Must make trades for each American League East team: Tampa Bay Rays
Trade idea: Acquire Adam Frazier
The Tampa Bay Rays are only a handful of games out of first place in the American League. While the Boston Red Sox have been great, the Rays could easily catch them before the end of the year.
When it comes to hits, runs batted in and home runs, the Rays are essentially a middle of the pack team. They do a tremendous job in the pitching department as they are safely locked into the top 10. The biggest issue for the Rays is getting the ball in play. While their offensive numbers are solid, they are prone to going long stretches without getting anything going. Currently, the Rays rank 23rd in batting average at .231. That number places them behind the worst team, record-wise, in the Arizona Diamondbacks.
There should be only one player that the Rays target, Adam Frazier of the Pittsburgh Pirates. At the moment, Frazier has a top-five ranking in batting percentage, checking in at third with .325. He isn’t a big home run guy, racking up only four this year. In fact, his career-high in that department is only 10. Still, the Rays don’t need him to knock the ball out of the yard, they simply need him to put it in play.
The Rays aren’t exactly a title contender, but they could be if they can simply get a few more hits. No one on the Rays comes close to Frazier as a ball hitter. They desperately need him and considering that the Pirates aren’t going anywhere, Frazier desperately wants the Rays.