Rays Notebook: Former Teammate Brooks Raley Excited About Jose Siri's Arrival
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The biggest trade-deadline move for the Tampa Bay Rays was acquiring center fielder Jose Siri from the Houston Astros. He's got a lot of promise, and the Rays' have a huge need at that position, especially with Kevin Kiermaier, Brett Phillips and Josh Lowe all gone in the past few weeks.
Rays reliever Brooks Raley played with Siri last season in Houston, and he was impressed. Siri hit .304 with four home runs and nine RBIs in just 46 at-bats, and was a demon both defensively and on the basepaths.
"Siri, I really enjoyed playing with him,'' Raley said. "The bat at times is really impressive, the speed, the defense. He's a very electric player. I'm obviously excited to him here and he'll fit in and find a way to make an impact.''
Houston had hoped that he would be their every-day center fielder this season, but he's struggled in 2022 and bounced back and forth with the Astros this year, struggling at the big-league level, hitting just .178. He's shown plenty of power throughout his minor-league career though, and even had nine home runs in just 71 at-bats at Triple-A Sugar Land this summer..
His defensive numbers are off the charts, too. Raley already saw a lot of greatness in a very small window. He can see Siri blossoming in the Rays' clubhouse environment.
"It's always the goal in the big leagues, if you don't get a ton of consistent ABs, you try to catch lightning in the bottle,'' Raley said. "You can't deny the tools and what he can do on the field, and hopefully he can really take off.
"He scored on a ball from first base once and I remember watching him run and thinking, not many guys can do that. He made some great plays in the outfield and one time he stole second and third on back-to-back pitches. There were times last year where we saw him do some big-moment deals. You're going to see lots of energy from him, and I'm excited for that. We need a spark from him. This is a very unique place, this room. I know that's not everywhere. It's a very comfortable atmosphere here, and he'll have an opportunity to take advantage to the situation here and make the most of it.''
Siri was 0-for 3 in his debut, but made a great catch early in the game to squash a Blue Jays rally. He just missed making a diving catch in the ninth inning.
Brett Phillips lands in Baltimore with Orioles
It didn't take Brett Phillips long to find a new home. The Rays, who designated the popular hometown hero for assignment on Monday, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations.
Phillips, the former Seminole High School star, had many magical moments with the Rays since joining them in late August of the 2020 season. He had a game-winning hit in Game 4 of the World Series that year, and was a huge fan favorite.
He struggled mightily at the plate this year, though, hitting just .147 with 85 strikeouts in 184 at-bats. The Rays moved on from him after getting Siri on Monday.
By Tuesday, his locker was emptied and many of the pictures of him around Tropicana Field were already removed. His former teammates were able to say their goodbyes, though, and they'll cherish their time of having Phillips as a teammate.
"You can't say enough about Brett, first off as a person. He's definitely going to be missed around here,'' second baseman Brandon Lowe said. "Every guy in this clubhouse is rooting for him.''
"Brett was a great teammate and obviously brought a lot to this city and this team. He had a lot of energy and obviously some big moments. Talking to him early (Tuesday), he was a great player and a great teammate and left it all out there. He'll always be a special part of the Rays.''
The Rays' next home series is against the Orioles, from Aug. 12-14. That's the final series of the year against the Orioles, and Phillips is sure to get a great reception.
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- TOM BREW COLUMN: Brett Phillips made the most of his two years with the Tampa Bay Rays as a local hero who was embraced by the fan base. His struggles at the plate finally caught up to him, and the Rays released him on Monday. But he did his job here, and made baseball fun again. CLICK HERE
- PHILLIPS DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT: Popular Tampa Bay outfielder Brett Phillips was designated for assignment on Monday after the Rays traded for Houston center fielder Jose Siri. Minor-league pitchers Seth Johnson and Jayden Murray were traded for Siri, who's one of the top defensive players in the game. CLICK HERE
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.