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Rays rarely go for fireworks at trade deadline

 
JAMES BORCHUCK   |   Times (2009)
JAMES BORCHUCK | Times (2009)
Published July 27, 2014

Andrew Friedman has never really been a big deal in July.

The Rays executive vice president has done most of his major trades in the offseason, and he has made a few key pickups during the August waiver period. But his moves leading up to the annual July 31 trade deadline have been minimal, dumping a few veterans, picking up some future complementary pieces, filling an injury-created need in 2010 by picking up RHP Chad Qualls.

If anything, his first eight Julys have been marked by decisions at the time to not trade big-name players such as OF Carl Crawford, OF B.J. Upton and RHP James Shields.

That may change dramatically over the next four days as Friedman considers — as you may have heard — dealing Cy Young Award-winning ace David Price, and potentially other big-name players. He may decide to stand pat. Or he could go the other way and add a reliever to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run.

Here is a look at his past July deals, some noted for what they got back, others for whom, and how much money, they got rid of:

2006

Traded 1B/OF/DH Aubrey Huff (and $1.6 million) to Astros for RHP Mitch Talbot, INF Ben Zobrist

Traded SS Julio Lugo to Dodgers for INF Joel Guzman, OF Sergio Pedroza

2007

Traded RHP Seth McClung to Brewers for RHP Grant Balfour

Traded INF Ty Wigginton to Astros for RHP Dan Wheeler

Traded INF Jorge Cantu, plus Shaun Cumberland and cash, to Reds for RHP Calvin Medlock, LHP Brian Shackelford

2010

Traded player to be named (RHP Matt Gorgen) to Diamondbacks for RHP Chad Qualls

2012

Traded INF Tyler Bortnick to Diamondbacks for INF Ryan Roberts

2013

Traded two players to be named (LHP Sean Bierman, INF Ben Kline) to White Sox for RHP Jesse Crain

Making a pitch

And here is a look at what Friedman has gotten back when he has traded other frontline starting pitchers:

RHP Dewon Brazelton: traded in 2005 to Padres for 3B Sean Burroughs

LHP Mark Hendrickson: traded in 2006 to Dodgers with C Toby Hall and cash for RHP Jae Seo, C Dioner Navarro and OF Justin Ruggiano

RHP Edwin Jackson: traded in 2008 to Tigers for OF Matt Joyce (left)

LHP Scott Kazmir: traded in 2009 to Angels for INF Sean Rodriguez, LHP Alex Torres and INF Matt Sweeney

RHP Mitch Talbot: traded in 2009 to Indians for C Kelly Shoppach

RHP Matt Garza: traded in 2011 to Cubs with OF Fernando Perez and LHP Zachary Rosscup for RHP Chris Archer, C Robinson Chirinos, OF Sam Fuld, RHP Brandon Guyer and SS Hak-Ju Lee

RHP James Shields: traded in 2012 to Royals with RHP Wade Davis and INF Elliot Johnson for OF Wil Myers, RHP Jake Odorizzi, LHP Mike Montgomery and INF Patrick Leonard

Short stops

• The Competitive Balance Lottery to give smaller-market/lower-revenue teams extra draft picks is good in theory but utterly ridiculous in practice when a robust franchise such as the Cardinals gets help (and a potential extra trade chip) and a team it was designed to help such as the Rays doesn't.

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