276 at-bats in the majors. His 20 home runs that season tied for fourth among major league rookies and ranked third at the time for a single season among Padres rookies, behind Nate Colbert (24) in 1969 and Jedd Gyorko (23) in 2013. All 20 home runs came from July 1 through the end of the season, leading National League rookies and tying Gary Sánchez (Yankees) for the most among major league rookies over that span.
Tansel, 23, has hit .280/.345/.392 (83-for-296) with four home runs and 43 RBI in 85 games over parts of two seasons in the Rays organization. He spent last season with Short-A Hudson Valley, batting .277/.336/.403 (53-for-191) with three home runs and 33 RBI in 53 games. He was selected by the Rays in the 32nd round of the 2016 June Draft out of the University of Toledo. He finished his collegiate career ranked fourth in program history with 247 hits and claimed Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in both his junior and senior seasons (2015-16) at Toledo.