Rays believe Dickerson will still hit away from Coors Field

Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman understands that hitting at Coors Field inflates offensive numbers, but that didn't concern him when trading for outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

"Coors is a great place to hit and it makes it that much harder to hit on the road," Silverman told reporters. "We've done our homework and we believe in the skill sets that Corey has and it will translate to our ballpark and will play in any ballpark in the whole league."

Dickerson, who was acquired for left-handed reliever Jake McGee, has had overwhelming success at home during his career splits, but has showed an ability to carry his power on the road.

CAREER SPLITS

"Dickerson is an established major-league hitter," Silverman said. "He has great bat-to-ball skills, he's got power and he can be a middle-of-the-lineup bat for us. … He's the kind of player that can step in and make an immediate impact and also be a part of our longer-term future. … A hitter like him is someone that is oftentimes hard to come by, and we felt like it was too much to pass up in this case."

The Rays had long been rumored to be open to moving McGee in an effort to add more offense, with Dickerson giving them a middle-of-the-order bat who provides power from the left side. At 26 years old, under contract through 2019, and not arbitration eligible until next season, Dickerson fills a need while allowing the cash-conscious club to maintain its budget.

"It's a more intimidating lineup than we've had in the past, and that was one of our goals in the offseason," Silverman said.