Rays part with promising pitcher in trade with A's but receive depth-filled package

The Rays have dealt former relief pitcher, Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics for two pitchers and a top OF prospect. Springs joined the Rays via a trade with the Red Sox in 2021. Kyle Snyder saw a ton of potential in the left-handed reliever. In 2022, Tampa Bay made the bold decision to convert him into a starting pitcher.

This project was an immediate success for the North Carolina native as the Rays coaching staff tends to get the best out of their pitchers. Springs completed the 2022 campaign with a 2.46 ERA over 25 starts. In 2023, the crafty lefty was on track for a historic season, as he had given up only four hits and one earned run over 16 innings of work. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that required Tommy-John surgery and was sidelined for the rest of the year.

As impressive as Springs has been, the Rays front office saw him as a valuable trade piece that could help the Rays attain a multitude of talented players, while losing very little. Also, with the great depth of the starting rotation going into 2025, the Rays saw this trade as a perfect opportunity.

Rays trade Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics for RHPs Joe Boyle, Jacob Watters and OF prospect Will Simpson

The deal that gave away efficient pitcher, Jeffrey Springs has given the Rays three talented players to work with. First of all, 25-year old pitcher, Joe Boyle was the main return in this package from the A's. Boyle made his MLB debut for Oakland in 2023 and showed some promising stuff in this small sample size. The Notre Dame product finished with a 1.69 ERA in three major league starts for the AL West club.

The towering 6'7 hurler faltered in 2024, but showed some encouraging performances within the season. On August 24th, Boyle fanned eight Brewers over five frames of work, including striking out Silver Slugger winner, William Contreras twice. Hopefully, the Rays can tap into his great potential, so he can give them productive innings this coming season.

Prospects Will Simpson and Jacob Watters included in Jeffrey Springs trade

The Athletics also included 23-year old outfielder, Will Simpson and minor league pitcher, Jacob Watters in this transaction. Simpson is one of the Athletics top-30 prospects as he was ranked No. 28 in the organization. The Virginia native was selected in the 15th round of the 2023 draft and he's certainly made the most of his professional career thus far.

Simpson has reached Double-A Midland in just two short seasons and proved that he belongs, as he hit .348 with six extra-base hits in 16 exhibitions last year. The talented slugger won't be ready for the big leagues until 2026, but his development in the Rays farm system will be a sight to see.

The Rays also added right-handed pitcher, Jacob Watters in this trade. The West Virginia University product ascended to Triple-A for one difficult outing, but found plenty of success throughout the entirety of the season, as he went 7-3 over 10 starts.

Overall, the Rays were able to add some much-needed depth in their outfield and pitching core. Despite the disappointing loss of a fan-favorite pitcher in Springs, Rays fans should be excited for the future of their return and the immediate output from lanky righty, Joe Boyle.

Trade grade: B+