Rays send righty Marquez to Rockies

The Tampa Bay Rays have carved out a reputation for strong homegrown pitching. The Colorado Rockies have done the same with bats. The two sides swapped one for the other Thursday as part of a four-player deal.

Tampa Bay shipped its No. 25 prospect German Marquez and Major League reliever Jake McGee to Colorado in exchange for Minor League infield prospect Kevin Padlo and big league outfielder Corey Dickerson.

Right-hander Marquez made 26 appearances (23 starts) at Class A Advanced Charlotte last season. He went 7-13 with a 3.56 ERA, striking out 104 while walking 29. After a slow start in which he registered a 4.74 ERA in four April outings (three starts), the 20-year-old found his groove in May with a 0.72 ERA in five appearances (four starts). In his penultimate start that month, he allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings in a win over Tampa.

Marquez has been one of the youngest players at each level he's reached since making his stateside debut as an 18-year-old in the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2013, and he was named a Rays Organization All-Star after a breakout season in the Class A Midwest League the following year. He features a low- to mid-90s fastball graded a 60 by MLB Pipeline on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. In 75 appearances (59 starts) over four professional seasons, Marquez sports a 3.88 ERA with 266 strikeouts in 324 2/3 innings and a 1.28 WHIP.

The Rays added Marquez, originally a 2011 international signee, to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Padlo was tabbed a 2015 Rockies Organization All-Star thanks to a strong rebound with Class A Short Season Boise last summer. Colorado challenged the third baseman with an assignment to Class A Asheville at just 18 years of age to start last season, but after Padlo struggled to a .145/.273/.277 line in 27 games, he went to extended spring training until the start of the Hawks' season. Then he returned to form with a .294/.404/.502 line, nine homers and 46 RBIs in 70 games and was named both a midseason and end-of-season Northwest League All-Star.

In 145 games since the Rockies selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft, Padlo has a .271/.388/.494 slash line with 19 homers and 97 RBIs.

To make room for Marquez on their 40-man roster, the Rockies designated 2008 first-round pick Christian Friedrich for assignment.

In other trade news: Designated for assignment last week by San Diego, outfielder Rymer Liriano is on his way to Milwaukee. The Brewers agreed to send left-hander Trevor Seidenberger to the Padres in exchange for Liriano, now ranked as Milwaukee's No. 20 prospect.

In seven Minor League seasons, Liriano has a slash line of .277/.350/.435, but has struck out 752 times in 738 games. Still just 24, the outfielder played 131 games for Triple-A El Paso last season and batted .292/.383/.460 with 14 homers and 64 RBIs en route to Organization All-Star accolades. Liriano made his Major League debut on Aug. 11, 2014, and he played in 38 big league games that year.

"We believe [Liriano] is someone who adds to our outfield depth," Brewers GM David Stearns told MLB.com. "He is out of options, so he will come to Spring Training and compete for a spot on the team. He has the ability to play all three outfield positions, so that versatility will help him."

Seidenberger was a 12th-round pick out of TCU in 2013 and made 22 of his 30 relief appearances last season with Class A Advanced Brevard County, going 4-2 with a 3.06 ERA and five saves in seven chances. In eight outings with Double-A Biloxi, the southpaw went 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA and struck out 11 batters in 13 1/3 innings.