The Rays have traded outfielder/first baseman Jordan Luplow to the D-Backs for infield prospect Ronny Simon, the teams announced. Arizona designated right-hander Brett de Geus for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster. Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster now sits at 39.
Luplow is a five-year big league veteran, although he’s spent the bulk of his time in a platoon capacity. The right-handed hitter has never tallied more than 261 plate appearances in any given campaign, as he’s instead been leveraged heavily against lefty pitching. That’s a role in which he’s had great success, as Luplow has a massive .245/.360/.539 showing against southpaws. While that batting average isn’t eye-catching, Luplow’s combination of a huge 14.3% walk rate and 23 home runs in 378 plate appearances (essentially a little less than two-thirds of a full season’s workload) when holding the platoon advantage has made him an impact player in those situations.
Yet Luplow’s struggles against same-handed hurlers have kept him from being an everyday regular. He’s a career .205/.291/.369 hitter in 358 trips to the dish against righties. The 28-year-old actually had reverse splits in fairly limited playing time this past season, but it’s likely the D-Backs put more stock in his career-long track record of mashing against southpaws and will continue to use in a platoon capacity next season.
Luplow has between three and four years of major league service, so he remains controllable through 2024 via arbitration (barring changes to the service time structure in the next collective bargaining agreement). MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to receive a salary in the $1.5MM range next year. That’s certainly not an onerous sum, but it might be more than the cost-conscious Rays would have been willing to spend since they’re already fairly deep in outfield options.
The D-Backs’ outfield is far less settled, particularly if the club tries to trade David Peralta this winter. Young options like Pavin Smith, Stuart Fairchild, Jake McCarthy and Daulton Varsho could all get some run in 2022, but Fairchild’s the only right-handed hitter of that bunch. Adding Luplow gives the D-Backs an affordable, proven righty bat to help balance out the group.
In exchange, the D-Backs will send back a switch-hitting infield prospect. Simon spent most of the 2021 campaign with Low-A Visalia, where he hit .249/.343/.475 with fifteen homers and twelve steals across 349 plate appearances as a 21-year-old. Simon, who was acquired from the Cubs last November as the player to be named later in the teams’ Andrew Chafin deal, spent the bulk of his time in the middle infield, in addition to a handful of starts at third base. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster next offseason or be made available in the 2022 Rule 5 draft.
de Geus split the 2021 campaign between the Rangers and D-Backs. Selected out of the Dodgers’ organization in last year’s Rule 5, the 24-year-old worked 47 innings across 50 outings. He posted just a 7.56 ERA with worse than average strikeout and walk rates (17.2% and 10.5%, respectively). de Geus’ 7% swinging strike rate was the second-lowest mark among the 255 relievers with 20+ innings pitched, but he did rack up ground-balls at a strong 52.1% clip on the strength of his low-mid 90s sinker. Arizona will have a week to trade de Geus or try to pass him through waivers.
Interesting… hits lefties very well, Decent pick up for the Dbacks. Might flip him at the deadline
AZ’s outfield is very lefty heavy as well, so he figures to be a solid platoon option
Yeah, maybe they can pick up Alex Dickerson for a nice platoon
Did you not read what you were replying to? They already have Pavin Smith, David Peralta, and Dalton Varsho. Definitely don’t need another lefty outfielder.
That’s true, but Dickerson is better than all those guys. They want to clean house so why not? Just an idea
Add Josh Rojas and Jake McCarthy, both lefties, to that mix as well
Varsho can also factor behind the plate as a backup to Kelly
Dickerson has less promise than Pavin and Varsho and Peralta isn’t worth moving for Dickerson.
Jordan luplow is the great nephew of former ml outfielder Al luplow. He played with the Mets and pirates in the 60s……I liked Jordan when he was with the pirates when he started his career. Solid ball player
But unsure why the Rays asked for a middle infielder. Look at their top 20. They are flooded with middle infielders
He was the best prospect offered and not every player acquired by a team is acquired to help the mlb team? They can be acquired to be currency..
I like him when he played with the Indians. You cringe when he hits righties but he is one of the better power hitters in the league with a lefty on the bump. I would love for AZ to pick up Pederson too- that would be a great tandem in right.
not a bad get by TB here. Simon’s prolly not gonna do much, but you never know.
That’s what Philly fans (I know, I know) said about Curtis Mead, who’s flown up the rankings to be #5 in a loaded Rays system. For Christopher Sanchez. Nuff said.
Kevin Ibach, who scouts the minors for TB, is the best at what he does.
I do still like Sanchez, but even at the time Mead was risky to give up. that kid hits EVERYTHING.
The Rays are Sharpies… I love it. No other team quite like them.
Not a bad guy to get? The Rays have no need for middle infielders .
And the Diamondbacks strike …
The Snakes are back baby!
Luplow can play CF/2B.
Ketel Marte about to get dealt?
The dude only has 1 inning a 2nd base. Only an idiot would think this is Marte’s replacement.
CJIK:
You are absolutely correct but a little bit mean how you phrase it.
True. I have to work on my tone, but sometimes mean is fun.
He has plenty in CF and could definitely play 2B if needed. If they traded Marte though they would probably get 3-4 players back. One being a 2B. Luplow could play CF and platoon with Jake McCarthy.
At one point Marte only had 2 games in CF and he became Pollocks replacement in CF.
D-Backs FO has already said they are playing Marte at 2B next season. That CF experiment is finally over, for heaven’s sake.
@Chipper Jones blah blah blah etc…. Now what if he/she knows they are an idiot and trying to participate in the conversation. You ruined his/her confidence. Be supportive. 🙂
Luplow is also now an established First-baseman. He needs Choi’s glove though.
Possible platoon partner for Pavin Smith in RF
Not sure why a rebuilding team would platoon a 25 year old with the upside of Pavin Smith at this point.
$$$$$$$$
Their outfield is almost exclusively left-handed so he makes a good platoon option with any of them.
Get ready to see Ronny Simon rocket up prospect lists.
The Snakes also have a centerfield prospect who is expected to be ready in 22. I know him because I’m a Chicagoan and the kid was drafted out of an area high school.
Forgot to mention his name – Alek Thomas. And he bats lefty. ETA 2022.
Don’t forget Corbin Carroll as well. I think Thomas may wind up in LF due to a lack of arm strength, but Carroll is a true CF with other-worldly range.
Dominic Canzone and Dominic Fletcher are there as well. Not as highly regarded but they’ve played well in the minors (and in the AFL in the case of Canzone)
Alek Thomas? Yeah, that dude’s pretty good.
Odd that Arizona wants him. Who is he a platoon with?
This is a Black Friday Deal
I was kind of hoping the Rays would hang onto Luplow. They’re very short on that side of the platoon in the outfield, and Josh Lowe and Vidal Brujan (despite being a switch hitter) won’t help that much. Good luck to him, and I suspect the Rays think they can find someone with a very similar profile on the open market who they can sign to a minor league contract instead of paying ARB1 prices.