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Rays Journal: Something to talk about with Dodgers?

The Rays have SS Adeiny Hechavarria available.
 
Published May 2, 2018|Updated May 2, 2018

The Rays are likely to talk a lot internally — and then eventually chat with the Dodgers –— about trading SS Adeiny Hechavarria.

The Dodgers, naturally, are saying they won't rush into anything after losing Corey Seager for the season, especially with the potential to move converted outfielder Chris Taylor back to short.

A number of other names are being floated, starting from the top with Orioles star Manny Machado.

But Hechavarria, 29, could be a good fit in that he plays strong defense, and the Rays likely would want back a prospect, in which the Dodgers are deep. Plus, he makes a reasonable $5.9 million in his last year before free agency.

The Rays would be open to a deal since they were planning to move Hechavarria at some point before the July 31 deadline anyway to make room for top prospect Willy Adames to be called up from Triple A. And they have Daniel Robertson to fill in now.

Plus there is that connection with Dodgers baseball chief Andrew Friedman, who spent nine years running the Rays and working with current execs Erik Neander and Chaim Bloom.

Buffalo back to roaming

C Wilson Ramos was excited to get back on the field for the first time since leaving Saturday's game with groin tightness, and just in time as backup C Jesus Sucre was still sore after being hit twice on the right forearm by LHP Jose Alvarado pitches on Monday. Ramos singled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 10.
The two have been one of the top offensive catching tandems in the majors (first with a .290 average, second with an .803 OPS). Manager Kevin Cash noted now much Ramos, who had homered in his previous three games had been producing. "A lot of power, and we've seen that here of late,' he said. "Kind of unfortunate he had the groin strain, but it's good it didn't take that long. Hopefully his timing is still as locked in as before he got hurt because he was probably swinging the bat as good as I've seen in a week stretch at any point that he's been here.''

Rankings of the day
1, 7, 9
Rays INF Daniel Robertson among all MLB qualified hitters in on-base percentage (.476), OPS (1.037) and batting average (.333) going into play Tuesday.

Miscellany

• RHP Chris Archer on Tuesday became the third pitcher to throw 1,000 innings for the Rays, joining RHP James Shields (1,4542/3) and LHP David Price (1,1432/3) and was proud of the accomplishment. "It's definitely a milestone, a goal," he said. "It does stink that we lost. I take pride in taking the ball every five days, being healthy enough to do that. And being right at five years (in the majors) it feels good. It just stinks that we lost."

• First-pitch temperature Tuesday was a summer-like 82 degrees, warmest of the year for the Rays.

• Monday marked the latest into a season in their 21 years the Rays led the majors in hitting.

* 1B/DH C.J. Cron extended his hitting streak to nine games.