The Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a trade sending reliever Jake McGee and a minor league pitcher to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for outfielder Corey Dickerson, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. The Rockies were expected to deal an outfielder at some point this offseason after signing outfielder Gerardo Parra on Jan. 12.
#Rays saving more than $4M with this trade. Could apply it toward signing of Desmond. But are they willing to give up No. 13 pick in draft?
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 28, 2016
Initially, the deal looks like a great move for the low-budget Rays, as they’ll save more than $4 million to apply to other potential free agents. However, they gave up arguably their best left-handed reliever in McGee, who finished last season with a 2.41 ERA and 11.57 strikeouts per nine innings. The Rockies gain a solid piece to add to their bullpen, but per Rosenthal, they could wind up trading him at next year’s deadline if the right deal comes around.
It’s been reported that the Rays have interest in free agent shortstop Ian Desmond, and this deal gives them the flexibility to make a run at signing him.
As for Dickerson, the Rays gain a left-handed outfield bat with a knack for getting on base and some pop. Dickerson is just two seasons removed from hitting .312/.364/.567 with 24 home runs.
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Despite being limited to 65 games in 2015, the 26 year old still managed to hit .304 with 10 home runs. Some cause for concern in Dickerson’s game is his increased strikeout rate over the past three seasons, as it’s increased from 19.2 percent in 2013 to 23.9 percent last season.
Some believe that Dickerson’s success stems from playing in the notoriously hitter friendly Coors Field, so if Dickerson struggles out of the gate in Tampa, there’s the potential to platoon with either Desmond Jennings or Steven Souza Jr. in the outfield. Dickerson’s defense in left field is below average – as evidenced by his -14.1 UZR/150 in 2015 – so a move to right may be in order.
At 26, though, Dickerson has a lot to build on with a chance to shine in a relatively weak Tampa Bay lineup. And for the Rockies, it looks as if they’ll gauge the strength of the team before making a decision on trading Carlos Gonzalez in the upcoming season.