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Rays trade for Angels first baseman Marc Krauss

 
dream duo: Jake Elmore and Mark, one of the Dream Children, strut their stuff during the annual Rays on the Runway fashion show, benefiting the Children’s Dream Fund, on Wednesday at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront.
dream duo: Jake Elmore and Mark, one of the Dream Children, strut their stuff during the annual Rays on the Runway fashion show, benefiting the Children’s Dream Fund, on Wednesday at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront.
Published June 26, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays finally opted for a better left-handed hitting option at first base, acquiring Marc Krauss from the Angels on Thursday and optioning Nick Franklin to Triple-A Durham.

Krauss, 27, has spent most of the past four years at Triple A but has options left. In parts of three seasons with the Angels and Astros, he hit .194 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 130 games.

"Marc is a disciplined hitter who brings left-handed power to our club," Rays baseball operations VP Erik Neander said. "He's a good fit for our present roster."

The switch-hitting Franklin was playing sparingly, and not playing well, hitting .139 with a .205 on-base percentage (.102, .170 as a lefty). Primarily a middle infielder, Franklin quickly learned and split time at first base with righty-swinging Jake Elmore as the Rays sought to replace injured James Loney, who is expected back from a broken left middle finger within a few weeks.

"Nick's oblique injury in spring training interrupted his preparation for the season, and when he returned, our team's injuries forced him to learn a new position on the fly," Neander said. "He's young and talented and a big part of our future. Our goal is to make sure he is able to continue developing and get back on track, and we believe consistent playing time is the best way to achieve that."

To get Krauss, the Rays gave up minor-league RHP Kyle Winkler, who was 1-0, 1.46 in 10 games for Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

TOP EXEC RESIGNS: Senior vice president/chief sales officer Mark Fernandez resigned Thursday after 10 years with the team.

Fernandez said he has no new job lined up, and that the team's struggles with majors-low attendance and the lack of progress in getting a new stadium were not factors in his decision.

"For me, it was time for something new," he said.

FUTURE STARS: Two of the Rays top prospects — 3B Richie Shaffer and LHP Blake Snell — were named to the U.S. roster for the All-Star Futures Game on July 12 in Cincinnati.

Shaffer, their 2012 first-round pick, has been a hit since a recent promotion to Triple-A Durham, hitting .309 with nine homers and 18 RBIs in 23 games for the Bulls. Snell, who started the season with a 46-inning scoreless streak, is 7-2 with a 1.22 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) between Double-A Montgomery and advanced Class A Charlotte.

MISCELLANY: LHP Matt Moore (Tommy John surgery) makes what is expected to be his final rehab start tonight for Triple-A Durham with the potential to rejoin the Rays rotation on Wednesday. … RHP Chris Archer had a good off-day, as a scoring change on a bunt play in Washington last week gave him an error but sliced an earned run off his record, dropping his ERA to AL-leading 2.01. … INF Tim Beckham (hamstring) is continuing his rehab with the Stone Crabs.