Detroit Tigers trade Isaac Paredes, draft pick to Rays for outfielder Austin Meadows

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have traded infielder Isaac Paredes and a draft pick to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Austin Meadows.

Meadows, 26, is coming off a season in which he hit 27 home runs and 29 doubles while posting a .234 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage and a .458 slugging percentage.

For his career, he owns a strong .260/.333/.489 slash line, with a low strikeout rate and above-average power. He was an all-star in 2019 and posted a 2.0 WAR last season, despite inconsistent defense.

Meadows will join Robbie Grossman and Akil Baddoo in the Tigers’ outfield, which needed a lift following the injury to star prospect Riley Greene.

Greene broke his foot during a spring training game and is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the season.

Meadows is in his first year of arbitration and set to make $4 million. He is under club control for the following two seasons, through 2024.

His brother, Parker Meadows, is a prospect in the Tigers’ organization after they drafted him in the second round in 2018.

Paredes, 23, has shown strong plate discipline throughout his minor league career but couldn’t crack the Tigers’ crowded infield this spring. He was acquired during the 2017 deadline deal with the Chicago Cubs that also brought Jeimer Candelario to Detroit for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.

The Tigers also sent their competitive balance-B pick in the 2022 MLB Draft to the Rays in the deal.