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The Indians have acquired a bat, outfielder Brandon Guyer from the Tampa Bay Rays, with the deal first being reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports added the return for the Rays, with outfielder Nathan Lukes heading to Tampa. They are also getting minor-league right-hander Jhonleider Salinas in the deal.
Hearing #Rays are trading OF Brandon Guyer .... Don't have details yet on where
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 1, 2016
inaidns-rays apparently have a trade. class-A OF nathan lukes has gone from cleveland to tampa.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 1, 2016
Guyer, 30, is mainly being brought in because of his success against left-handed pitchers this season, sporting a slash line of .344/.488/.594 when facing a southpaw. Overall, Guyer is hitting .241 with a .347 on-base percentage in 63 games this season.
He could slot in as a platoon partner with Lonnie Chisenhall, who has struggled against left-handed pitching throughout his career. Guyer also brings versatility to the table, playing a bit of every outfield position. The 30-year-old is under control through 2019 and could provide a valuable bench piece for Cleveland moving forward.
Lukes, one of the players going back to Tampa, was just promoted to High-A, but hit a slash of .301/.375/.453 at Class-A.