The Rays and Cubs have agreed to trade lefties, as the Rays announced Richard Lovelady acquired in exchange for a minor player Jeff Belge. In a corresponding movement, the right hand Jacob Waguespack transferred to Tampa Bay’s 60-day roster to make room on the 40-man roster.
Chicago designated Lovelady to work earlier this week, and today’s trade will officially end his tenure in Wrigleyville after seven appearances. Lovelady signed a minor league contract with the Cubs in the offseason, and the team’s spate of injuries created another opportunity for the southpaw in the Show, as his contract was designated to the 26-man roster at the end of April. Unfortunately for Lovelady, he posted a 7.94 ERA over his 5 2/3 innings with Chicago, which saw him used at a time when the Cubs needed a spot for their newly acquired roster. Tyson Miller.
Lovelady has pitched in five of six MLB seasons, with a 5.48 ERA in his 70 2/3 innings as a major leaguer. The home run ball has presented some problems for Lovelady and he is not a hard thrower, but other aspects of his game show potential for consistency. Lovelady has a 49.8% slugging percentage at the Major League level, along with solid strikeout (22.7%) and walk rates (8.8%).
If any team can make Lovelady a late bloomer as he approaches his 29th birthday, it might be the Rays, given their history of turning unheard-of pitchers into quality contributors. Lovelady is in his final minor league option year, so Tampa Bay has some flexibility in moving him between the majors and minors as circumstances warrant. Garrett Cleavinger is the only other southpaw in the Rays’ bullpen, so Lovelady will bring more depth against lefty-swinging hitters.
The 26-year-old Belgian was the 18th round pick of the Dodgers in the 2019 draft, and came to Tampa in a trade in December 2022 that sent. JP Feyereisen to Los Angeles. Serving almost exclusively as a relief pitcher in his 165 1/3 minor league innings, Belge has a 3.81 ERA and an impressive 32.59% strikeout rate, though his 14.56% walk rate is also up. Belge pitched with Double-A Montgomery the past two seasons and has yet to make his Triple-A debut.
Waguespack was placed on the 15-day IL on May 6 due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff. The issue is serious enough that he will need at least 60 days to fully recover, so he will be out until the second week of July at the earliest. Waguespack has a 5.40 ERA through 10 innings and four appearances with Tampa Bay this season, marking his first MLB action since 2020. Three short seasons were spent in the Blue Jays farm system and then with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball.
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