Rays acquire Carlson to cap busy Deadline, build toward future

ST. PETERSBURG -- After jump-starting the Trade Deadline frenzy with a quartet of major moves over the weekend, the Rays pulled off a pair of lower-profile deals on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay acquired outfielder Dylan Carlson from St. Louis in exchange for reliever Shawn Armstrong. The Rays also dealt reliever Tyler Zuber to the Mets for Minor League right-hander Paul Gervase before the 6 p.m. ET Deadline.

TRADE DETAILS
Rays receive: OF Dylan Carlson, cash
Cardinals receive: RHP Shawn Armstrong

Rays receive: Minor League RHP Paul Gervase
Mets receive: RHP Tyler Zuber

Carlson was the No. 1-ranked player in the St. Louis organization as recently as 2020 and finished third in the voting for the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Award. However, a series of injuries -- to his shoulder, ankle and wrist -- conspired to knock him out of the regular outfield rotation.

But that was the extent of the Rays’ action on Deadline Day. Yandy Díaz is still here. So are Brandon Lowe, Pete Fairbanks, Zack Littell and others who were considered potential trade candidates after Tampa Bay sent out seven key players the past four weeks.

The Rays aren’t where they want to be, although their 9-3 win over the Marlins on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field brought them a season-high-tying three games above .500, at 55-52. But they feel they made the most of the opportunity the Trade Deadline presented, fortifying their future without giving up on the present.

“I think this team is in a position to go out and compete and stay in this, and that's our goal,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Tuesday night. “We feel like we've strengthened our future competitiveness considerably, and that's something that we're always trying to accomplish.”

The Cardinals fielded a series of trade offers for Carlson in 2022 and ’23, but they resisted dealing him because of the immense level of talent he still has when healthy. That changed at this Deadline, with their outfield picture on more solid standing.

Carlson was arguably the Cardinals’ best player in Spring Training, but he had his legs knocked out from under him while chasing a fly ball and he sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder two days before the start of the regular season.

Carlson is arbitration eligible in 2025 and doesn’t hit free agency until 2027.

It’s a classic buy-low move for the Rays, and it came at a relatively low cost. Armstrong has been an effective pitcher, filling a variety of roles from opener to late-inning relief, and is highly respected inside the clubhouse.

But Armstrong will be a free agent at the end of the season, so Tampa Bay turned two months of his services into years of a high-upside outfielder.

In the short term, Carlson could fill the hole left by the decision to trade Randy Arozarena to Seattle -- perhaps coincidentally another former Cardinals outfield prospect, who never got a chance to reach his potential in St. Louis.