Did the Bulls Get Even Better?

On Tuesday evening the Rays made another deal, trading Steven Souza Jr. to the Diamondbacks in a three-team trade with the Yankees. In return, the Rays received LHP Anthony Banda from Arizona, and 2B Nick Solak from New York.

Both are nice gets for the Rays, as Banda was the D-Backs’ №4 prospect according to MLB.com, and Solak was the Yankees’ №8 prospect.

So now the question remains — will they be with Durham on Opening Day?

Banda spent most of 2017 with Triple-A Reno (22 starts), but also got his first taste of MLB action by appearing in eight games (four starts) for the D-Backs. Not to mention, the southpaw spent all of 2016 with Reno as well. It’s possible the Rays move the 24-year-old to the bullpen and keep him at the big league level, but if he stays a starter, it’s likely he’ll be tabbed for Durham rotation that already appears to feature Brent Honeywell, Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos and Jose De Leon.

Solak, on the other hand, could be up-in-the-air. The 23-year-old combined to hit .297 between Advanced-A and Double-A a season ago, but spent only 30 games in Double-A. It’s certainly possible the University of Louisville product opens the year in the Bull City, but also could begin the 2018 campaign with Double-A Montgomery.