TORONTO _ The Rays have a deal in place to get infielder/outfielder Eric Sogard in trade from the Blue Jays, whom they are playing right now.
Nothing is expected to be made official until after the game, as medical reviews are believed to be ongoing.
The return from the Rays is not known but it will be a minor-league player, or players, possibly not announced today. It is not anyone on the 40-man roster, as the Rays will have to make room there for Sogard as well.
Also, the Rays traded reliever Ian Gibaut to Texas for a player to be named. Gibaut was DFA'd last week when the Rays needed 40-man roster space to activate Matt Duffy from the 60-day DL.
Sogard has been having a good year for the Blue Jays, hitting .300 with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and an .840 OPS. His acquisition is a bit surprising in that he hits left-handed and they have been looking for a right-handed hitter.
Sogard, 33, made it to the majors in 2010 with Oakland and played with the A's through 2015, missed almost all of 2016 with a neck strain and left knee surgery, then spent 2016-17 with Milwaukee and this season with the Jays, signing a minor-league deal and opening the season at Triple-A, then getting called up in mid-April. He has a career .247 average, with 21 homers and 155 RBIs and a .657 OPS. He has played shortstop, second and third base and the corner outfield spots in the majors.
He was in the Jays lineup leading off and playing rightfield then scratched shortly before first pitch. He was shown by Jays TV watching the game from the dugout in the early innings.
ESPN's Jeff Passan was first with the news of the Rays making a deal for Sogard.
The Rays in June drafted Sogard's cousin, Nick, an infielder from Loyola Marymount, in the 12th round. He is currently playing for their short-season Class A Hudson Valley team.
