Tampa Bay Rays – Will CJ Cron Be The Next Veteran To Go?

With Adeiny Hechavarria finally moving on to another team, the Tampa Bay Rays have successfully moved most of their veterans.  Who will be next?

The front office of the Tampa Bay Rays is having a great season. They seem to be finding partners in trades when needed.  The Brewers gave the Rays Ji-Man Choi when they needed to find a home for Brad Miller.  The Braves gave the Rays very valuable international slot money to re-obtain Jonny Venters.  Now, Pittsburgh is willing to deal again, this time sending right handed pitcher Matt Seelinger to Tampa Bay for Hechavarria and cash.  If you like the K/9 statistic, Seelinger should pique your interest, amassing 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

So, with these moves already made, what’s next?  Sergio Romo and Carlos Gomez have been he most talked about, and rightfully so.  They are the two biggest named veterans left.  Romo is having a very good season and could help a bullpen down the stretch. And, the hustle of Carlos Gomez would play well in anybody’s clubhouse in a pennant chase.  Beyond these two, players available become much less clear.

Will the Rays make more moves before the waiver trade deadline?

Looking ahead, and that has always been the way for the Tampa Bay Rays, CJ Cron could find himself part of these discussions. Without a doubt, Jake Bauers is the future at first base for the Rays.  At best, Cron becomes the right side of a Designated Hitter platoon.  Even though he is quickly approaching 30 home runs for the season, it will be hard to justify his arbitration salary at season’s end.

Over the next couple of weeks, teams still in the playoff race my begin looking for thump for their lineups.  If any of them are looking for a power right handed bat, his name will come up.  He was great for the Rays in April.  He was, and still is, a solid bat in the middle of the order.  But, it’s obvious that this team is different than the one that started the season.  And, with this evolution, Cron doesn’t fit in the future.

The Rays don’t need to look for a large return. Any trade involving CJ Cron will look like the Wilson Ramos trade to Philadelphia.  It will be to move along salary, and in this case, potential salary via arbitration.  Typically, a trade like this involving a 30 home run guy would draw a lot of criticism from the fans.  With the way this season has been going, I’m not so sure that would be the case this time.