The Rays announced that they have designated infielder Brett Wisely for assignment. That’s the corresponding move for them to acquire outfielder Víctor Mesa Jr. from the Marlins, a move that was previously reported.
Wisely, 27 in May, has been riding the DFA carousel for quite a while. The Giants designated him for assignment in the middle of September. He was claimed off waivers by Atlanta but got another DFA from that club in January. The Rays sent cash considerations to get both Wisely and Ken Waldichuk from Atlanta but subsequently bumped both from the roster. Waldichuk was claimed off waivers by the Nationals earlier this week.
The hope with Wisely is seemingly to get him to the minors as non-roster depth. He is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. If he were to pass through unclaimed, he would not have the right to elect free agency since he has less than three years of service time and does not have a previous career outright.
Wisely has taken 466 trips to the plate so far in his big league career but has produced a tepid .214/.265/.319 line. Despite that lack of offense, his defensive versatility is appealing. He has experience at all four infield spots and has a little bit of outfield experience as well. It’s also possible there’s a bit more in the bat, as he has hit .276/.375/.436 in the minors over the past three years, leading to a 113 wRC+.
DFA limbo can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Rays could take five days to explore trade interest. If they hope to pass Wisely through waivers, they will probably put him on the wire sooner rather than later. The 60-day injured list opens up next week, adding some extra roster spots which could potentially be used for moves like waiver claims.
Photo courtesy of Matt Krohn, Imagn Images
