St. PETERSBURG - The Tampa Bay Rays announced Friday that they have finalized a deal that will send shortstop Jason Bartlett to the San Diego Padres for four players.
In the trade, the Rays acquired pitchers Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos and Brandon Gomes, as well as infielder Cole Figueroa.
The Padres will also receive a player to be named later from Tampa Bay.
It was no secret that the Rays were trying to deal the 31-year-old Bartlett, who is eligible to become a free agent after the 2011 season and was due a raise from the $4 million he received in arbitration a year ago from Tampa.
Bartlett struggled last season, hitting just .254 with four home runs and 47 RBI. His disappointing year was a far cry from a remarkable 2009 campaign that saw him bat .320 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI.
In the right-hander Russell and left-hander Ramos, the Rays get a pair of hurlers who could very well be a part of their 2011 bullpen. Russell appeared in 12 games for the Padres last season and pitched to a 4.02 ERA without recording a decision.
Ramos, a first-round supplemental pick by the Padres in 2005, has worked sparingly in San Diego the past two seasons, appearing in 19 games, two of which have been starts. He is 0-2 with a 6.26 ERA, but has struck out 19 batters in just 23 innings.
Gomes spent all of last season with the Padres Double-A affiliate San Antonio (Texas), while Figueroa has spent three seasons in the Padres' farm system.