Former Washington Huskies infielder Will Simpson was involved in a trade between the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics on Saturday. Centered around pitcher Jeffery Springs, who will be sent to the Athletics, Simpson was part of the return package for Tampa Bay in an attempt to bolster the organization’s infielder depth.
He took a major step forward during the 2024 campaign, batting .282 with a .378 on-base percentage and .860 OPS (on-base + slugging) among Oakland’s High A and AA affiliates. Now, Simpson, who was ranked as the Athletics’ No. 29 prospect before the deal, will have an opportunity to take a major step forward in his development in Tampa Bay’s system.
In MLB.com’s latest farm system rankings, the Rays topped the list and will get a boost from Simpson, who has drawn some high praise during his breakout season.
“He understands the game,” A’s director of player development Ed Sprague told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos early in the season. “The new ways of analytics and everything about how to approach it. How pitchers attack hitters based on the stuff they do. He’s really advanced in that aspect of it. He’s a pretty solid defender at first in spite of his size.”
The A’s asked Simpson to play both corner infield slots in 2024 after mainly playing third base on Montlake, which may be one reason the Rays were drawn to his skillset in the deal.
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