Rays traded JP Feyereisen to the Dodgers

10:18 am: Rai receive lefty minor league Jeff Peleg In the trade, Mark Tobkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

10:10 am: The Dodgers and Rays agreed to trade a right-handed serve J.P. Feyereisen From Tampa Bay to Los Angeles, according to ESPN’s Jeff Bassin (Twitter link). The Rays will take over a minor league pitcher in exchange for Feyereisen, who had shoulder surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined in late August. The Rays hired Feyereisen for assignment yesterday to provide roster space for their newly signed Zack Evelyn.

It’s a long game for the Dodgers, as Feyereisen remains in control during the 2026 season by refereeing. The Rays would certainly have loved to keep Feyereisen until this spring, when they could put him on the 60-day injured list and free up his spot on the 40-man roster. However, Tampa Bay also has a right Shane Buzz And the Andrew Kittredge He is recovering from Tommy John surgery and needs 60-day Illinois points when camp opens. As such, carrying all three through Spring Training would have effectively amounted to Tampa Bay running a 37-man roster instead of a 40-man roster for the balance of the offseason.

DFA for Feyereisen raised plenty of eyebrows yesterday, as the right-hander pulled off 24 1/3 scoreless innings for the Rays in 2022 before being suspended due to a shoulder injury that ultimately led to a recent operation to repair both his right rotator cuff and labrum. A year earlier, Feyereisen had pitched 56 innings off the ball to a 2.73 ERA, albeit with an inflated 14.1% walk rate that created some doubts about his ability to maintain that pace.

The now 29-year-old Ayman (30 in February) has not only improved his drive in 2022, but has brought his walk rate down to 5.8% – a better mark than the league average. Finally, Feyereisen has 89 2/3 experience at the big-league level and has hit a 2.31 ERA, a 23.8% strikeout rate, and a 12% walk rate. Still, if he can maintain any of his 2022 strides in terms of strikeout rate (29.1%) or walk rate, he’s likely to be a vital late arm for the Dodgers for three-plus seasons. And since he is unlikely to deliver much this season, his first trip through the arbitration process next winter shouldn’t produce a particularly large paycheck.

Bilge, 25, was the Dodgers’ 18th round draft pick in 2019 and spent the 2022 season pitching their first-class partner, posting a 3.66 ERA in 32 innings pitched and fanning 36.7% of his opponents — albeit against anxiety. 12.5% ​​walking percentage. The Belge was larger than average for Midwest League competition in 2022 — his second stint at that level — but earned praise from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen for his 96-mph heater and above-average slider.

The Dodgers have three spots open on the 40-man roster, so it’s much easier for them to roster Feyereisen right now, even if he now bumps them up to the 38. The lefty pitcher who has a penchant for missing bats and could start the 2023 season at the Double -A. By 2024, Feyereisen and Belge will likely be ready to work in the big leagues for their team, though Belge is far from a sure thing given his shaky leadership and history of eye problems dating back to an outsider. injury in his childhood days.