The Tampa Bay Rays are unfortunately in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, the American League East. They're currently a whole 15.5 games behind the New York Yankees and it's clear the Rays need help, especially offensively and specifically from their catchers.

Mike Zunino is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, while Francisco Mejia and Rene Pinto are both barely hitting over .200. With that in mind, the Rays went out and traded for Oakland Athletics catcher Christian Bethancourt on Saturday.

Via Jeff Passan of ESPN:

As Passan mentioned, Tampa gave up a couple of prospects in exchange for Christian Bethancourt. The 30-year-old is hitting .249 with four homers and 19 RBI in 56 games this season. The Athletics actually signed him to a minor league deal this winter but he quickly proved he's capable of contributing at the big league level.

Bethancourt is the type of player the Rays like because he's versatile. The veteran can catch, play first base, and even play outfield. Although his offensive numbers don't jump off the page, the Panama native consistently hits the ball hard and has an expected slugging percentage of .570.

The Rays are surely going to be in the market for more pieces ahead of the August 2nd trade deadline. They've been briefly linked to Willson Contreras as well, one of the best catchers in the game. He's expected to be on the move as his contract with the Chicago Cubs expires in the offseason.

Most of all, Bethancourt is an immediate upgrade over Mejia and Pinto at the plate. He is more consistent with the bat and hopefully, he can swing it well for the Rays in the second half.