The Tampa Bay Rays have announced that right-hander Forrest Whitley has been outrighted to Triple-A Durham, with The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin first breaking the news. Once considered one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Whitley cleared waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend.
This marks the second time this season the former first-round pick has been designated for assignment. The Astros, who had kept Whitley on their 40-man roster for years despite injury issues and control problems, finally decided to move on in mid-June, sending him to the Rays after removing him from their roster. Whitley continued to struggle in limited action with Tampa Bay, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits and two walks over just 4 2/3 innings out of Kevin Cash’s bullpen.
Standing 6-foot-7, Whitley still possesses a high-octane arsenal, highlighted by a fastball that touches 96 mph. However, over the past two seasons, he’s allowed 18 earned runs in 15 1/3 big league innings, with a swinging strike rate of just 8%, well below the league average. While he posted a strong 1.89 ERA in 33 1/3 innings at Triple-A last year, his lack of minor league options meant any team claiming him off waivers would have had to keep him on the major league roster.
Since Whitley hasn’t previously been outrighted and doesn’t have three full years of MLB service time, he is required to accept the assignment and report to Durham. The Rays’ development team will now have a few months to work with him and try to unlock his potential. If he isn’t added back to the major league roster by season’s end, Whitley will be eligible for minor league free agency.
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