Rays Continue To Deal, Send Andriese To Arizona

ST. PETERSBURG (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays continued their dealing ways late Wednesday afternoon, sending reliever Matt Andriese to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a pair of minor-leaguers: catcher Michael Perez and right-handed pitcher Brian Shaffer.

Andriese appeared in 27 games with the Rays this year, going 3-4 with a 4.07 earned run average.  In his four seasons with Tampa Bay, the 28-year old went 19-22 with a 4.30 ERA over 99 appearances, including the team's last complete game shutout on May 14, 2016 against Oakland.

Perez is currently at the Triple-A level, having hit .284/.342/.417 with six home runs and 29 RBI in 58 games with Reno.  Baseball America ranked the 25-year-old the best defensive catcher in the Arizona organization.  He will join the Rays in Baltimore and be added to the major league roster, with catcher Adam Moore being designated for assignment.

Shaffer, a 21-year-old right-hander who was drafted in the sixth round in 2017 out of the University of Maryland, is 7-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 19 starts, including 109 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings with Kane County of the Midwest League (low-A).  He was ranked the 23rd-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization by MLB.com.  Perez was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2017 and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best college baseball player.  

The official release from the team is below:

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Tampa Bay Rays have traded right-handed pitcher Matt Andriese to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league catcher Michael Pérez and minor league right-handed pitcher Brian Shaffer.

Andriese, 28, is 3-4 with a 4.07 ERA (59.2-IP, 27-ER) in 27 apps (four starts) with the Rays this season. He has pitched to a 3.18 ERA (11.1-IP, 4-ER) in his four starts and a 4.28 ERA (48.1-IP, 23-ER) in his 23 relief appearances. Of his 23 apps out of the bullpen, he has gone at least 2 innings 16 times and at least 3 innings five times. Over parts of four seasons with the Rays, he is 19-22 with a 4.30 ERA (339-IP, 162-ER) in 99 apps (48 starts). He pitched a 2-hit shutout on May 14, 2016 against the Oakland Athletics, which remains the last complete game thrown by a Rays pitcher. He was acquired in a seven-player trade from the San Diego Padres in January 2014, and was selected by the Padres in the third round of the 2011 June Draft.

Pérez, 25, entered this season ranked by Baseball America as the Best Defensive Catcher in the Diamondbacks organization, and earned the same honor from the publication for the Southern League in its 2017 Best Tools survey. He has thrown out 34.8 pct. of attempted base stealers this season and 38.4 pct. of attempted base stealers in his career. He is batting .284/.342/.417 (62-for-218) with nine doubles, six home runs and 29 RBI in 58 games this season with Triple-A Reno, including .308/.357/.423 (48-for-156) against right-handed pitching. He has played in the Puerto Rican Winter League three times (2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15) and played for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League following the 2017 season. The left-handed batter was selected by the Diamondbacks as a high schooler in the fifth round of the 2011 June Draft out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over parts of eight minor league seasons, he is batting .246/.321/.396 (485-for-1,975) with 48 home runs and 285 RBI in 572 games. Growing up, his favorite player was Puerto Rican catcher Iván Rodríguez.

Shaffer, 21, is 7-5 with a 2.70 ERA (106.2-IP, 32-ER) and 109 strikeouts in 19 starts for Class-A Kane County this year, his second professional season. He ranks among Midwest League leaders in ERA (sixth), strikeouts (tied for second), innings pitched (third) and WHIP (1.08, second), and ranks among Diamondbacks minor leaguers in ERA (sixth) and strikeouts (tied for third). Over parts of two minor league seasons, he is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA (130.2-IP, 41-ER) in 32 apps (29 starts). He was selected by the Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2017 June Draft out of the University of Maryland, where he was a teammate of Rays minor league infielder Brandon Lowe for one season (2015). He was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur player in the country, as a junior. He is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 23 prospect in the Diamondbacks organization.

Photo: Getty Images


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