The Tampa Bay Rays will send infielder Ben Kline and left handed pitcher Sean Bierman along with cash to the White Sox to complete their trade for reliever Jesse Crain, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Rays send two minor leaguers to White Sox to complete Crain trade
Jesse Crain never pitched a single inning for the Rays following the mid-season deal.
Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE
Kline is a 24-year-old who has yet to climb out of A-ball in two professional seasons. He has posted a career 716 OPS, but struggled mightily in his first taste of High-A. Kline was the Rays’ 32nd round draft pick in 2012 out of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Bierman is also a 24-year-old with two professional seasons under his belt who remains in A-ball. He had a much more promising 2013 season, however. He made 18 appearances between the Midwest and Florida State league’s, 14 of which were starts. On the season, he posted a 2.55 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while showing a good sense of control.
The Rays acquired Crain July 29 after he had posted a 0.74 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 38 games with the White Sox. Crain had been on the disabled list at the time of the trade due to a shoulder strain. It ended up being a worse injury than the Rays originally thought: Crain would not pitch a single inning for the organization in 2013.
There's a chance Tampa Bay will not see a single inning of return for giving up their two young players. Crain will be a free agent following the World Series and may sign elsewhere.
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
