Rays trade former top prospect Honeywell to Athletics

The Oakland Athletics have acquired former top prospect Brent Honeywell from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations, it was announced Friday.

Honeywell, who is out of minor-league options, was a victim of the Rays' 40-man roster crunch. Tampa Bay earned an extra roster spot with the trade to protect an additional Rule 5 Draft-eligible prospect.

Honeywell, 26, was once a jewel of the Rays' farm system, but his career has stalled due to an array of elbow injuries. Since 2018, the pitcher has undergone Tommy John surgery, suffered a broken bone in his elbow, had nerve decompression surgery, and underwent arthroscopic surgery. Honeywell's thrown just 86 innings in the last four seasons, all in 2021.

After finally reaching the majors this past April, Honeywell posted an 8.31 ERA with four strikeouts and three walks across 4 1/3 innings of work. He finished 2021 at Triple-A Durham, where he went 5-4 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 67 strikeouts, and two saves across 31 appearances (13 starts).

He should get a chance in Oakland to finally stick in a big-league rotation. The Athletics are entering a rebuilding phase and most of their big-name players are reportedly available in trade talks, including starters Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, and Frankie Montas.