Rays acquire right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase from Mets

The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase from the New York Mets in exchange for right-handed pitcher Tyler Zuber.

Gervase, 24, went 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA (27.2IP, 10ER), 46 strikeouts, 17 walks and five saves over 22 appearances for Double-A Binghamton this season. In 2023, he was named a South Atlantic League postseason All-Star and Mets Organizational All-Star by MLB.com after going 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA (57.0IP, 13ER), 96 strikeouts and 42 walks across 38 appearances between Binghamton (7 games) and Class-A Brooklyn (31 games). He led the South Atlantic League (min. 45.0 IP) in earned run average (1.72), hits per 9.0 innings pitched (4.60) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (14.55).

In his first professional season in 2022, the right-hander posted a 1-1 record and 5.56 ERA (11.1IP, 7ER) over eight appearances between Class-A St. Lucie and the FCL Mets. Gervase, who stands at 6-foot-10 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected by the Mets in the 12th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Louisiana State University. He served as the Tigers closer as a redshirt junior in 2022, going 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA (39.0IP, 8ER), 52 strikeouts, 15 walks and six saves over 29 appearances.

Zuber, 29, was selected to the Rays major league roster on July 18 and made two appearances for Tampa Bay, allowing one run over 3.1 innings. After signing a minor league contract with the Rays on May 14, he went 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA (21.1IP, 6ER) and four saves in 18 appearances with Triple-A Durham. Prior to signing with the Rays, Zuber made six appearances with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League, posting a 1.59 ERA (5.2IP, 1ER).