Here are the prospects the Rays dealt for at the Deadline

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays made two difficult decisions prioritizing the future over the present on Friday, dealing star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Mariners and Opening Day starter Zach Eflin to the Orioles four days before the annual Trade Deadline.

They received three prospects in each trade. Seattle sent an outfielder and a right-handed starter, plus a player to be named later. Baltimore dealt an infielder/outfielder, another right-handed starter and an unheralded outfielder.

All five named prospects -- all members of the 2023 Draft class, interestingly -- immediately joined the Rays’ Top 30 Prospects list, according to MLB Pipeline. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about each of the newest members of Tampa Bay’s system.

Aidan Smith, OF, Single-A Charleston
Pipeline scouting report: Smith was touted by some scouts as holding a place among the best pure hitters in the realm of talent-rich Texas high school players, particularly after a big senior season and a solid performance at the MLB Draft Combine in 2023, where he rocketed a few balls beyond 100 mph and 400 feet. It was enough for the Mariners to take him in the fourth round and pry him away from his commitment to Mississippi State with a $1.2 million bonus, more than double slot value. He was off to a solid start at Single-A Modesto in 2024 when the M’s moved him to the Rays in a deal involving Randy Arozarena.

Given the three high-upside high school hitters Seattle selected with its first three picks, Smith flew more under the radar, but he has many likable tools that could keep pace with that group. With good balance and a small stride, he optimizes his contact and consistently drives the ball to his pullside. Some within the Seattle organization pointed to his mental acuity as an avid golfer translating to his approach at the plate, though he sometimes struggled with high fastballs in the California League. He showed flashes of being an above-average hitter as an amateur, and while he has just solid power now, some of his present doubles could turn into future homers in his 20s.

With an athletic 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that can add more strength along with strong wheels to go with a plus arm, there’s a good chance he can stick in center field, giving him a solid floor. Moving out of the hitter-friendly California League will test how the rest of his profile holds up in the Tampa Bay system.

Organizational fit: Typically more flush with infielders than outfielders, the Rays viewed Smith as the leading piece of their return for Arozarena. President of baseball operations Erik Neander said the athletic outfielder “has tools that can impact the game on both sides of the ball” and “very advanced skills” for someone so young and new to pro ball. They believe his frame is fit to add more strength, allowing him to grow into an everyday player -- and potentially a high-end one.

ETA: 2027

Brody Hopkins, RHP, High-A Bowling Green
Pipeline scouting report: The brother of former Red and current Giant TJ Hopkins, Brody Hopkins was a two-way player, starting at College of Charleston, where he pitched very sparingly over two years. He moved to Winthrop and got the chance to play the outfield and start, showing enough on the mound for the Mariners to take him in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft while signing him for an under-slot bonus of $225,000 with the intent to develop him as a pitcher. He got off to a tremendous start at Single-A Modesto and was traded to the Rays before the Trade Deadline in a move for Randy Arozarena.

Long and loose, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has some good stuff he can rely on. While his fastball was typically in the 93-96 mph range in college, he could reach back for 98, and he’s carried that promising velocity into his first full season. His low-80s slider can flash plus at times and misses a good amount of bats and plays well off the riding fastball out of his low release height. His mid-80s changeup lags behind the other two offerings, and he's also added a cutter that helps play between the fastball and slider.

The biggest thing that could hold Hopkins back is his command. He walked 7.3 per nine at Winthrop in 2023 but exhibited promising steps forward in the Seattle system before the trade. The Rays were in need of promising arms with starting capabilities, and they’ll hope Hopkins can continue his upward trajectory now that he’s focused on the mound.

Organizational fit: Despite their reputation for churning out pitching prospects, the Rays' system is relatively light on high-end arms at the moment. They think Hopkins could help change that. As a former two-way player, Neander noted, Hopkins “probably will be the best athlete in our organization once he throws in our uniform.” And that’s no knock on any of the tremendous athletes in Tampa Bay’s system, Neander said. “That speaks more to just how athletic and powerful he is.” The Rays believe he can grow into a power starter, throwing an explosive fastball from a lower arm slot.

ETA: 2026

Mac Horvath, INF/OF, High-A Bowling Green
Pipeline scouting report: That Horvath went undrafted as a high school senior and as a Draft-eligible sophomore at North Carolina had more to do with his asking price than his toolsy combination of power and speed, which has long intrigued scouts. It also had something to do with his inconsistency at the plate, though Horvath dispelled enough of those questions with a strong junior year in Chapel Hill for the Orioles to select him in the second round of the 2023 Draft and sign him for a slightly under slot $1.4 million. Horvath opened his first full season at High-A Aberdeen, where he didn’t hit for average but performed in other ways, and was traded to the Rays in late July as part of a deal that sent Zach Eflin the other way.

Horvath uses bat speed and strength to generate at least plus raw power, and he’s especially adept at trusting his quick, powerful hands to turn on inside pitches and hammer mistakes in the zone. The result is an uphill right-handed stroke and extremely pull-heavy batted-ball profile, which helps him to drive the ball out of the park but also works against him with catchable pop flies. He tends not to chase breaking balls out of the zone all that often but is more vulnerable against quality fastballs up in the zone, leading to some significant swing-and-miss. He does know how to see pitches and walked at a higher clip in his debut than he did in college. That on-base ability jives with above-average speed that enabled him to steal 14 bases in 15 attempts last summer.

Horvath was drafted as a third baseman and possesses plus arm strength, but struggled with accuracy so much that at this point he doesn’t really have a true position. He moved between third, second and right to begin 2024, and even saw a few games in center. If he can develop defensively, Horvath’s power and speed would be more valuable at an infield spot, though added versatility could also work to his advantage, especially with Tampa Bay.

Organizational fit: The Rays love versatile players and good defenders, and they think Horvath can be both. Neander noted Horvath “can be a plus infielder, can be a plus outfielder.” The Rays have plenty of infield options at Bowling Green, so he might see more time in the outfield initially. Combine that with his offensive ability, and the Rays think he will eventually provide value as an everyday player.

ETA: 2026

Jackson Baumeister, RHP, High-A Bowling Green
Pipeline scouting report: A converted catcher ranked as a high school prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, Baumeister had a chance to be picked fairly high in the 2021 Draft. But he went unselected after announcing on the day of the Draft that he was honoring his commitment to Florida State, and it wasn’t until two years later that the Orioles took him in Competitive Balance Round B with the 63rd overall pick in 2023. Baumeister signed for an over-slot $1.61 million bonus and moved to High-A Aberdeen for his first full season, posting a 3.06 ERA with a 29.5 percent strikeout rate over 70 2/3 innings. The Rays picked him up as part of a three-prospect return for Zach Eflin at the Trade Deadline.

At 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, Baumeister is a tall, physical right-hander with exciting raw stuff. His best pitches are a low-to-mid-90s fastball that can get as high as 97 mph and a playable mid-70s curve he uses to keep hitters off balance. He also can dunk in a developing cutter-like slider at times as well as a fringy changeup, but both those pitches are behind his primary offerings. The fastball shows some good riding quality up in the zone, and it’s not hard to believe Baumeister will be able to get to consistently plus velocity with it as he grows and develops.

Baumeister began his college career pitching in relief and then had mixed results in the rotation as a Draft-eligible sophomore, in part because he’s had trouble at times limiting walks. He might be able to clean up those issues because of his fairly simple delivery and his size suggests he can be durable. That remains a work in progress on the pro side, but his overall pitch shapes should make for exciting additions to the Tampa Bay pipeline.

Organizational fit: A Jacksonville native who pitched at Florida State, the Rays see Baumeister as a “big arm” with a quality fastball, someone they liked heading into last year’s Draft. He still has to develop his secondary offerings to reach his ceiling as a starter, but he has performed well in his first taste of professional baseball and should have plenty of time and opportunity to develop given Tampa Bay’s need for pitching prospects.

ETA: 2026

Matthew Etzel, OF, Double-A Montgomery
Pipeline scouting report: Etzel spent one semester at Texas A&M before transferring to Panola (Texas) JC for two seasons. A strong turn with Williamsport in the MLB Draft League preceded his transfer to Southern Mississippi for 2022-23, and by slashing .317/.381/.472 with seven homers and 23 steals in 66 games, the outfielder helped the Golden Eagles reach the Super Regionals. Etzel went to the Orioles in the 10th round of last year’s Draft, signing for exact slot at $167,000, and was a well-above-average performer at High-A Aberdeen in his first full season, earning a promotion to Double-A in early June. Baltimore traded the 22-year-old to Tampa Bay as part of a three-prospect Deadline package for Zach Eflin.

Batting from the left side, Etzel makes a decent amount of contact from a slightly open stance that allows him to see the ball well. He handled fastballs well in college, and that’s continued into pro ball, even at Double-A. He can be susceptible to the down-and-away slider, however. Still, he is contact-oriented, and that can result in a sizable diet of ground balls (close to 50 percent at Double-A before the trade). That profile can work with a plus-plus runner like Etzel, but his slugging percentage will likely be driven by doubles and triples rather than homers.

The former Golden Eagle puts his wheels to good use by being aggressive on the basepaths, and he was second in the O’s system with 41 steals through 83 games at the time of the deal. The Orioles moved him around all three outfield spots to take advantage of the speed, and Etzel even saw some time at first base in High-A to keep his bat in the lineup. The Rays know a thing or two about versatile speedsters, making this a solid fit.

Organizational fit: Etzel was “not as famous” as his counterparts in the trade, Neander noted, but he moved quickly to Double-A for a reason. The Rays’ scouts, staff and analysts all project him to be a regular, someone the Rays are “really high on and … a big part of why we made this deal,” Neander said. He’s most likely to wind up in a corner outfield spot, given the Rays’ high standards for center field defense, but he could also be the first player from these deals to reach the Majors.

ETA: 2025