The Rays are engaged on a commerce to amass catcher Nick Fortes from the Marlins, experiences Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It was reported earlier that the Rays are buying and selling Danny Jansen to the Brewers for a prospect, whereas concurrently working to commerce for one more catcher. Robert Murray of FanSided experiences that the Marlins would obtain outfielder Matthew Etzel on this deal.
For the Rays, they usually attempt to straddle a purchase/promote line on the deadline and it appears that evidently would be the play this week. They’re 53-53 this yr, three video games again of a playoff spot. Whereas they don’t wish to punt their season, they seemingly wish to strike a steadiness between doing issues that work for the membership now and sooner or later.
Jansen is a 30-year-old veteran on a one-year deal. He’s higher than Fortes proper now however Fortes is youthful, cheaper and controllable for 3 extra seasons after this one. Presumably, the Rays really feel that going from Jansen to Fortes doesn’t considerably hurt them in 2025, whereas including a couple of seasons of Fortes and in addition grabbing Jadher Areinamo within the Jansen commerce will assist them in the long term greater than Etzel.
Fortes, 28, doesn’t do a ton within the batter’s field. In 1,073 plate appearances, he has 25 house runs however a .225 batting common and a 5.2% stroll price. General, his .225/.277/.344 line interprets to a 70 wRC+. Jansen, alternatively, has 11 house runs this season alone and is drawing walks at a 12.7% tempo. His .204/.314/.389 line in 2025 interprets to a 99 wRC+.
Behind the plate, Fortes grades out nicely. He’s been credited with 17 Defensive Runs Saved in his profession. Shops like FanGraphs, Statcast and Baseball Prospectus all contemplate him a robust framer. Jansen will get robust marks from BP however not the opposite two techniques. Briefly, Fortes could be a downgrade from Jansen on the plate however could be a slight improve defensively.
It’s actually a cost-saving change. Jansen signed a one-year cope with the Rays which ensures him $8.5MM. He’s making $8MM when it comes to wage after which there’s a $500K buyout on a mutual possibility for 2026. Fortes simply certified for artbitation for the primary time after the 2024 season, as a Tremendous Two participant. He’s making $1.86MM this yr and is lined up for 3 additional raises through arb.
For the Marlins, they don’t really want Fortes. They have already got Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks on the massive league roster. It’s attainable that Ramírez may not have the defensive chops to stay behind the plate, however the Fish even have Joe Mack lurking. Mack has proven up on some prime 100 prospect lists and is already on the Triple-A degree. Maybe he’ll get an enormous league look within the wake of this Fortes deal. Or if not now, perhaps he could possibly be a September call-up.
They Marlins have exchanged a light-hitting placeholder catcher for an outfield prospect. Etzel is a deadline pickup for the second yr in a row. He went from the Orioles to the Rays final summer time as a part of the Zach Eflin deal.
A tenth-round choose of the O’s in 2023, he’s not ranked as one in every of Tampa’s prime 30 prospects by both Baseball America or FanGraphs. MLB Pipeline has him within the #28 slot. Broadly talking, he appears to be a contact-based hitter with pace. Because the begin of 2024, he has 723 plate appearances, principally on the Double-A degree. He has simply 16 house runs however a 12.2% stroll price, .259/.350/.404 line and 119 wRC+ in that point. He’s additionally stolen 62 bases, although whereas additionally getting caught 19 occasions.
Photographs courtesy of Katie Stratman and Sam Navarro, Imagn Photos
