The Detroit Tigers deal for a past first-round pick with the Tamp Bay Rays

MLB Rumors: The Detroit Tigers deal for a past first-round pick with the Tamp Bay Rays.

According to statements from both teams, the Rays have acquired right-hander Alex Faedo from the Tigers. When the Tigers signed Tommy Kahnle last week, Faedo was designated for assignment. Detroit will receive money and minor league catcher Enderson Delgado from the Rays. In a related action, the Rays designated infielder Osleivis Basabe for assignment, which MLBTR reported here.

The Rays made a buy-low play by acquiring 29-year-old Faedo. Baseball America listed the right-hander as the league's No. 50 prospect heading into 2018, after the Tigers selected him with the 18th overall choice in 2017.

However, the big league outcomes haven't yet lived up to that prospect billing. Over the last three seasons, Faedo has pitched 175 2/3 innings with the Tigers, giving up 4.51 earned runs per nine. He has had a strikeout percentage of 20.9 percent, which is slightly lower than the league average. He was bumped off because he is now out of choices and would have struggled to maintain a roster position in Detroit throughout the season.

Given that they are forgoing a prospect and money to acquire Faedo, the Rays appear more inclined to keep him on the roster. It's possible that Faedo is currently looking for a place in the bullpen. 

Throughout his big league career, he has pitched as a starter and a reliever, although his bullpen ERA is 3.44 and his out-of-rotation ERA is 5.00. While not very impressive, his 9.3 percent walk rate and 22.6 percent strikeout rate as a reliever are better than his 9.9 percent walk rate and 20.2 percent strikeout rate as a starter.

He hasn't had many impressive punchouts, but his damage-limiting stats have been interesting. According to Statcast, his 34.4 percent hard-hit rate allowed in the previous season was in the 82nd percentile among eligible pitchers. His average exit velocity was in the 65th percentile, while his barrel rate was in the 76th percentile. In other categories, his 2023 figures were comparatively comparable.

The Rays, who typically like to shuffle pitchers on and off the roster on a regular basis, will find things a little difficult because of his out-of-options situation. According to RosterResource, the team will rotate six players: Ryan Pepiot, Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell, Shane Baz, and Drew Rasmussen. Pete Fairbanks, Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodriguez, Mason Montgomery, Mike Vasil, and Faedo make up the remaining seven-man bullpen. As of this writing, RR has the out-of-options Cole Sulser listed in Triple-A, and Montgomery is the only member of that relief group who is eligible for an option.

There isn't a lot of flexibility in the relief group right now, so the roster may not exactly shake out that way. However, spring performance and health may definitely change things. However, there will be a long-term benefit if the Rays are able to retain Faedo. He currently has just under two years of service time, which means that if he keeps his roster spot and hasn't yet met the requirements for arbitration, he can be controlled for five seasons.

Losing Faedo is likely to hurt the Tigers a little, but at least they were able to salvage some potential future worth from a player who was cut from the squad. 

The 20-year-old Delgado was a Venezuelan international signed by the Rays. Delgado was ranked as the 37th best prospect in the Rays system by FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice back in July. According to that article, Delgado's defense, especially his throwing arm, could be the main factor in determining his future backup catching position.

His offense receives less credit in the FanGraphs assessment. Over three minor league seasons, he has slashed.215/.337/.322, but last year he showed some improvement with a line of.259/.382/.400. He will be a long-term player for the Tigers because of his age and the fact that he hasn't advanced past Single-A.