Tigers acquire Minors catcher Delgado from Rays for Faedo
DETROIT -- The Tigers on Monday traded former first-round Draft pick Alex Faedo to his hometown Tampa Bay Rays for Minor League catcher Enderson Delgado and cash, providing Detroit a return for a pitcher that the team had designated for assignment last week.
It was a difficult decision to designate Faedo, president of baseball operations Scott Harris explained last week. He was a popular player in the clubhouse and had blossomed into a valuable, versatile reliever after struggling to stick as a starter. But he¡¯s out of Minor League options and faced a challenge to retain a bullpen spot after ending last season on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. The move cleared a 40-man roster spot for free-agent reliever Tommy Kahnle, who signed a one-year deal last week.
Despite being out of options, the 29-year-old Faedo was unlikely to pass through waivers. The Rays¡¯ move brings Faedo back to Tampa, where he was born and raised. He was a star at Tampa¡¯s Braulio Alonso High School, about eight miles from Steinbrenner Field, before becoming a College World Series hero up the road at the University of Florida.
TRADE DETAILS
Rays get: RHP Alex Faedo
Tigers get: Minor League C Enderson Delgado, cash
The Tigers drafted Faedo 18th overall amid their postseason run in 2017. He was the second of three consecutive first-round picks used on pitchers -- Matt Manning went ninth overall in 2016 and Casey Mize was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 -- but Faedo is the first to leave the organization.
The 20-year-old Delgado joins a Tigers system that has built catching depth over the last couple years, including current MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects Thayron Liranzo and Josue Brice?o. Delgado isn¡¯t as strong offensively, but the switch-hitter still brings offensive value, batting .259/.382/.400 with four homers and 30 RBIs last year between Single-A Charleston and the rookie-level Florida Complex League. He hit .204/.313/.280 this winter in 31 games for Perth in the Australian Baseball League.