In a late-night blockbuster, the Padres and Rays have agreed to a deal that would send center-fielder Tommy Pham and a prospect to the San Diego Padres for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Pham, 31, fills a lot of needs for the Padres. As noted by Passan, he’s a high-OBP bat who has produced at an above-average clip over the last several seasons. Over the last three seasons, he slashed .284/.381/.475 (129 OPS+) while averaging 22 home runs and 68 RBIs per season. His 2019 season saw his average exit velocity, sprint speed and hard-hit rate rank among the top 20% of all players.
Pham should stabilize a center-field position in Petco Park that has been in flux for the last few seasons. Defensive metrics remain mixed on his work in the grass; Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average has him at -11 while Fangraphs has his DRS at a +1.
Pham was projected by MLBTR to earn 8.6 million dollars from the arbitration system this winter, a figure that may have motivated the always budget-conscious Tampa Bay to move him.
Renfroe, 27, is the sole current Major-League contributor to head to Florida. Renfroe’s mostly been a one-dimensional player throughout his career, with his prominent tool being his 70-grade raw power.
His max exit velocities and furthest home run distance rank among the best in the game, but his career sub-.300 OBP is clearly below average. It raises the question of why the Rays would acquire such a player when they’ve placed a major organizational emphasis on high on-base percentage.
Renfroe has surprisingly posted positive marks in the outfield with his 6 Outs Above Average, placing him 6th in the Majors in that regard. Renfroe is also projected to garner $3.4 million during his first time through the arbitration process this winter.
What could make this deal a steal for the Rays is if Xavier Edwards pans out. Edwards was the 38th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has done nothing but hit since being selected. The infielder has 80-grade speed and his improving hit tool has him ranked among the best prospects in the Minors.
MLB Pipeline ranked him fifth among Padres prospects and 72nd in the Minor Leagues. He isn’t expected to make his Major-League debut until 2022.
Passan later reported that the prospect being sent to San Diego in the trade is Jake Cronenworth, who hit .334/.429/.520 in Triple-A last year and is ranked as the Rays’ 17th best prospect according to MLB.com. Cronenworth also appeared in seven games as a reliever and opener last season.
