The Houston Astros continued to push their chips to the middle of the table Monday, acquiring Trey Mancini in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
The pre-Major League Baseball trade deadline move was made in the hopes it could help Houston keep up with the New York Yankees, who have made a litany of acquisitions throughout the day. While things initially sounded good for fans of the Boston Red Sox — Mancini was leaving the division to help someone compete on paper with the high-powered Yankees — the details show the American League East only served to get better.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Tampa Bay Rays got into the deal, trading away a prospect to acquire outfielder Jose Siri from Houston for a playoff push of their own.
Here are the full terms per Passan:
Siri, 27, is a centerfielder who has played in 48 games for the Astros this season, batting .178 with three home runs. Known for his glove more than his bat, he will presumably become the Rays’ starting centerfielder as they’ve reportedly designated Brett Phillips for assignment, according to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Johnson (No. 6) and McDermott (No. 12) are pitching prospects who will head to Baltimore as the Orioles continue to build their organizational depth. They were both rated top 12 prospects in their respective systems.
The AL East will almost certainly continue to stay active in the hours leading up to Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline. It’s likely only a matter of time until the Red Sox decide to get involved.
