Rays pitcher Dietrich Enns headed to overseas team
ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are finalizing an agreement to send lefty Dietrich Enns to a yet-to-be-identified team in Korea, Japan or Taiwan.
Enns was placed on release waivers Wednesday with the expectation he will be unconditionally released Friday and then free to sign with his new team after that.
The Asian league team approached the Rays about their interest, the Rays gave them permission to contact Enns, and then he and his agent agreed to pursue the opportunity and worked out a deal. Contract details are yet to be known but likely for much more than the $580,000 or so Enns would have made in the majors in 2022, and it will be guaranteed.
Because Enns will be out of options, the Rays would have had to keep him in the majors or expose him to waivers. They are likely to get a release fee for making Enns available.
Enns, 30, pitched in nine games for the Rays this season with a 2-0 record and 2.82 ERA, returning to the majors for the first time since a two-game August 2017 stint with the Twins. His rise to the majors was somewhat of a success story for the Rays, who signed him out of an independent league in August 2020 when he was pitching and serving as pitching coach for the Tully Monsters team.
The Enns deal is the latest by the Rays to clear spots on the 40-man roster by Friday’s 6 p.m. deadline to add prospects to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. Having traded infielder/outfielder Mike Brosseau to the Brewers and reliever Louis Head to the Marlins, the Rays’ roster will be down to 37 when Enns is released.
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