There have been some whispers for much of the winter that the Rays were open to trading outfielder Austin Meadows, who they received in the lopsided deal in which they sent Chris Archer to the Pirates, but nothing ever came together. That is, until Monday, just days before the season is set to get underway. Boston’s division rival traded Meadows to the Tigers in exchange for infield prospect Isaac Paredes along with a competitive balance draft pick.
We’ll start on the Rays side of this since this is of more consequence to the Red Sox. While it’s hard to criticize Tampa Bay too much considering their history in trades, this one seems strange at first glance.