Rays' Robert Stephenson: Traded to Rays

The Rays acquired Stephenson from the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league infielder Alika Williams, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Stephenson has a 5.14 ERA for the Pirates this season and a 5.38 ERA over 76 relief appearances since the beginning of 2022. However, the 2011 first-round pick still has pretty good stuff and can miss bats, particularly with his slider. It's the kind of profile the Rays usually get the most out of, but Stephenson can be expected to work in low-leverage situations initially.