The Rays continued their fire sale today, sending catcher Wilson Ramos to the Phillies for cash or a player to be named later.
Ramos looked to be one of the Rays’ biggest trade pieces this year until he strained his left hamstring on July 14, which forced him to miss the All-Star Game with expectations he would be out until late August.
Ramos had shown he had recovered from his devastating 2016 knee injury and, even with some defensive flaws, was back to top form. He was hitting .297 with 14 homers, a team-leading 53 RBIs, an .834 OPS and a .372 average with runners in scoring position.
Source: Wilson Ramos has been traded to Philadelphia.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2018
The Rays have been a surprising team so far with a 53-53 record after dealing Evan Longoria, Jake Odorizzi, Stephen Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson in the offseason. The problem is they play in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, who are the top two teams in the AL by record.
Philadelphia leads the National League East by 0.5 games over the Atlanta Braves. Jorge Alfaro has been the Phillies’ primary catcher this season and has a .254/.305/.398 slash line with seven homers.
Ramos’ bat will be a significant upgrade for the Phillies as they chase their first playoff appearance since 2011.
