After being acquired by the Rays, Roberts, 32, posted a .214/.284/.364 (81 OPS+), with 10 doubles, 6 homers, 18 RBI, 4 of 7 stolen base attempts, and 47 strikeouts versus 18 walks in 60 games and 209 plate appearances. Previously known as a lefty masher, Roberts was the exact opposite in a Rays uniform, posting a solid .234/.317/.395 line (103 sOPS+) versus righties with all but one of his homers and RBI and also 28 strikeouts versus 15 walks while managing just a .175/.212/.302 against lefties with 19 strikeouts against just 3 walks, albeit in only 66 plate appearances. But even as he struggled offensively, Roberts provided tremendous value defensively at second base as he posted a 4.7 UZR and 14.6 UZR/150 in 46 games at the position. He also did a solid job in 18 games manning third base. The Rays thought that Roberts would give them more value offensively, but he gave them solid at-bats against right-handed pitching and with Ben Zobrist at shortstop and Roberts at second base, the Rays managed to finally shore up their middle infield defense. Roberts did not make the type of impact the Rays thought he would make over the last two months of the season, but he was a solid contributor and certainly an improvement over the seemingly countless utility players the Rays tried before him.

Tyler Bornick, a 24 year old infielder who was the Rays’ 16th round pick in 2009, was having a solid season season as the second baseman at the Rays’ Double-A affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits, posting a .253/.352/.385 line with 18 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 48 RBI, 23 of 26 stolen bases, and 61 strikeouts versus 46 walks in 91 games. He continued to show great plate discipline and speed, but he could not hit nearly as well as he did at lower levels as his lack of power was increasingly becoming an issue. The Rays then traded Bortnick to the Diamondbacks in the Roberts deal, and the D-Backs decided to bring him up to their Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, albeit in a hitters’ league in the Pacific Coast League. However, Bortnick struggled mightily, managing just a .212/.293/.311 line with 7 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, 5 of 7 stolen bases, and 26 strikeouts versus 14 walks in 39 games and 151 plate appearances. There were certainly excuses for Bortnick as he may have been brought up to Triple-A too early and also the D-Backs placed an added load on Bortnick, placing him at shortstop and third base defensively as they tried to work on his profile as a utility infielder. He hadn’t previously played shortstop since 2010 and third base since 2009. Another consideration is that 151 plate appearances is a pretty small sample size. Nevertheless, Bortnick’s performance after heading to the D-Backs organization fell short of expectations and they hope have to hope he’ll be able to rebound from his tough start in the organization in 2013.

For 2012 alone, neither team was resounding winner in this trade, with the Rays edging the D-Backs thanks to Roberts’ defense at second base more than anything else. Moving forward, Roberts will be arbitration-eligible this offseason after making $2,012,500 in 2012 and has three potential years of team control remaining while Bortnick will look to figure out Triple-A and break into the big leagues. At the end of the day, Roberts and Bortnick have similar potential, with Roberts having the advantages of more power and a big league track record while Bortnick has the advantage of being 8 years younger. The Rays traded an unknown commodity without much upside in Bortnick and received a player who could help their ballclub immediately. The Rays hoped that Roberts would play better in August and September, but he provided them with solid value and was a contributor to their 90-win season. Unless Bortnick turns out to be a much better player than anyone thinks he will be at this point, the Rays clearly won this trade. And by the way, Roberts still has a chance to find his stroke in a Rays uniform as long as the Rays tender him a contract this offseason.

Evan Longoria in @DurhamBulls uniform for 2nd time this season. Photo: @GwinnettBraves/Daniel Hambyinstagr.am/p/NkXOL6kKiI/ #Rays

— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) July 27, 2012

Also returning to action was Rays 2011 supplemental first round pick Kes Carter, an outfielder, who played in his first game with Low-A Bowling Green since April 13th and went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a 2-run home run in the Hot Rods’ 6-3 win.

Glad to have Kes Carter back!!

— Jake Hager (@JakeHager1) July 26, 2012

One player who will not be back in the Rays organization in the near future but who we wish the best of luck to is second baseman Tyler Bortnick, who was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Ryan Roberts. Bortnick slammed a 2-run homer for the Triple-A Reno Aces for his first hit as a member of the D-Backs organization.

And we close by talking about the James Shields to the Angels rumor. A couple of interesting tweets on the topic on Thursday.

The #Angels were rebuffed by the #Rays in their pursuit of James Shields, offering speedy OF Peter Bourjos, but the Rays want more in return

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 26, 2012

Angels Dir. of Pro Scouting Hal Morris left his seat after Shields was lifted. He could have been getting hot or coincidental.#jussayin

— TK (@TampaBayTK) July 26, 2012

Nightengale’s tweet goes along with what we were talking about regarding Shields the other day, that the Angels and Rays may not necessarily match up so well for a trade. The Angels definitely still have interest in Shields, and we’ll have to see just how ambitious they are in their pursuit of him. The Angels and Rays begin a 3-game set in Anaheim tonight.

”I kind of take it day by day. The Rays have one of the best minor-league systems in the major leagues. There is a lot of talent. It’s a business, and it’s difficult to get to the major leagues. The way I look at it, I play for all 30 teams in the league. You’re being watched every day. Maybe I’ll play for the Rays one day, maybe I won’t. I feel like I’ll get noticed by someone. The way you go about your business, people notice that. In the end, the ultimate goal is to play in the major leagues, whether it’s the team that drafted you or not.”

-Bortnick to the Northern Ohio News Herald

Somehow Bortnick stays focused and unassuming no matter what happens. (Credit:

Tyler Bortnick is a blue-collar baseball player who takes nothing for granted and does everything he possibly can to seize each opportunity he gets. The Rays saw that in Bortnick and always appreciated that. But circumstances arose, and Bortnick will not proceed with his career in the Rays organization.

Tyler Bortnick bears no ill will towards the Rays for trading him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Ryan Roberts. He is grateful to the Rays for giving him an opportunity to be drafted and play professional baseball. He’ll always remember that. But he’s just as thankful to the Rays for giving him an opportunity in another organization that appreciates his talents and that will give him a chance to achieve his dream of playing in the major leagues. Best of luck to Tyler as he continues to move forward on his journey.