The Tampa Bay Rays Have Acquired Outfielder David Peralta

The first big domino has fallen for the Tampa Bay Rays this trade deadline, acquiring outfielder David Peralta from the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher Christian Cerda, per Robert Murray and Jeff Passan.

Peralta has been a rumored target for Tampa Bay by our own site, and is a huge upgrade for the offense that has struggled all season. The 34-year old is slashing .248/.316/.460 with 12 HR and 41 RBI on the season, and provides stable, veteran hitting from the left side of the plate.

The Rays have struggled to find consitency as the plate all year, especially in the outfield, making Peralta a great addition to the Rays lineup. Tampa Bay is in the thick of the AL Wild Card race at the moment.

Heading to Arizona is 19-year old catcher Cerda, who was at the Tampa Bay rookie affiliate and having himself a great season in the small sample size, hitting .315 with 2 HR, 12 RBI, and a .983 OPS in just 54 ABs for the club.

Cerda did not rank in the Rays top 30 prospects, but with how deep their system is, could easily rise within the Diamondbacks system and make a name for himself. The Rays have four catchers in their top 30 prospects alone, meaning they could afford to part with some organizational depth.

Be on the lookout for a deeper breakdown of this deal in the coming days, and stay tuned for more coverage on all Rays related news at this trade deadline.