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BALTIMORE, MD -SEPTEMBER 07: Manager Kevin Cash #16 of the Tampa Bay Rays addresses the media before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays made a notable move Sunday afternoon, acquiring starting pitcher Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets.
Tampa Bay sent minor leaguers right-handed pitcher Gary Gill Hill, infielder Emilien Pitre, and outfielder Aidan Smith to New York in the deal.
With the move, the Rays needed to clear a spot for Peralta on the 26-man roster, which they did hours after completing the trade.
Rays DFA Closer Craig Kimbrel
The Rays designated veteran closer and nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel for assignment to make room for Peralta, who will immediately join the team’s starting rotation.
Kimbrel has appeared in 32 games this season and owns an 0-2 record with a 4.41 ERA.
He began the year with the New York Mets before joining the Rays, where he pitched in 18 games and posted a 3.06 ERA across 17.1 innings. He also recorded 16 strikeouts.
#Rays have told RH Craig Kimbrel he is being DFA’d to make room on 26-man roster in anticipation of newly acquired RH Freddy Peralta joining team in Colorado
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 2, 2026
Kimbrel’s MLB Career
Kimbrel’s best years came during his six seasons with the Atlanta Braves and three-year stints with both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.
However, since then, he has spent one season or less with seven different franchises. While he remains a reliable option out of the bullpen — as he showed with the Rays this season at age 38 — he is no longer the dominant pitcher he once was and has become expendable.
That said, Kimbrel has enjoyed an impressive career. He won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018 and has posted a 2.65 career ERA with 440 saves across 833 appearances.
Rays Right Now
Tampa Bay lost 9-1 to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, but the defeat did not change the fact that the Rays still own the best record in the American League at 65-46. They hold a 2.5-game lead over the New York Yankees.
The AL remains wide open, and the Rays may not be done making moves before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline as they look to bolster their roster for a potential World Series run.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan