ST. PETERSBURG -- Joey Gathright has been traded to the Royals along with infielder Fernando Cortez for left-hander J.P. Howell.
Gathright, 25, batted .201 with 12 stolen bases in 55 games with the Devil Rays before being optioned to Triple-A Durham on June 6 when Rocco Baldelli returned from the disabled list. Gathright led all American League rookies with 20 stolen bases in 2005, and he owns 209 steals in 480 professional games.
Howell, 23, was 3-2 with a 4.75 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Omaha of the Pacific Coast League. He made his Major League debut with the Royals in 2005, posting a 3-5 record with a 6.19 ERA in 15 starts over two tours with the club.
Cortez, 25, batted .222 in 60 games at Durham this season, seeing time at first base, second base and third base. A ninth-round pick by the Rays in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Cortez appeared in eight games for Tampa Bay in 2005, going 1-for-13 in his first Major League action.
Source: MLB.com