Luke Raley was in the middle of something when he found out he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on Friday.
His honeymoon.
He was swimming and took a break to glance at his phone which had been filled with notifications.
“I get out and have like 20 missed calls and a bunch of text messages,” Raley said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “And I’m like, ‘Something happened.'”
Something did indeed.
Raley heads to the Mariners after having a breakout season in 2023.
The 29-year-old slashed .249/.333/.490 with 19 home runs and 49 RBI. He did suffer a freak injury on Sept. 16 during a collision at a team batting practice. Raley attempted to return but lasted just two swings before saying his left arm lacked strength. He didn’t return for the Rays’ postseason run.
Raley immediately phoned his agent who let him know he had been traded, but don’t worry — it didn’t take anything away from the newlywed’s celebration.
“It was a little bit crazy, but it didn’t put a damper on the honeymoon at all,” Raley said. “We had a great time.”
The Rays, in exchange for Raley, received 27-year-old infielder José Caballero. The team needed a shortstop while Wander Franco deals with ongoing legal battles after he allegedly began a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paying the girl’s mother to remain silent about it.
[MLB.com]
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.