The Rays announced they have acquired pitchers Adrian Sampson and Manuel Rodriguez and international free agent bonus pool space from the Cubs for minor league pitcher Josh Roberson. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic first reported the deal.
Sampson, 31, joined the Cubs’ rotation in late June last year as the team dealt with injuries to Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, and Wade Miley. The journeyman righty was surprisingly able to stick, putting together 19 starts with a 3.28 ERA. Sampson’s low strikeout rate suggested that level of success was unsustainable, but it was enough for the Cubs to retain him on a $1.9MM arbitration deal.
After losing the Cubs’ fifth starter battle out of camp this year to Hayden Wesneski, Sampson was optioned to Triple-A. In May he hit the IL after a meniscal debridement procedure on his right knee and was bounced from the team’s 40-man roster once he recovered. To retain his career-best salary, Sampson could not reject the Cubs’ outright. Sampson has struggled mightily in his 23 innings at Triple-A this year, but the Cubs were able to clear his remaining $633K salary by including Rodriguez and the international free agent bonus pool space.
The Rays are the next stop for Sampson, who pitched in KBO in 2020 and was with the Rangers, Mariners, and Pirates before that. Until the Rays decide to add Sampson to their 40-man roster, he’ll head to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to serve as extra depth. Yesterday, the Rays picked up Aaron Civale in a trade with the Guardians, sending Taj Bradley back to Triple-A as a result.
Though Sampson has nearly 300 big league innings to his name, Rodriguez could be the bigger get for Tampa Bay. Rodriguez, a 26-year-old righty reliever, logged a total of 31 1/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen in 2021-22 to limited success. The Cubs bumped him from the 40-man roster in January to make room for Julian Merryweather, and Rodriguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Iowa.
The Cubs have been unable to find room for Rodriguez back on their 40-man or in their big league bullpen this year, despite a relief corps that has struggled at times. Rodriguez worked around 96-97 miles per hour in the Majors, and this year at Triple-A he’s posted interesting numbers despite a BABIP-inflated 4.42 ERA. In 38 2/3 innings, Rodriguez has managed to punch out nearly a third of batters faced, though he’s walked more than 10%. He also sports a groundball rate of 58.4%, which has resulted in only two home runs allowed all year. Like so many Rays relief pickups, this could be an underrated move.
The Cubs add Roberson, a 27-year-old righty reliever who has toiled in the minors since being drafted in the 12th round out of University of North Carolina Wilmington back in 2017. The Rays picked Roberson up as the player to be named later to complete the deal that sent Louis Head to Miami in November 2021. Roberson reached Triple-A for the first time this year, and has posted a 4.50 ERA, 25.7 K%, 13.2% BB%, and 41.1% groundball rate in 36 innings.
Statistically at least, Rodriguez is having a better year at Triple-A than Roberson. Perhaps the Cubs have a good scouting report on Roberson; before the season Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs wrote of “slam dunk big league stuff undercut by 20-grade command.” The salary relief the Cubs are getting on Sampson is likely a factor here in this low-profile deadline day trade.
Anyone know much about these pitchers? Future Cy Young candidates for the Rays?
They both have potential. Sampson has pitched well when called upon. Rodriguez has the ability to become a solid BP arm.
MRod they will improve control and with their defense will put up solid numbers. They will have Sampson throw more breaking balls and increase his K rate. That’s the idea at least.
Tucker Davidson AND Adrian Sampson in the same span of 15 minutes?
The stove is HOT.
Adrian Sampson SP started for Cubs last year he did good, Manny Rodriquez throws hard
Adrian has never been the same since that haircut
Who are these guys?
Adrian Sampson and Manuel Rodriguez
Why would the Cubs be interested in a 27 year-old minor league relief pitcher? Unless maybe they were going to dfa these guys to create roster spots for acquisitions?
None of these guys were on either teams 40 man rosters. to trigger clearing space.
In fact, Roberson is rule 5 eligible., so the Cubs will have to decide what to do with him over the winter.
And they threw in international FA bonus pool money for good measure.
Cheap ass Ricketts probably told Jed to dump Sampson’s high dollar salary.
Kind of reads like the Cubs were able to clear Sampson’s salary (no matter how small) by doing this. Seems much more a business deal than anything. This is part of economics that I don’t understand, nor care to.
Mike- it’s obvious they liked Roberson more than Rodriguez and the Cubs have spent a ton of money on Intl prospects lately. Either they think next year is a lean year for prospects or they have their minor leagues stacked with Intl prospects. See M.B and the ACL Cubs rosters. It’s not a big deal to them I guess. Sampson was just taking up innings that are better served for real prospects.
This doesn’t make a lot of sense for the cubs. They can’t be that concerned with 667 thousands dollars unless a trade is going to push them towards luxury tax.
He pitched well last season but has been terrible this season.
Because they love signing 1 year deal with washed up players.
It’s Jed’s specialty.
Like Bellinger?
Belli might be the exception. Plus his deal has a player option attached to it. So it’s not 100% a 1 year deal.
Plus I said washed up players. Not ones in their prime.
It’s a mutual option, just to defer some money to next year. Its a one year deal.
Okay fine its a one year deal. He’s far from being washed up.
Just seems like a nothing trade. Depth for the Rays if pitchers get injured.
Sampson is an arm – when healthy a #5 or #6 SP.
Rodriquez is a young arm, mlb potental unknonw,
Sampson was one out away from a no-hitter in 2018 (vs. Texas)
Rays cornering the Mexican baseball players market in MLB
They could have just called up Aranda…
Seems like a set up move. Clearing a spot on the 40 man to acquire a bullpen arm?
None of the 3 were on the 40 man rosters, so I’d so that’s a no.
Oh my bad. Thanks for the heads up.
If I had to guess this was a move by the Cubs to create roster space for another deal they’re working on hence giving up international bonus money to the Rays.. no way they make this trade otherwise.
Neither guy was on the 40 man so it wasn’t a roster space issue. It was a salary dump.
They also could’ve needed to create roster space in AAA. You are only allowed to have so many players per level, and they were already crowded there with recent promotions/demotions.
They likely will demote one or two more guys to AAA pending any additional transactions at the major league level. They likely just wanted to purge some players.
Fearthecub and kidbryant – both have reasoning behind the move for the Cubs. $633M salary dump gives the Cubs a little more wiggle room under the luxury tax if they can work out additional moves.
It also clears AAA roster spots for promotions from AA. Caissie/McGeary/Murray could be on the move along 5-6 arms. And that allows A+ to move guys up to AA and so on.
Palencia probably gets sent down for Cuas, and Rucker is already down at Iowa. If they get a lefty for the pen today, Kay will be sent back to Iowa as well.
They manage to place Sampson on a playoff team and give the Rays international cap space to offset the salary. I would put the over under on Sampson pitching in Tampa at 2.5 innings – he will get selected for depth, pitch in a blowout, and get outrighted again.
Rodriguez had a high probability of being selected in Rule 5 this winter by a team like Oakland, so they might as roll the dice on Robertson, although I can see them sending him to the Complex instead of Iowa.
Typical Bargain Mart Rays….
Win win. For Rays. If they could teach Rob better control they would have done so and wouldn’t need to trade him for these 2. You have to give up eventually. For Cubs. These weren’t playoff arms for them. They got a much better arm to work with. Maybe they cut down the walks.
Sampson was recently outrighted, and I thought Manny may have been on the 40-man but don’t see any transactions this year having him removed so doesn’t look like a roster clearling move before something big happens.
Rays GM must be a former car salesman. We’ll give you a 27 year old AAAA player for your two pitchers that have MLB experience and by the way give us some international pool money.
Sampson just had knee surgery and has been horrible since he came back. Rodriguez has been the closer at Iowa and has been spotty at best. It just gets guys out of the way for the Cubs. The guy might replace Herz at AA as they’re trying for a playoff spot. Sampson is 4AAAA fodder at best. I wouldn’t expect much from anyone involved in this trade. There’s nothing here that stays on anyone’s 40 man.
It’s a simple salary dump of 2 minor league pitchers. It’s not selling of anything of value.
Salary Dump? These guys make peanuts. This isn’t even tip money for anybody. It’s clearing out roster spots for draft picks that were just made. Now that they’ve signed, They need somewhere to go. Guys need to move up and guys need to move out. Cubs have been dumping guys for weeks already.
Trading 2 for 1 isn’t clearing out space..I can care a less about the players, just wanting to know why international pool money needed to be added unless that was to pay for their salary offset.
Kidbryant – correct. That $633M the Rays take of Sampson’s salary comes off the Cubs MLB payroll. Since they’re just under the threshold, the $633 is a big deal and may allow them to trade for Chafin or another bullpen arm without crossing that luxury tax
The Luxury Tax crap is nonsense. It wouldn’t mean anything and Chafin isn’t coming so forget that. He already has triggered an opt in clause for next year that the Cubs want no part of. They didn’t want him for free so why would they want him now? Besides I think the Cubs are done now. they got the bat they wanted and have their own arms for the pen. All they got here and with Cuas is some Minor League depth.
I can’t believe it – an article about Rays starting pitching that DOESN’T mention Jeffrey Springs and how the team has suffered so horribly in the 100+ games they’ve played without him. Then again, he was likely the Cy Young winner according to this comment section, so the restraint is genuinely impressive.
Typical Rays W. Players that nobody is probably even calling about but gives us massive pitching depth. Sneaky moves by our front office that’ll pay off now & in the future.
Cubs got fleeced here. Rodriguez is better than Roberson and has MLB experience. Sampson has team control has potential to be a backend rotation option at an easy to swallow salary. Add in the pool space and this is highway robbery.
They got the Rays to assume $600k of salary to give up a couple guys they already wouldn’t have kept this off-season. In return they get a look-see on someone who’s unlikely to be selected in Rule 5. Rays get a couple guys they can ride the Durham shuttle, one of whom they still control if they’re willing to offer arb. Seems like a low risk play for both sides to me.
Rodriguez has pre-arbitration status still. They would’ve most likely kept him. Sampson has looked good at times, but I do get he’s in arbitration years and he’s over 30.. I don’t see why you do this deal if you want to cut salary, all you do is not tender a contract to these guys next year and the salary is off the books with the international pool money in tact. Saving money this year doesn’t make much sense with how p[pathetic their [payroll is.
Yeah, especially after they unloaded Patino for cash.