Rays acquire Erasmo Ramirez from Mariners for Mike Montgomery

The Rays and Mariners made a one-for-one swap on Tuesday night, with Seattle sending right-hander Erasmo Ramirez to the Rays in exchange for left-hander Mike Montgomery. Each pitcher will immediately join the 40-man roster of their new club.

Ramirez, 24, is out of options and was unlikely to make the Mariners' big-league club, so the team was smart to get something in return for him instead of exposing him to waivers. He is the owner of a lifetime 7-12 record and 4.62 ERA in 47 major-league appearances (35 starts) since breaking into the bigs in 2012, despite impressing early in his career with a 3.36 ERA in 59 innings of work in his rookie season. He will provide depth for a Rays' team that has been known to be looking for back-end rotation piece throughout spring training, and is a candidate to either start or relieve for Tampa.

Montgomery, 25, was once considered one of the top 20 prospects in all of baseball, and is best-known for his inclusion in the mega-trade that sent James Shields to the Royals in exchange for Wil Myers. The southpaw has failed to make the major leagues despite being drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft, and has posted a 4.98 ERA in parts of four seasons at Triple-A in the Royals and Rays organizations.