Robbie Ray Traded to Blue Jays from Diamondbacks for Travis Bergen

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired starting pitcher Robbie Ray from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitcher Travis Bergen and cash considerations.

Per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks are sending $300,000 to the Blue Jays in the deal. 

Ray, 28, has struggled immensely in 2020, going 1-4 with a 7.84 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 31 innings (seven starts). Despite that, there was plenty of interest in the veteran starter, with Longley reporting that the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and other teams had expressed interest.

The fact that Longley misses bats, even amidst his struggles, is likely why he was in demand:

If his command improves, the Blue Jays will have found a nice upgrade for their pitching staff. The Blue Jays—currently 18-14 and holding onto the last American League Wild Card berth—have already been busy ahead of Monday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, landing pitcher Taijuan Walker and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach last week. 

As for Bergen, the 26-year-old has made 22 MLB appearances in his career between the last two seasons, going 2-0 with a 5.06 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. His return isn't the most lucrative one for the Diamondbacks, though other concerns may have come into play:

Given Ray's pending free agency this summer, cutting ties now made sense for the struggling Diamondbacks, who are just 14-21 this season and last in the NL West.