The Rays have agreed to a deal with the Brewers for power-hitting first baseman Aguilar, sending righty Faria back to Milwaukee, Jeff Passan reported ahead of Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. Neither club has confirmed the deal but the news has spread around the league.
First baseman Jesus Aguilar has been traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
The right-handed-hitting Aguilar, 29, is having a down season with a slash line of .225/.320/.374, but he hit 35 homers and posted a .890 OPS last season, a career year with the Brewers who were on a tear lead by former MVP Christian Yelich. The Brewers part ways with the first baseman who will provide a good platoon with the Rays at first base alongside Ji-Man Choi. The Rays have traded for utility man Eric Sogard in a deal with the Blue Jays and this move offers them a new power option for first base alongside the value of Sogard who’s having a career year.
Faria, who turned 26 on Tuesday, has a 2.70 ERA over seven relief outings this season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season. The buzz surrounding Faria is the team control that he brings to the Brewers, being able to keep him in the organization will only help the team in the long run. Faria is a long-relief arm for the Rays right now but could definitely move into the rotation according to Brewers executives.
The trade deadline has not produced a lot of big time trades, but with the elimination of an August 31st deadline, teams need to act now to ensure they get the players they desire now. As the deadline approaches and passes, teams will complete small moves to ensure they are in prime competition position as buyers or in a good state with their farm system if they are sellers.
