The Tampa Bay Rays had a sneaky trade deadline, they did not go out and trade for Zack Greinke like the Houston Astros opted to do, but the moves they did make are going to be very impactful. The Rays acquired right-handed starter Trevor Richards and right-handed pitcher Nick Anderson from the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-handed all-purpose pitcher Ryne Stanek and outfielder Jesus Sanchez. This move came after the Rays had already made the move to trade Jacob Faria in exchange for Jesus Aguilar from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Trevor Richards and Nick Anderson are headed to the Tampa Bay Rays for Ryne Stanek and Jesus Sanchez, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
The Rays acquire Richards who has started in 20 games with 23 appearances on the season for the Marlins. Richards had a 4.50 ERA , 1.38 WHIP, and 103 punch outs through 112 innings tossed for the rough-looking Marlins this season. Richards could replace the role of Adam Kolarek(LHP) or Jacob Faria (RHP) in an already talented Rays bullpen who is poised to make a good run for the playoffs this season.
Anderson who will be another solid addition to the Rays bullpen, appearing in 45 games this year for the Marlins has been a solid reliever on a mess of a team. Through those 45 games he tallied 43.2 innings with a 3.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, all while striking out 69 batters. For the rest of the season, look for Anderson to be one of those high-leverage relievers on a competitive Rays ballclub that is looking to survive and advance to the postseason.
In terms of the Rays loss, Stanek is a really good reliever that the Marlins will be able to make use of while they figure out what players should remain a part of their long term plans. Stanek is the main piece of this trade in terms of current value to the Marlins rebuilding roster.
