By Jordan Long
The Tampa Bay Rays added depth to their rotation, agreeing to a 1-year deal with Michael Wacha paying him $3 million. He will take the place of pitcher Charlie Morton who left Tampa Bay for Atlanta in free agency.
Morton was a huge part of the Rays rotation. In the regular season, he went 2-2 with an ERA of 4.74. When it came to the postseason, his record was 3-1 with an ERA of 2.70, helping the Rays go to the World Series. It was a surprise Tampa Bay let him go. The Braves agreed to a contract with him, hoping he could help them reach the World Series for the first time since 1999.
With Morton’s departure, there was a hole in the Ray’s rotation. Wacha is a veteran pitcher who is entering his 8th year in the league. Last year in a shortened season, he pitched for the New York Mets. It wasn’t his best year with a 1-4 record. His era was 6.62, the highest of his career. Wacha still managed to strike batters out with 37.
The Tampa Bay Rays felt he was the best pitcher left in free agency. Wacha has won ten or more games twice in his career, both with the St. Louis Cardinals. Those were in 2017 and 2015. In the regular season, Wacha’s record is 60-43 with an ERA of 4.01. Those could help keep the Rays in games. He knows what pitch to use for hitters to swing at and miss for strikeouts.
The Rays didn’t sign him because of his regular season success. They want to make another deep run in the playoffs. Wacha pitched in 7 playoff games in his career with a record of 4-3.
The Rays hope he can pitch at the level he did in 2018. That season Wacha ended up 8-2 with an ERA of 3.20, 2nd best of his career. If that pitcher shows up, the Rays have a chance at repeating as American League Champions. The worst case is he can’t find the zone and batters create traffic and score on him. The Rays at least could let him go at the end of the season or trade him at the deadline. This is a 1-year deal to show he can be a top pitcher again.
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