Aviston native, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher dealing with uncertainty of MLB season
Trevor Richards had hoped to be establishing himself as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff by this point in the season, but the 27-year-old Aviston native finds himself instead in professional baseball limbo.
The start of the 2020 regular season, already delayed more than two months by the coronavirus pandemic, is in doubt.
Earlier this month, MLB owners proposed an abbreviated campaign beginning in July, but on Thursday, ESPN reported hundreds of minor league players have or will be given their release under the concern their season most likely will be canceled.
While a handful of Rays players have begun workouts at the team’s facility in Tampa Bay, Richards remains in Missouri, waiting and hoping for some good news about a major league season.
“There is a facility where I’m able to work out at, training, lifting, conditioning and just staying ready until we find out what’s going to happen,” Richards said in a telephone interview Thursday. “Will there be a season? I really don’t know. I keep hearing about negotiations and I’m hopeful.
“It’s really not difficult being able to prepare and not knowing if there will be a season or not. I just take it one day at a time . No matter whether if I’m here, in Florida or wherever, I’m just just trying to get better every day.”
Acquired as part of a four-player deal with the Miami Marlins last July, Richards quickly made a name for himself with Tampa Bay during the final two months of the 2019 season.
Just 7-21 in parts of two campaigns with Miami, the 6-2, 195-pound righthander went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in seven appearances and three starts with Tampa Bay during the final two months of the season.
Richards was optioned to the Class AAA Durham Bulls in March. He remains a candidate, however, to join former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow in the Rays’ starting rotation. He also could be used out of the bullpen.
“I don’t know ... obviously it’s going to be hard to make the staff. But competition is good for everybody,” Richards said. “I can’t really worry about that. I just have to go and do what I can do and show everybody that I can make the club.
“There is a lot of competition because there are a lot of great arms over here. We have a great club.”
Meeting a challenge has never been a problem for Richards.
From Mater Dei to Drury and becoming a Grizzlie
A 2011 graduate of Mater Dei, Richards went 9-1 with a microscopic 1.07 ERA in his senior year with the Knights, then attended NCAA Division II Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.
Four years later, Richards left Drury as one of the school’s all-time greats, ranking second all-time in strikeouts (230), victories (24) and ERA (2.96).
But Richards did not get drafted out of college and was signed by the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League.
“I had a tryout with Gateway before the draft,” Richards recalled. “I told them I was going to wait until the draft. Nothing happened with that so I signed with them.
“I try to keep up with the Grizzlies. I know some of the people are still there and that Phil Warren is still the manager so yes I try to keep up with how things are going.
After playing with Gateway for the remainder of 2015 and the first two months of the ‘16 season, the Mater Dei graduate was signed by the Miami Marlins and quickly became the talk of the farm system. Less than 15 months later, he was named as the Marlins Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2017 after going 12-11 with a 2.53 ERA in 27 games for the high-Class A Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League and the Class AA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Southern League.
Then, on April 2, 2018, Richards made his first major league start, against the Boston Red Sox. He worked 4 1/3 innings in a 7-3 loss.
When asked about his improvement as a pitcher, Richards credits his development, hard work and strength.
“I think I’ve just developed overall. In one way, mentality wise as far as pitching goes, and two with my stuff, being able to throw more breaking balls and just developing my pitch arsenal. I guess, overall, it’s just coming together,” he said.
“I’m stronger physically. I work out in the weight room a lot and just try to keep my body healthy. I’ve probably put on a couple of pounds since I was at Gateway. But it’s probably good weight.”
Making strides
Owner of one of the top rated change-ups in professional baseball, Richards’ fastball is consistently in the low 90’s and he also possesses a wicked slider.
“Last year at Miami, they had me mixing in a curve ball and cutter. But last year I kind of threw a little bit of everything, kind of playing with what was comfortable and what felt right. But as of right now, it’s just fastball, slider, change-up,” Richards said. “I’m really happy in Tampa Bay.
“The organization is great. The coaching staff is just awesome, everybody is just really laid back They trust that you are doing what you need to in order to be ready when you are called upon. Everybody is there to help in any way that you need. I’ve just really enjoyed myself since I’ve been here.”
Changes in life
Aside from being traded to the Rays last summer, Richards also married his longtime girlfriend, Aunna, at the Drury University Chapel in November. The Richards spend quite a bit of time on the road in the offseason.
“We travel a little bit in the offseason because we can’t during the rest of the year. We’ll spend some time with my family then we’ll go see her family. Plus we bought a house so we’ve settled down a little bit,” Richards said “I wouldn’t say my life has changed a lot. But it has changed. Obviously, that comes with the territory.”
