Rays trade pitcher Cesar Ramos to Angels for minor leaguer

The Tampa Bay Rays traded left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos to the Los Angeles Angeles on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Mark Sappington.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos to the Los Angeles Angeles on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Mark Sappington, the teams announced. 

Ramos pitched in 43 games for the Rays in 2014, making seven starts, and had a 3.70 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 39 walks in 82.2 innings. 

The 30-year-old is a former first-round draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 2005 and was traded to the Rays in 2010. He has a career 3.90 ERA.

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The Angels drafted Sappington in the fifth round of the 2012 draft out of Rockhurst University.

Sappington began 2014 at Double-A Arkansas​ before moving down to Single-A (Advanced) Inland Empire. Overall, he went 4-11 with a 6.02 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 113.2 innings in his third year in the minors. 

The Rays went 77-85 in 2014, while the Angels were a major-league best 98-64 but lost in the Division Series to the Kansas City Royals. 

- Molly Geary