ARLINGTON -- The Rangers continued their rebuild for the future by trading infielder Jurickson Profar to the Athletics for four Minor League prospects in a three-team deal that involved the Rays.
The Rangers will acquire Double-A left-handed starter Brock Burke and Minor League relievers Kyle Bird and Yoel Espinal from the Rays and Double-A shortstop Eli White from the Athletics. Texas will also get international bonus money from the A's.
Burke and White are the top prospects in the deal for the Rangers. Bird and Espinal both pitched well at the upper levels of the Rays' farm system this past season. Bird is the farthest along of the four players acquired and could be a candidate for the Rangers' bullpen in Spring Training.
The deal leaves the Rangers without a clear candidate to play third base after Adrian Beltre announced his retirement earlier this offseason. Joey Gallo came up to the big leagues as a third baseman but was used in the outfield and at first base last season. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom was acquired from the Cardinals earlier this month but has limited Major League experience.
The Rays get the 38th pick in the 2019 Draft, right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan from the Athletics and Minor League pitcher Rollie Lacy from the Rangers. Lacy was one of three players acquired from the Cubs for Cole Hamels this past July.
Burke was chosen by the Rays in the third round of the 2014 Draft out of Evergreen (Co.) High School and split '18 between Class A Advanced Charlotte in the Florida State League and Montgomery in the Double-A Southern League. He made nine starts for Montgomery and was 6-1 with a 1.95 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. In doing so, Burke averaged 11.5 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings.
White, an 11th-round pick by the Athletics out of Clemson in 2016, played in 130 games at Double-A Midland and hit .306 with 81 runs scored, 30 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs, 55 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. A right-handed hitter, he had a .388 on-base percentage and a .450 slugging percentage.
Bird and Espinal could both help the Rangers bullpen at some point this season. Bird finished last season at Triple-A Durham and was 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Left-handed hitters batted .156 off him and he struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings.
Espinal pitched in 40 games at Montgomery and was 3-3 with 10 saves, a 1.98 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 11.7 and walked 4.8 batters per nine innings.
Profar, who missed all of 2014-15 because of a shoulder injury, played in 146 games this past season and hit .254 with a .335 on-base percentage and a .458 slugging percentage. He also set career highs with 82 runs scored, 35 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs and 77 RBIs.
T.R. Sullivan/ MLB.com
 

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