Account
Wilson Ramos Traded to Phillies from Rays for Player to Be Named Later
July 31, 2018
The Philadelphia Phillies have upgraded at catcher by acquiring Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Phillies announced the deal after MLB.com's Mark Feinsand first reported the move.
Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Rays will receive a player to be named later.
Injuries hampered Ramos early in his career, including a torn ACL in his right knee during a game in 2012 and hamstring problems early in 2013.
The 2016 season, however, was the first time the Venezuelan played at an All-Star level. He set career-highs in batting average (.307), slugging percentage (.496), home runs (22), doubles (25) and hits (148) for the Washington Nationals.
Unfortunately for Ramos, 2016 came to a premature end Sept. 26 when he tore the ACL in his right knee again after landing awkwardly while trying to catch a throw from the outfield.
Betting on Ramos' upside and stability behind the plate, the Rays signed him to a two-year deal. He only appeared in 64 games last season, but he hit 11 home runs. He was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018 with a .297/.346/.488 slash line in the first half.
Ramos is on the disabled list with a hamstring injury he suffered July 14 against the Minnesota Twins.
The Rays have been a pleasant surprise with a 53-53 record so far after dealing Evan Longoria, Jake Odorizzi, Stephen Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson in the offseason. The problem is they play in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, who are the top two teams in the AL by record.
Philadelphia leads the National League East by 0.5 games over the Atlanta Braves. Jorge Alfaro has been the Phillies' primary catcher this season and has a .254/.305/.398 slash line with seven homers.
Ramos' bat will be a significant upgrade for the Phillies as they chase their first playoff appearance since 2011.