ATLANTA -- There is always a rush immediately after the Trade Deadline to name winners and losers. It’s a short-sighted exercise, if only because so many deals involve prospects who are years away from the Majors. Those lists also tend to evaluate teams based on what the players they acquired have done, without giving them time to show what they will do.
The Rays received generally positive reviews in the immediate aftermath of the Aug. 3 Deadline, with MLB.com’s Travis Sawchik among those who classified Tampa Bay as one of the biggest “winners.” With a month of hindsight, it seems even more apparent that their aggressive approach in upgrading their Major League roster was well worth it.
Catcher Liam Hicks, acquired from the Marlins, has been arguably the best all-around hitter to change teams. Reliever Tyler Wells, brought over from the Orioles, has been a huge addition to Tampa Bay’s late-inning bullpen mix. And starter Freddy Peralta, jettisoned by the Mets, has rediscovered his delivery, his fastball and his confidence in a new uniform.
Here is a look at what those three have done since joining the Rays and how they could continue to benefit the team down the stretch -- and into October.
Liam Hicks
MLB.com’s Brian Murphy recently ranked Hicks as the third-most impactful player traded at the Deadline, behind starters Tyler Mahle (Braves) and Clay Holmes (Cubs) and, yes, one spot ahead of the Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal.
Hicks has been that good for the Rays, as he’s proven to be exactly the kind of hitter they needed to lengthen their lineup. A few hours after the Deadline, president of baseball operations Erik Neander said the club saw Hicks as a sort of bridge between the “Big Three” atop the order -- Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero -- and the contact-oriented, keep-the-line-moving bottom of the lineup.
He’s been just that. Hicks’ combination of contact, on-base ability and power has made it a “Big Four” for opposing pitchers to navigate, with a .313/.398/.475 slash line to go along with three homers, 14 RBIs and more walks (10) than strikeouts (nine) in his first 26 games with the team.
There were some questions about how Hicks would handle things behind the plate, as the Marlins were using him mostly at first base and DH, but the early reviews have been positive. Plus, the Rays have found ways to manage his workload by continuing to start Nick Fortes and carrying rookie Kenny Piper as a late-inning/high-leverage defensive replacement.
Tyler Wells
The Rays had a pretty good thing going in their bullpen at the time they acquired Wells, but look no further for proof they needed him than this past weekend in Texas.
With lefty Garrett Cleavinger struggling and eventually landing on the injured list, All-Star closer Bryan Baker unavailable due to an illness and some huge outs to get at the end of the games Friday and Saturday, manager Kevin Cash turned to Wells. The 32-year-old former Oriole picked up the save Friday and worked two innings to earn the win Saturday, continuing an excellent run with Tampa Bay.
Wells is 2-0 with a pair of saves, a 1.69 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 16 innings over 12 appearances for the Rays. The former starter has worked more than one inning in five of those outings, giving Cash yet another high-leverage weapon alongside Baker, right-hander Kevin Kelly and left-hander Cam Booser.
Wells’ deep pitch mix and impeccable command make him a trustworthy option against right-handed and left-handed hitters, and his poise in big situations could help the Rays shorten games the rest of the way.
Freddy Peralta
The Rays began their busy Trade Deadline by acquiring Peralta from the Mets, ending his disappointing stint in New York and giving him a chance to bounce back before reaching free agency this offseason.
It wasn’t a perfectly smooth transition. The right-hander gave up seven runs on nine hits while working only 3 2/3 innings in his Rays debut at Coors Field on Aug. 4. But he made a quality start against the A’s in his second start, showed some encouraging signs in his next two starts against the Orioles, then put it all together against the Tigers and Mets, allowing just one run over 12 innings in those two outings.
If nothing else, having Peralta available now is huge for the Rays. They were nearing the point of having six starters for five spots, but Shane McClanahan’s recent injury negated that potential issue. Having deepened their rotation by acquiring Peralta last month, though, the Rays can keep rolling out five starters down the stretch.
If Peralta continues to build on what he’s done lately, it’s not hard to imagine that version of him starting a postseason game for the Rays. They’ll have options to consider with Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax and McClanahan (if healthy) also in the mix.