Blue Jays trade Oliver Drake to Tampa Bay Rays

The Blue Jays have flipped Oliver Drake to the division rival Tampa Bay Rays in a minor deal that the team announced Friday afternoon.

According to an official team release (also noted by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star), the Blue Jays have traded right-handed pitcher Oliver Drake to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations. The Rays also announced the move.

Drake, who will turn 32 on January 13, was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays as a corresponding move to the acquisition of pitcher Clayton Richard from the San Diego Padres on December 30.

Drake’s major league career, which began in 2015 with the Baltimore Orioles, has been nothing short of crazy. After struggling in parts of two seasons with Baltimore, he was DFA’d and eventually traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.

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The native of Worcester, Massachusettes was then traded to Cleveland, claimed off waivers by the Angels, claimed by the Blue Jays, DFA’d by the Blue Jays, claimed by the Twins, claimed by the Rays, DFA’d by the Rays, claimed by the Blue Jays for a second time, DFA’d once again by the Blue Jays, and, now, traded to Tampa Bay.

All in all, Drake was designated for assignment seven times in 2018 alone. For his career, he has appeared in 135 games, tossing 137.1 frames to an ERA of 4.59 for six different major league teams.

For the Blue Jays, he tossed just an inning and two thirds, allowing three earned runs and four hits in two separate appearances in late July. According to Baseball Reference, this is the second time in his career that he has been traded for cash considerations.

In order to make room for Drake on the 40-man roster, the Rays designated 27-year-old right-hander Jamie Schultz for assignment.