Indians add outfield depth, get Brandon Guyer from Rays
By Ted Fleming
Rays get outfielder Nathan Lukes and pitcher Jhonleider Salinas in deal.
The Cleveland Indians have announced that they have acquired outfielder Brandon Guyer from the Tampa Bay Rays for a pair of low-level minor leaguers, Nathan Lukes and Jhonleider Salinas.
The 30-year old Guyer has .241/.347/.406 splits to go along with solid defense, however, he rakes against lefties with a .344/.488/.594 slashline in 82 plate appearances. In his career he is .283/.384/.464 against southpaws.
Guyer, who leads the league in being hit by pitches with 23, is working on a one-year contract worth an estimated $1.19 million, but remains under team control until 2019 although he is arbitration eligible next year. He was originally drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2007 draft and traded to Tampa Bay as part of the Matt Garza deal that also netted the Rays Chris Archer.
To make room for Guyer on the roster, infielder Juan Uribe was designated for assignment.
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The trade comes as a bit of a surprise because the Rays have been mentioned in talks for infielder Steve Pearce and three of their starting pitchers before this one happened.
Lukes, who is 22-years old, was a seventh-round pick in 2015 and is in his second professional season and is currently playing for the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats in the Carolina League. He has a career .299/.370/.444 slashline with five homers and 38 RBI in 99 games.
Salinas, 20, is from Caracas, Venezuela and is also in his second pro season. He was with the AZL Indians going 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA in nine games, four starts.
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