The Reds came out of last winter’s three-team swap looking like the clear winners, and Brock Burke is the biggest reason why.
While the deal sent Josh Lowe to the Angels and Gavin Lux to the Rays, Cincinnati used its side of the trade to clear the $5.525MM owed to Lux in his final year of arbitration and bring back Burke from Los Angeles. At the time, it looked like a sensible bit of roster shuffling. By the end of the season, it looked like a steal.
Burke gave Cincinnati exactly what it needed and then some. The left-hander posted a 2.30 ERA over 74 1/3 innings, and his 77 appearances led the National League.
With Caleb Ferguson starting the year on the IL, Burke became the Reds’ top left-handed option, and Terry Francona leaned on him early and often. For a pitcher who entered the season in the “Specialists/Middle Relief” tier of our Lefty Relief Class preview, that’s a strong jump.
The 30-year-old’s work in Cincinnati should also help his own future. He’s now headed for free agency with a real chance to land another major league deal, which was far from a sure thing when the year began.
The same can’t be said for the other two clubs.
Los Angeles got more volume back in the deal, but not much impact. Lowe hit .209 with 12 home runs and 10 steals, but his overall line cratered to a career-worst 76 wRC+.
A .546 OPS over the first two months sent him to the minors, and while he was better after returning at the end of June, the overall package never came close to matching the upside the Angels were hoping for. He’s still under team control for two more years, but the production was thin.
His strikeout rate climbed back above 30% after he had trimmed it to 25.1% in 2025, and the Angels continued the same platoon approach against lefties that the Rays had used. Lowe hit .176 with 20 strikeouts in 51 at-bats versus southpaws.
He also finished as a negative in Defensive Runs Saved for the third straight season.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, got nothing from the major league side of the transaction. Lux’s shoulder injury in spring training set the tone, and a string of setbacks during his rehab kept him from ever reaching the big leagues. He’ll head to free agency without appearing in a Rays uniform.
The Rays still managed to win the AL East title without him. They patched together second base with Richie Palacios and Ben Williamson, and that arrangement was a glove-first one. Tampa Bay got only 24th-place production in OPS from the position, but Palacios and Williamson combined for 5 DRS at second.
The Rays’ return in the trade wasn’t limited to Lux. They also added right-hander Chris Clark from the Angels.
A fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, Clark logged a 4.35 ERA in 27 games at Double-A this season. He also got his first taste of Triple-A, though it was rough going there with a 6.46 ERA over 15 1/3 innings.
Still, he struck out 30% of batters in six appearances with Durham, and the 25-year-old is likely to be back in the Bulls’ bullpen next season.
In Other News...
Rays Survive A Playoff Scare With Two Key Youngsters
The Rays got a tense moment out of the way early in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series when Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca crashed into each other while going after a foul ball. Both stayed in the game, which mattered more than anything in the moment, and manager Kevin Cash said the collision came from effort in a loud postseason environment. It was the kind of play that briefly quiets a dugout before everyone checks on the two young players involved.
Caminero was said to be feeling overall good after taking the hit, while DeLuca came out with some bumps on his left side. For a Tampa Bay team leaning on young talent in October, the scare served as a reminder of how quickly a routine hustle play can turn into a concern, especially in a playoff setting where every out and every ball in play seems to carry extra weight. For now, the Rays can at least breathe knowing neither player was forced out, even if there was a little more drama than anyone wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Should Watch What Tampa Bay Does With A Former Arm
The Rays and Brewers have both built a reputation for knowing when to cash in on a player before the market gets away from them, and that makes Tampa Bays handling of Drew Rasmussen worth keeping an eye on. The right-hander has grown into one of the clubs most valuable arms, putting together a run that has included back-to-back All-Star selections and steady production at the top of the rotation.
Rasmussen also comes with the kind of contractual control that can keep a team patient, which is why any real trade conversation would likely start with a hefty price. Still, when a pitcher with his track record begins to surface in outside speculation, it says plenty about how much interest there could be if the Rays ever decide to listen. For Milwaukee fans, it is another reminder that Tampa Bay tends to stay several steps ahead of the rest of the league. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face Early ALCS Gut Check After Letting Game 1 Slip
The Rays did plenty right in the opening frame of Game 1, jumping out to an early lead and putting themselves in position to control the American League Championship Series opener. For a club that has spent the season leaning on timely hitting and steady run prevention, it looked like the kind of playoff start that can settle a series before it really starts, especially with both teams getting quality work on the mound for most of the night.
Instead, Cleveland kept hanging around and turned the final two innings into the difference, riding late offense and a bullpen that held up under pressure to steal a 5-3 win and grab the first game of the series. For Tampa Bay, the loss is less about one missed chance than the reminder that a best-of-seven can tilt quickly when an early edge doesnt turn into separation. [Read more 🡒]