The Tampa Bay Rays have traded shortstop Jason Bartlett to the San Diego Padres, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com. We heard earlier that the Padres and Pirates were the two teams in the bidding for the shortstop, and it appears that Bartlett was dealt for Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell.
I don’t think the loss of Bartlett is that big of a deal, as I’ve said many times before. His defense has been on a constant decline, and outside of a career year at the plate in 2009, he’s been a sub-.700 hitter as a starter. I would much rather see the Pirates acquire J.J. Hardy. The Pirates will still have to compete against the Baltimore Orioles for Hardy. If they don’t land Hardy, Brendan Ryan of the Cardinals could be a possibility.
