ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays added another bullpen option on Tuesday afternoon and cut a player once viewed as their catcher of the future.
The Rays acquired right-hander Chris Roycroft from the Cardinals in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations, then optioned Roycroft to Triple-A Durham. To make room for Roycroft on the full 40-man roster, catcher Dominic Keegan was designated for assignment.
St. Louis designated Roycroft for assignment on Thursday. The right-hander recorded a 6.41 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 37 walks in 60 1/3 innings over 54 big league appearances for the Cardinals over the past three seasons. The Rays are hoping to work with him on more consistent strike-throwing in the Minors.
The 29-year-old Roycroft has some interesting traits, including a sinker that averages around 96 mph, an upper-80s cutter and a mid-90s four-seam fastball. Perhaps it’s no surprise, given his 6-foot-8 frame, but he also gets elite extension on his offerings. Roycroft was a solid bullpen arm for the Cardinals as a rookie in 2024, but he has struggled the past two years.
“Big guy, throws hard,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve shown that we rely on our options in Durham.”
Adding Roycroft forced the Rays to designate Keegan for assignment, which felt inevitable when he was optioned to the Rookie-level Florida Complex League on June 8. Keegan didn’t play a game for the FCL Rays, as he was sent back to their Spring Training complex to work in a pressure-free environment.
Ranked among the Rays’ Top 30 prospects earlier this season and he was highly regarded as a teammate, Keegan hit just .191 with a .630 OPS and 79 strikeouts in 214 plate appearances over 51 games for Durham to start the season. Logan Driscoll and Tatem Levins have been getting most of the work behind the plate for Durham since Keegan’s demotion.
There were always some questions about whether Keegan’s defense would allow him to be a front-line catcher, but his bat was never an issue. He slashed .285/.371/.435 for Double-A Montgomery in 2024 and put up a .735 OPS in Triple-A in ‘25. But he had a rough Spring Training and never got back on track this season.
Keegan could remain in the organization if he clears waivers, which would give the Rays a chance to keep working with the 25-year-old catcher.
“He’s had a tough season on both sides of the ball. We all love Dom, the person, and the way he carries himself, the teammate he is, the leader he is with the pitching staff,” Cash said. “We'll see what shakes out of this, but wish him certainly well and would like to see him kind of turn around this season. He's still a young player that has talent.”