FA Spotlight: Robbie Ray

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty ImagesRobbie Ray has been around a while. My apparently wrong impression of Ray was that he was an unheralded prospect who came up in the Arizona Diamondbacks system, exceeded expectations and was an all-around solid, but not great, starting pitcher for the DBacks. This remained true up until last season when he was traded to the Blue Jays. Classic developmental story. But it’s the wrong story.

Ray was actually drafted by the Washington Nationals, way back in 2010, in the 12th round. He was drafted out of Brentwood High School in Tennessee. He made it all the way to AA before the Nationals traded him. At the time of the trade, he was the #97…