The report: Athletics trade Boyle, others for Springs in Rays deal appeared originally on NBC Sports Bay Area
Athletics are busy this offseason.
The team is finalizing a trade to acquire left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs from the Tampa Bay Rays, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday morning, citing sources.
Tampa Bay will get righties Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson and a compensatory draft pick from the A’s for Springs and one other player who has yet to be named, Passan added.
The A’s are finalizing a trade to acquire left-hander Jeffrey Springs from the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN. A number of players are going both ways, but as the A’s want to spend, they will get a replacement in the Springs under club control for the next three seasons.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 14, 2024
Springs joined the Rays after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 2021. It didn’t take long for Springs to establish himself as a solid reliever with a high strikeout rate. Tampa Bay eventually moved him into their starting rotation, where he enjoyed a career year in 2022, amassing 3.1 fWAR and was rewarded with a four-year, $31 million contract extension.
Springs has often looked like a potential Cy Young Award candidate — when healthy. After a breakout campaign in 2022 (2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 144 strikeouts in 135 innings), Springs made just three starts before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2023.
He threw just 16 innings before an injury led to Tommy John surgery in 2023, sidelining him for the rest of the season. The Rays shut him down in September of the 2024 season and placed him on IL due to elbow fatigue.
Springs will make $10.5 million in 2026 and has a team option for $15 million in 2027.