Tampa Bay Rays boost depth with Bethancourt trade from A’s
By Kevin Henry
Needing a boost behind the plate and in the lineup with catcher Mike Zunino on the injured list while also looking for depth at first base, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Christian Bethancourt from the Oakland A’s on Saturday in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers.
What the Christian Bethancourt trade means for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland A’s
The Tampa Bay Rays currently rank last among all Major League Baseball teams in fWAR from their catchers, registering a minus-1.8 this season (the league average at the position is minus-0.2). Francisco Mejia has the most plate appearances (152) of any Rays catcher this season, but he has posted just a 78 OPS+ while slashing .221/.230/.383. Meanwhile, Zunino, Tampa Bay’s Opening Day catcher for the fourth consecutive season, has not taken the field since June 9 while dealing with a left shoulder/arm issue that has been slow to heal.
Even before the injury, however, Zunino was off to a rough start to the campaign, slashing .148/.195/.304 in 123 plate appearances, showing just how much the Rays need help behind the dish.
That’s where the 30-year-old Bethancourt comes into play. He has bounced between first base (31 games), catcher (14 games), and designated hitter (nine games) in 2022, posting a .249/.298/.385 slash line with four homers and 19 RBI.
Bethancourt will likely continue to flash versatility with the Rays, but look for him to be inserted behind the plate quickly in the hopes of giving a quick lift to a position that desperately needs it. Additionally, with the Rays looking for a right-handed bat to pair with Ji-Man Choi at first base, Bethancourt checks plenty of boxes for Tampa Bay in what will likely be a dogfight in the American League East (behind the New York Yankees) for the rest of the season.
Oakland signed Bethancourt during the offseason to a minor league deal and he made his season debut on April 15, marking his first MLB action since April 22, 2017, when he was with the San Diego Padres.
Next. 3 outfield trade options for the Rays. dark
In exchange for Bethancourt, the Rays are sending a pair of minor leaguers back to Oakland. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports Triple-A outfielder Cal Stevenson and Low-A right-hander Christian Fernandez are heading to the A’s organization. Neither was a top 30 prospect in the Rays organization.