The Compton Outlawz got aggressive in their Confederate Division race with St. Louis, swinging a pair of deals that netted Hyun-Jin Ryu, Koji Uehara, Matt Joyce and Drew Stubbs.
Compton sent star outfielder Adam Jones (right) to London along with minor league pitcher Brian Johnson and a draft pick to get Ryu, Uehara and Stubbs. The Outlawz then sent Alex Cobb and Logan Morrison to Vancouver for Joyce, Chad Qualls and minor league catcher Reese McGuire in a deal that included a pick on each side.
Ryu, who struggled to a 3-7 record with a 5.82 ERA with the Arsenal, will take Cobb’s spot in the rotation, while Uehara joins a bullpen that has gotten strong first halves from Dellin Betances (3-1, 1.60, 16 saves) and Jordan Walden (1.04, 4 saves).
Offensively, Joyce and Stubbs will form a platoon tandem looking to improve on Jones’ .249/.277/.449 triple slash that included 14 homers, second only to Chris Carter‘s 16 for Compton. Stubbs hit .429 against lefties and .387 overall for London, while Joyce posted a .280/.390/.415 triple slash with five homers in Vancouver.
Cobb (left) missed three weeks with an injury but went 5-3 with a 3.65 ERA for Compton. He moves into a rotation getting strong seasons from Chris Sale (8-3, 2.65), Odrisamer Despaigne (5-5, 1.98) and Edinson Volquez (6-4, 2.77). Vancouver trails Norris Division co-leaders Chicago and Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games in the quest for a wildcard berth.