The Texas Rangers have traded infielder Jurickson Profar to the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-way deal that includes the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced Friday.
The Rays receive reliever Emilio Pagan and the 38th overall pick in next year's draft from Oakland, as well as pitching prospect Rollie Lacy from Texas. The Rangers acquire four prospects - pitchers Brock Burke, Kyle Bird, and Yoel Espinal from the Rays, and infielder Eli White from the A's - plus international bonus money from Oakland.
Per a source, the Rangers received $750,000 in international slot money in the three-team trade.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 21, 2018
Profar is the biggest name involved in the deal. The former top prospect played in 146 games for the Rangers last season - the first time he's ever topped the 100-game mark after an array of injuries stalled his once-promising career. Profar hit .254/.335/.458 (105 OPS+) with 20 homers, 35 doubles, 77 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases for the Rangers, while making at least 10 appearances at each infield position.
"We have seen a lot of him over the years and we feel like this is a guy who's just getting to what he's capable of," Oakland general manager David Forst said of Profar, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. "He had a great year last year as a 25-year-old and we have him under control for ages 26 and 27 and feel like he's ready to break out as one of the stars of the American League."
In Oakland, the 25-year-old will become the Athletics' regular second baseman from Jed Lowrie, a free agent who wasn't expected to return even before Friday's trade. Profar, who has another two years of team control remaining, has played 67 games at the keystone, but only got into 10 games at second last year.
Pagan, who heads from Oakland to Tampa Bay, is the only other name involved who has big-league experience. The 27-year-old appeared in 55 games out of the bullpen for the A last year, posting a 4.35 ERA, 4.92 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts. While he held right-handed hitters to a .628 OPS in 159 plate appearances, lefties had his number, putting up a 1.031 OPS with six homers.
Burke, 22, posted a 3.08 ERA while striking out over 10 batters per nine innings across 137 1/3 innings between High-A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery last year. Some in the Rays organization thought highly of Burke, with quiet comparisons being made to this year's AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
The 26-year-old Espinal pitched in 46 games last year across two levels and put up a 2.25 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts per nine and 10 saves. At Double-A, his ERA was a minuscule 1.98 over 40 outings.
Bird, a left-hander, compiled a 2.39 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 88 strikeouts over 43 appearances (six starts) split between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. The 25-year-old was Tampa Bay's 35th-round selection in 2014.
White, the Athletics' No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, slashed .306/.388/.450 with nine homers, 55 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases at Double-A Midland. The 24-year-old is a natural shortstop but also has experience at third and second.
Lacy joined the Rangers organization last July as part of the trade that sent Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old pitched in 24 games (18 starts) in 2018, primarily at the Single-A level, and put up a cumulative 2.97 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 121 strikeouts.
