Despite Tuesday’s trade deadline of roster-reducing moves looming, the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays are doing just fine — for now.
The Florida clubs will finish their annual four-game Citrus Series with two games on the Gulf Coast, starting with Tuesday night’s contest in St. Petersburg.
The organizations got the deadline action going last week by sending out some of their top talent.
Having already traded star hitter Luis Arraez in May, the Miami brass broke the transactional ice by sending setup man A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, then shipped out 2022 All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the New York Yankees on Saturday.
A 99-win club in 2023, the inconsistent Rays made an even bigger splash while straddling the .500 mark and failing to find traction in the American League playoff race.
Since Friday, the Rays traded 2021 AL Rookie of the Year left fielder Randy Arozarena, No. 1 starter Zach Eflin, reliever Jason Adam and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes in four separate transactions.
Dealing Paredes to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday returned a roster player, 25-year-old Christopher Morel, and reliever Hunter Bigge, who made four appearances for the Cubs.
Morel, known much more for his long ball than his glove work, tantalized the power-starved Rays (100 home runs, ranking 26th entering Monday) with 18 homers but is batting .199.
“We are a worse team today than we were 24 hours ago by way of them not being here,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “That’s not something we can shy away from.”
However, both teams played winning baseball last week despite the lineup subtractions.
The Rays won two of three games against both the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds, putting them two games above .500.
Miami duplicated that output in series wins over the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers, both first-place teams.
Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who last pitched against the Boston Red Sox on April 13, 2023, will return to the rotation in Eflin’s spot following Tommy John surgery.
Springs is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in one inning over two career relief appearances against Miami.
Meanwhile, the Marlins are riding the hot bat of shortstop Xavier Edwards, who became only the second player in team history to hit for the cycle in Sunday’s 6-2 loss in Milwaukee.
Batting .379 in 25 games this year, Edwards narrowly beat out a two-out infield single in the ninth inning, capping his 4-for-4 showing that featured him going deep on the game’s first pitch.
His homer and triple were also career firsts.
“He’s been outstanding,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “I knew he’d be pretty good at the plate; I didn’t know he’d be this good at the plate.”
Edward Cabrera (1-3, 7.04) will make his 10th start of 2024 and third career start against the Rays in the series opener.
The right-hander has been hit hard by Tampa Bay in those two previous outings, surrendering six runs, six hits and six walks in just five innings, leading to an 0-2 mark and a 10.80 ERA.
Including part of the 2018 campaign, the Rays have dominated the recent series, claiming 24 of the past 27 matchups and the first two meetings last month in Miami, 9-5 and 5-3.
–Field Level Media
