Prior to the July 31 trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a trade sending Chris Archer north in exchange for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and a player to be named later.
On Tuesday, that player to be named was revealed as right-hander Shane Baz:
We've acquired minor league RH Shane Baz from Pittsburgh as the player to be named later to complete the Chris Archer trade. pic.twitter.com/clQQhXGDNg
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 14, 2018
Baz, 19, was the Pirates' first-round pick in 2017. He's appeared in 10 games this season, posting a 3.97 ERA while striking out nearly 11 per nine innings and walking almost five per nine.
Still, Baz was ranked fourth in the Pirates' system and is considered a top-100 prospect leaguewide due to his size, athleticism, and potential for a deep arsenal. MLB.com's scouting report suggested he could finish with five average or better pitches. It's more likely that he trims a pitch or two along the way, enabling him to focus in on repeating his mechanics and maximizing his core pitches. His ceiling is nonetheless high.
The Rays have to be pleased with how that trade has worked out for them so far. Although Meadows is yet to appear in the majors, Glasnow has pitched exceptionally as the "opener" three times, tallying a 2.25 ERA and 6.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Archer has yet to experience success in Pittsburgh. He has a 4.82 ERA and 1.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in two starts. Small samples, etc.
