TAMPA -- There were some “rough” days, Forrest Whitley admitted, after the Astros designated him for assignment earlier this month. He had been with the organization for nearly a decade, from the time he was drafted in the first round out of high school, then all of a sudden there was nothing but uncertainty.
All that anxiety faded in a hurry, though, when he got a phone call saying he’d been traded to the Rays.
His new team employs one of his best friends, starter Shane Baz -- the first person he called after the trade went down. And the Rays have earned a reputation for bringing out the most in pitchers like Whitley.
“I'm pumped. It was actually one of the organizations I was hoping for,” Whitley said Monday afternoon. “I feel like I'm in a really good spot.”
The Rays swung a deal with the Astros for Whitley on Friday, landing the 27-year-old right-hander for cash considerations. They officially added him to their bullpen before Monday night’s series opener against the Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Field in which he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in a 7-1 win. Right-hander Mason Englert was optioned to Triple-A Durham to make room for Whitley on the active roster.
A first-round Draft pick in 2016 who was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Whitley was designated for assignment by Houston on June 8. After struggling in the Astros’ bullpen, he’s hoping a new environment will lead to better results.
“It's not that the Astros were doing anything wrong. It's just like, at some point, things just weren't working out,” Whitley said. “I've kind of thought that the change of scenery would have helped me, so we'll see.”
Whitley last pitched against the Rays on May 31, when he gave up five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over two innings in Tampa Bay’s 16-3 win at Daikin Park. Three of his five outings this season came against the Rays, in fact; he permitted 10 runs on eight hits and six walks while striking out five of the 25 batters he faced during those three appearances.
He stayed busy during his downtime, throwing off the mound a few times at home in Houston while he waited to hear what would come next. After the Rays acquired him, he threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Sunday.
Whitley, who moved from the rotation to the bullpen last year, still shows promising potential. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.3 mph this season, and he also offers a sinker, a curveball, a cutter, a slurve and a changeup. His fastballs were hit hard during his time in Houston’s bullpen, but his offspeed stuff was generally more effective.
He said the Rays have already talked to him about shortening his arm action and throwing his cutter more often, as he had gotten away from the pitch after moving into a relief role. The changes are “really nothing huge,” Whitley said, but he’s excited to see how they play out.
The Rays have had plenty of success in the past getting pitchers to recognize their untapped potential. Perhaps a pairing with pitching coach Kyle Snyder and bullpen coach Jorge Moncada will accomplish the same for the 6-foot-7, 208-pound right-hander.
Manager Kevin Cash said Whitley might pitch in a multiple-inning role this week, as the Rays work to reset their bullpen, but they want to see how his stuff plays in one-inning stints.
“We're excited to have him,” Cash said. “It's big, big stuff.”
Whitley seemed like he was on the fast track early in his career, reaching Double-A in 2017 after being drafted the year before. But his ascent was stalled by a 50-game suspension in 2018 for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, then a long line of injuries.
Whitley was set back by minor oblique and lat injuries in 2018, a shoulder issue in ‘19, right elbow soreness in ‘20 and Tommy John surgery in ‘21. He missed more time the past three seasons due to shoulder, lat and elbow issues, then a left knee bone bruise derailed him this spring and a left knee sprain landed him back on the IL in late April.
“To be honest with you, I feel like my stuff is better than it was when I was drafted. It's just kind of a matter of getting confidence with it,” Whitley said. “If I can get back on that track, I think we're gonna be in a really good spot.”