Tampa Bay Rays Sign Former Top Mets Prospect for Shortstop

With Wander Franco's MLB future very much in doubt at the moment, the Tampa Bay Rays have gone out and added a veteran shortstop, nabbing former top New York Mets prospect and former LA Dodger and Cleveland Guardian, Amed Rosario.

Infielder Amed Rosario and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Rosario, 28, will bring a strong bat against left-handed pitching and should get at-bats at shortstop, second base and potentially corner-outfield spots.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 20, 2024

It's a $1.5 million, one-year deal for Rosario, who can provide depth all around the field, including shortstop, second base and the outfield. 

The 28-year-old finished last season with the Dodgers, where he split his time between second base and shortstop, as well as DH. Overall in 2023 he batted .263, with a .683 OPS, with six home runs and 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

As recently as 2022, Rosario was looking like a staple in the Guardians infield for some time to come. That year, he batted .283 with an OPS+ of 106 to go along with a major league-leading nine triples, 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, and 86 runs. Cleveland had some prime young infield prospects to work into the lineup, and with Rosario earning $7.8 million, and about to enter free agency, the Guardians decided to move on and dealt him to LA at the trade deadline.

The Dominican native came up in 2018 for his first full season with the Mets as a highly regarded prospect, but never really panned out the way it was hoped.

Overall, in a seven-year career, he has a .272 lifetime average with an OPS+ just a shade under average at 95. 

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