Tampa Bay Rays Still Trying to Replace Tim Beckham

The Tampa Bay Rays traded Tim Beckham to the Baltimore Orioles on July 31st. They are still trying to replace him on the roster.

There is no denying the disappointment that was the Tim Beckham Era with the Tampa Bay Rays. The former first overall pick in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, Beckham never lived up to expectations. His inability to develop into a game changing player became all the more frustrating after players like Buster Posey became superstars.

That exasperation continued when Beckham finally reached the majors. He spent two seasons as a utility infielder before being banished to the minors at the end of 2016 due to continued baserunning gaffes. However, 2017 was different. He surprisingly became the Rays starting shortstop, and acquitted himself well in the lineup before being traded to Baltimore.

Almost a month later, the Rays are still looking to replace Beckham’s presence in the lineup. The quest for a viable utility infielder has continued with the acquisition of Danny Espinosa. For Espinosa, the Rays mark his third team of the year, as Tampa Bay hopes that he can stabilize the bench.

More from Rays Colored Glasses

• Tampa Bay Rays give richest contract in franchise history to Wander Franco
• Remembering Julio Lugo’s time with the Tampa Bay Rays
• Are you the 2021 FanSided Sports Fan of the Year?
• Rays: Just how good was Randy Arozarena’s rookie season?
• Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino stands out despite low batting average

It is certainly reasonable to expect that Espinosa will upgrade the Rays bench. He has hit double digit homers in four of his eight major league seasons, although his free swinging ways have limited his effectiveness throughout his career. This season, Espinosa has been a disaster, with a combined .164/.237/.279 batting line, hitting just six homers in his 271 plate appearances.

That production is much worse than what Beckham had produced for the Rays this season. Add in his torrid stretch with the Orioles since the trade, and the move looks even more questionable. Tobias Myers has been incredible, but given the Rays offensive struggles over most of the past month, Beckham could have helped the offense.

Next: Manfred wants quicker decision on stadium

The Tampa Bay Rays let Tim Beckham go approximately a month ago. They are still trying to replace him in the lineup.