White Sox trade Jennings to Tampa Bay for Casey Gillaspie
Before the Chicago White Sox lost to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night, relief pitcher Dan Jennings was asked about being the next veteran most likely to be traded.
“You really try to push that out of your head,” Jennings said. “I mean, I've been traded once before, totally unexpected. You really try to push that to the side. Even if you get traded or you're here, it's still the same game. It's still pitching and I've always taken pride in taking the ball whenever, in any situation. I just hope to continue to do that.”
Jennings is now going to take the ball for Tampa Bay.
The 30-year-old reliever was traded to the Rays Thursday for minor-league first baseman Casey Gillaspie, the younger brother of former Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie.
Acquired from the Marlins in a Dec. 10, 2014 trade for pitcher Andre Rienzo, Jennings is tied for second in the American League with 48 appearances this season.
Gillaspie, 24, was rated as Tampa Bay's No. 8 best prospect by Baseball America.
The Rays' first-round draft pick (No. 20 overall) in 2014 out of Wichita State, Gillaspie batted .227 with 15 doubles, 9 home runs and 44 RBI in 95 games with Class AAA Durham this season.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder fouled a ball off his foot on Tuesday and fractured his right great toe. Gillaspie is on the disabled list and expected to miss 1-2 weeks.
“Casey is a recent first-round pick who has shown a quality approach at the plate with some power throughout his minor-league career,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. “He gives us yet another highly touted hitter who has stood out at every level in the Rays system and increases our organizational depth as we continue to add prospects to the system.”
Over the past two weeks, Hahn has traded Jose Quintana to the Cubs, Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees, Anthony Swarzak to the Brewers and Jennings to the Rays.
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