In what has to be considered a pretty shocking move during an otherwise quiet MLB offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays announced on Saturday night that they have acquired first baseman C.J. Cron from the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named. In a corresponding move, the team also designated 2017 All-Star Corey Dickerson for assignment.
We have acquired 1B CJ Cron from the Angels for a PTBNL.
To make room on the 40-man roster, we have designated Corey Dickerson for assignment. pic.twitter.com/wDK3sN7Yen
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) February 18, 2018
Tampa Bay had previously been in discussions with Dickerson on a contract extension, but that never came to fruition. The 28-year-old outfielder hit .282 with 27 homers and 62 RBI in 150 games for the team last season. The Rays will now look to move Dickerson over the next couple weeks before ultimately having to release him outright.
Meanwhile, the Angels have seemingly had Cron on the trade block for some time. He heads to Tampa Bay fresh off a 2017 campaign that saw him hit .248 with 16 homers and 56 RBI.