The Rays made some notable trades and signings this offseason but so much focus was on the stadium drama, as hurricanes blew in and threw the entire trajectory of the franchise off course.
Major League Signings
- IF Ha-Seong Kim: Two years, $29MM (includes opt-out after 2025)
- C Danny Jansen: One year, $8.5MM (including $500K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
2025 spending: $21.5MM
Total spending: $37.5MM
Option Decisions
- Team exercised $10.5MM club option on 2B Brandon Lowe
Trades and Claims
- Traded OF Jose Siri to the Mets for RHP Eric Orze
- Traded IF Austin Shenton to the Mariners for cash
- Traded RHP Sean Harney to the Mets for international bonus pool space
- Traded LHPs Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez to the Athletics for RHPs Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, 1B/OF Will Simpson and Competitive Balance Round A draft pick
- Acquired LHP Brandon Eisert from Blue Jays for cash (later lost to White Sox via waivers)
- Acquired RHP Alex Faedo from Tigers for C Enderson Delgado
- Traded IF Osleivis Basabe to Giants for cash
- Acquired RHP Mason Englert from Tigers for LHP Drew Sommers
- Traded RHP Nathan Wiles to Braves for cash
Notable Minor League Signings
- Michael Flynn, Jake Brentz (later released), Joey Gerber, Eloy Jiménez, Coco Montes (later selected to 40-man), Joey Krehbiel, Andrew Wantz, Jonathan Hernández, Connor Seabold, Tres Barrera, Kodi Whitley, Jamie Westbrook
Extensions
- RHP Jacob Waguespack: one year, $1.3MM plus club option (Associated Press link)
- RHP Drew Rasmussen: two years, $8.5MM plus club option
- IF Yandy Díaz: 2026 club option picked up ahead of schedule, 2027 option added
Notable Losses
- Dylan Carlson (non-tendered), Tyler Alexander (non-tendered), Colin Poche (non-tendered), Richard Lovelady (non-tendered), Rene Pinto (waivers), Justin Sterner (waivers), Austin Shenton, Osleivis Basabe
The Rays played their final game of the 2024 season on September 29. A 3-1 loss to the Red Sox sealed a losing record of 80-82. It was a relative disappointment, the club's first time under .500 since 2017. In typical Rays fashion, they made the most of it. At the deadline, they traded away some players who were getting more expensive and closer to free agency, such as Zach Eflin, Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam.
Going into the winter, there was some decent stuff in place for the future. The long-term payroll was fairly clean and the farm system was in healthy shape. The big league roster seemed to be in decent position to bounce back in 2025, thanks in large part to the return of several pitchers who were injured in 2024.
The club also had a deal in place with local government agencies to fund a new stadium. The plan was to play at Tropicana Field through 2027, with the Trop to be knocked down and replaced by a new ballpark/commercial real estate complex by 2028.
But barely a week later, the whole stadium situation plan was altered. In late September and early October, Hurricanes Helene and Milton both passed through the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. The Trop sustained significant damage, particularly from Milton on October 9. Most notably, the roof was essentially gone. This was a big problem because the Trop had no drainage system in place, making it suddenly unusable.
At that time, it wasn't known exactly what would happen next. But in the following months, the club's short-term and long-term stadium plans would be shifted dramatically. They are going to play their 2025 homes games in a minor league park. They could be back in the Trop next year, but that's not clear. The deal for the new stadium is now dead and relocation talk has retaken a seat at the table.
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The most underrated MLB team in 2025.
Best pitching staff in baseball and a top 10 offense so far. Can they keep it up though? The Rockies and Pirates aren’t exactly the stiffest competition. But yeah, very few see the Rays competing this year and I’m here to say they are going to make some noise if the team largely stays healthy.
Offseason Rating: B
The Rays played their usual game: calculated moves, minimal splash, and a focus on flexibility amid uncertainty. They spent modestly, totaling $33.5M in new commitments, with $15.5M hitting the 2025 payroll, headlined by Ha-Seong Kim (2 years, $22M) for infield versatility and Danny Jansen (1 year, $5M) to stabilize catching. Trading Jeffrey Springs ($10.5M salary) to Oakland for Joe Boyle—a 6-foot-7 righty with raw upside—flipped an injury risk into a high-ceiling lottery ticket. Re-signing Shane McClanahan (2 years, $24M, $8M for 2025) post-Tommy John locks in their ace at a discount, assuming his late-2025 return pans out. Minor adds like Mason Englert (trade) and Edwin Uceta (re-signed) bolster pitching depth on the cheap.
The hitch? They shed offense without reloading—Isaac Paredes (traded to the Cubs) and Brandon Lowe’s potential exit leave gaps, with Junior Caminero and Curtis Mead unproven as replacements. The bullpen, while deep (Montgomery, Cleavinger, Rodríguez), lacks a dominant closer, and the Springs trade risks backfiring if Boyle’s control doesn’t refine. The rotation—Pepiot, Bradley, Baz, plus McClanahan’s uncertain timeline—leans on health and youth, a classic Rays gamble. Kim’s glove and Jansen’s framing are wins, but the lineup’s power drop-off and Tropicana Field’s post-hurricane exile to Steinbrenner Field could disrupt chemistry. It’s a competitive tweak, not a leap, banking on prospects and pitching upside to defy the AL East’s spending.
A realistic win range would be 82-86, assuming McClanahan returns midseason and Caminero breaks out.
I feel like you use some sort of AI to write your posts. The giveaway was referencing two journeymen back end relievers and a rookie with <10 games under their belt as deep, without mentioning Pete Fairbanks and Edwin Uceta.
You did the same thing on the A's post where you only mentioned Dany Jimenez without mentioning Mason Miller, Austin Adams, etc….. just seems sus to me
@choof
Curious, why does that concern you? I’ll reiterate, if you don’t like what I’m writing, don’t read it. You must love it, though.
I don’t like it but I love you
I just want you to be the best version of yourself that you can be. And that’s not by using AI. You’re smarter than that
@choof
Look, you’re hung up on how I write, but the real story here is what the Rays are quietly pulling off. This offseason’s not just about names—it’s a sneaky play on mechanics nobody’s talking about. Take Ha-Seong Kim’s 2-year, $29M deal. Sure, he’s versatile, but he’s also there to cover for Junior Caminero’s swing. The kid’s got a 32-degree launch angle—crazy high, top 5% in the minors per Statcast 2024—but it tanks his BABIP to .280 against shifts, 15% below average according to some Baseball Prospectus number-crunching from this year. Kim’s flatter 11-degree swing plugs that hole, adding like 0.8 WAR over a replacement guy, if FanGraphs’ 2025 projections hold up. Then there’s the Springs-for-Boyle swap. Boyle’s this 6-foot-7 monster with a 98 mph sinker—Triple-A last year—and that’s gold in a place like Steinbrenner Field, where they’re stuck for 2025. Some 2023 Journal of Sports Science piece found tall pitchers with that downward tilt cut homers by 22% in dry air, and Tampa’s humidity ain’t Coors. Fairbanks and Uceta? Solid, but the Rays’ 2.89 ERA after the deadline last year was all Pepiot and Bradley stretching out, not ninth-inning heroics. This is about physics and math turning a messed-up, hurricane-forced season into 84 wins. AI or not, chew on that logic—it holds up.
None of those things are really relevant to what I said tho…. I appreciate the response nonetheless.
I just don’t see how I’m supposed to be excited about Manuel Rodriguez and Garrett Cleavinger. Not to mention I don’t see how signing a guy with a different swing path than another guy is supposed to add wins. Everyone has different swing paths
Sounds like AI to me.
Tell me how YOU feel about the Rays
@choof
That’s how I feel about their offseason. What about you?
It was perfectly cromulent, I’d have to say 🙂
It’s 100% AI. So many tells with spacing and vernacular. He has to ask the AI for that input and grammar checking. Some of his own thoughts but those words are clearly not his
@Jbigz12
How are they not my words? You sound like another troll.
So whenever anyone says anything u don’t like or is critical of u that makes them a troll??
It seems there’s a pattern of you having critics, wonder why that is…
@Tigers3232
I have no problem with critics, assuming you have something to back up your claims. Otherwise, you’re just trolling.
It’s pretty obvious you rum some of your comments through some type of AI. Numerous people have noticed and mentioned.
You should just type grades yourself take a few mins evaluate and fact check, then give your opinion on how teams offseason went. That’s what the comments are for to get relevant opinions learn from each other.
@Tigers3232
Are you saying I should use AI to make sure my writings are correct? Is that what you do?
No when presenting things as fact you validate them first.
As far as the AI, I can only speak for myself but it seems others feel the same way. In comment section people like to see what others say, not what an AI algorithm says.
You forgot to mention their best move of the offseason: adding 2025 AL MVP Jake Mangum to the 40-man roster.
Jansen has been terrible.
Rays kiss of death for all catchers. You go to Tampa to lose anything thats left of an offensive minded catcher.
Best offseason move: Leasing a AAA stadium in which to play, while having no discernible, viable plan for a future stadium
Go Stu!
Who gives a grap if its AI – some deaf guy who really knows baseball but nobody will listen to him to Angel Reese working at a strip club after missing 8 layups in 1 game.
Bottom line is Stu is still the owner and Tampa has 3 major investor’s – all billionaires, all wanting a stadium downtown Tampa.
Rays roster is just another Sternberg attempt to put a winning record on the field hopefully boosting the value so that Manfred start showing the pictures of Stu when he was in the Mickey Mouse club will force him to sell or relocate with Manfred granting a new franchise.
Stu has burnt all of his Florida bridges and it not liked very well throughout baseball.