Rays Bolster Roster with Forrest Whitley
The Tampa Bay Rays have finalized the acquisition of right-handed pitcher Forrest Whitley, coming from the Houston Astros, through an agreement involving cash considerations. The official announcement was made on Friday, marking a strategic move to strengthen the team’s pitching staff.
Whitley, who at one point was considered one of the top 10 baseball prospects, was designated for assignment by the Astros last Sunday. This decision opened the way for his transfer to the Rays, who are looking to take advantage of the pitcher’s potential.
The Astros selected Whitley with the 17th pick of the MLB draft in 2016, coming from high school in San Antonio. He received a signing bonus of $3.148 million, but failed to meet the expectations that were held for him.
At 27 years old, Whitley debuted in Houston until the 2024 season, participating in three relief appearances, where he did not allow any earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. This season, the pitcher participated in five games with Houston, allowing his opponents to score 10 earned runs with nine hits and six walks in 7 1/3 innings. He has no decisions and has an ERA of 12.27.
In his 117 minor league appearances (65 starts), he compiled a 17-20 record with a 4.75 ERA in 306 2/3 innings. In addition, he struck out 421 batters and walked 160.
