Rays Rumors

Rays Interested In Chris Flexen

By Nick Deeds | July 9, 2023 at 8:12am CDT

The Rays have interest in right-hander Chris Flexen, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Topkin notes that familiarity with Tom O’Connell, Flexen’s agent who’s based in Tampa and also represents offseason signing Zach Eflin, could give the Rays a leg up in a potential pursuit of Flexen. The right-hander was released by the Mets last week shortly after the club acquired him from the Mariners alongside Trevor Gott.

Flexen came into the 2023 season looking like a solid swingman or a serviceable back-end rotation arm. Across the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, Flexen posted a 3.66 ERA (8% better than league average by measure of ERA+) with 4.15 FIP in 317 1/3 innings of work. He appeared in 64 games during that time, starting 53 of them and finishing the other 11. While those results were certainly solid, his 16.5% strikeout rate left something to be desired even when paired with his excellent 6.8% walk rate.

Unfortunately, the wheels have come off for Flexen in 2023; in 42 innings of work this season, the righty has allowed a ghastly 7.71 ERA. That number surely has some bad luck factored into it. Flexen’s BABIP is a whopping .350 this season, far above his career mark of .303, and he’s allowed 21.6% of his flyballs to leave the yard for home runs. Not only is that a huge spike over his career mark, which stood at 10% entering the 2023 campaign, but it comes as Flexen’s underlying batted ball data is largely improved over last year. His barrel rate has dropped from 9% last year to 8.1% in 2023. In addition, he’s generating more groundballs and soft contact than last year, while allowing fewer flyballs and less hard contact.

Of course, everything about Flexen’s difficult season can’t be simply chalked up to bad luck. His walk rate has jumped all the way up to 9.7% while his strikeout rate has dipped to just 14.8% in 2023, leaving him with a K-BB% of just 5.1%, bottom ten in the majors among those with at least 40 innings pitched this season. Of the nine pitchers below Flexen, just two are having an average or better season by measure of ERA-.

Still, given Flexen’s improved contact numbers and seemingly fluky home run rate, it’s not hard to see why the Rays would have interest in the 28-year-old righty. The club announced yesterday that right-hander Drew Rasmussen won’t return in 2023, joining Jeffrey Springs in missing the rest of the current campaign. Lefty Shane McClanahan is also currently on the injured list, and the Rays have little in the way of depth beyond their current starting four of Tyler Glasnow, Eflin, Taj Bradley, and Yonny Chirinos.

In addition, the Rays are well known for being able to maximize the performance of pitchers who had once been on the fringe of big league rosters. Jason Adam owned a career ERA of 4.71 in 78 1/3 innings with the Royals, Blue Jays, and Cubs before joining the Rays in 2022. Since then, Adam has become a fixture at the back of the club’s bullpen with a 2.08 ERA and 3.39 FIP in 99 2/3 innings of work.

What’s more, Tampa has plenty of experience working with pitchers who have similar K-BB% issues to Flexen. Of the aforementioned nine players with lower K-BB% figures than the righty, two of them- Chirinos and Josh Fleming– are current Rays. Chirinos is having the best season of the entire group, with a 3.88 ERA in 58 innings of work. Fleming meanwhile, has by far the best advanced metrics of the group with a 4.62 xFIP and 4.80 SIERA. Every other pitcher in the group sports a figure above 5.00 in both categories.

Considering Tampa’s need for additional starting pitching depth and their success in working with pitchers who sport a similar profile to Flexen as recently as this season, it’s no wonder the Rays have interest in Flexen’s services. Of course, only time will tell if the sides will ultimately be able to come together on a deal. Flexen is still due $3.9MM from the Mets on his current contract, meaning that any club who signs him would only be on the hook for a prorated portion of the big league minimum.

Drew Rasmussen To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

By Nick Deeds | July 8, 2023 at 11:00pm CDT

Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen is set to undergo an internal brace surgery that will end his 2023 season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Rasmussen has been out with a flexor strain since mid-May, though the club initially hoped he could return this season. The 27-year-old hurler now is not expected return until midway through the 2024 campaign, per Topkin.

The news is yet another blow to a Rays rotation that lost left-hander Shane McClanahan to the injured list at the end of June. Rasmussen will now join left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who underwent Tommy John surgery back in April, in missing the remainder of the 2023 campaign. The Rays are currently leaning on a rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Taj Bradley, Zach Eflin, and Yonny Chirinos as they await McClanahan’s return from the IL. While that’s a solid group who has combined for a 3.99 in 252 1/3 innings this season, it’s hard to deny to that both Rasmussen (2.62 ERA in eight starts) and Springs (0.56 ERA in three starts) would be major upgrades to the current group if healthy.

News that Tampa will be without Rasmussen for the rest of the season comes just three weeks before the August 1 trade deadline. The Rays are the top team in the AL with a 57-34 record even as they’ve not been able to field their five best starters at the same time for a single turn through the rotation all season. Still, without Rasmussen to help bolster the pitching staff down the stretch and into the playoffs the club’s already-acknowledged need to add pitching in the coming weeks is only intensified.

Of course, the market for starting pitchers is always a competitive one, and GM Peter Bendix previously indicated the club was unlikely to participate in a bidding war for the most highly sought-after hurlers. While it’s possible the recent news on Rasmussen has increased the club’s urgency to make impactful additions, the Rays may still prefer to stick to less sought-after options like Jack Flaherty or Michael Lorenzen rather than pursue top-of-the-market arms like Lucas Giolito.

Looking beyond the 2023 campaign, the Rays are currently set to enter the 2024 campaign without the services of either Rasmussen or Springs. Glasnow, McClanahan, Bradley, Eflin, and Chirinos are all controlled through at least 2024, giving them a plausible Opening Day rotation still under contract, but with minimal depth outside of that group, it would hardly be a surprise if the club pursued additionally starting depth during the coming offseason- that is, unless they add an arm with multiple years of control this summer.

Rays Make Four Roster Moves

By Mark Polishuk | July 8, 2023 at 1:39pm CDT

The Rays announced four roster moves, including the selection of Javy Guerra’s contract and the call-up of infielder/outfielder Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham. Outfielder Josh Lowe has been placed on the family medical emergency list and right-hander Elvin Rodriguez has been designated for assignment.

Aranda will get his first MLB opportunity of the season, and a chance to follow up on his 32 games played in his 2022 rookie season. The 25-year-old hit .192/.276/.321 over 87 plate appearances last year, and it becoming clear that Aranda has nothing left to prove at the Triple-A level. Over 784 PA in Durham over the last two seasons, Aranda has crushed the ball to the tune of a .327/.418/.548 slash line with 34 home runs.

Beginning his career as a second baseman, Aranda has followed the path of many Rays prospects and become a multi-positional threat, getting a lot of playing time at third base, first base, left field, and a bit of shortstop time. This gives manager Kevin Cash some flexibility in trying to figure out where to slot Aranda around the diamond, though it remains to be seen how long he’ll remain in the majors — hopefully Lowe returns quickly from his family situation, and Aranda could again be the odd man out.

Due to the Rays’ position-player depth at both the MLB and minor league levels, Aranda has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate if there’s no regular spot for him on Tampa’s roster. Depending on how long he remains in the majors, this stint could serve as something of an audition for rival scouts in advance of the trade deadline, though it’s safe to assume that other teams have had eyes on Aranda in Durham for quite some time.

Not to be confused with 11-year MLB veteran reliever Javy Guerra, the Rays’ Guerra is the 27-year-old who converted to pitching after being a top-100 shortstop prospect during his time in the Padres’ farm system. The Rays acquired Guerra from the Brewers in late April and he has a 3.60 ERA over five innings with Tampa Bay this season, though he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in May.

Guerra chose to accept the outright assignment to Triple-A rather than test free agency, and his 5.94 ERA over 16 2/3 innings in Durham isn’t quite reflective of his performance, given his secondary metrics. His 23% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate aren’t spectacular, though his 58.3% grounder rate has been hurt by some unfortunate batted-ball luck, as Guerra has a .340 BABIP.

Bullpen churn is a staple of Tampa Bay’s pitching strategies, and Rodriguez hits the DFA wire just a day after being selected to the 26-man roster. He looked very sharp in throwing 3 1/3 perfect innings in the Rays’ 2-1 loss to the Braves, but Rodriguez is now on his way out of the organization altogether, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Rodriguez will be released so he can sign with a team in Japan. Somewhat curiously, this plan was in place before Rodriguez had his contract selected yesterday, but fortunately it looks like Rodriguez avoided any injury and got to bank a big league appearance before heading to Nippon Professional Baseball.

Rodriguez’s first seven MLB games came with the Tigers in 2022, when he posted a 10.62 ERA over 29 2/3 innings. The Rays signed him to a minors deal in the offseason, but without a long-term spot available in Tampa Bay, the 25-year-old Rodriguez chose to take what Topkin calls “a lucrative offer” from an NPB club.

Rays Select Elvin Rodríguez, Designate José López

By Darragh McDonald | July 7, 2023 at 1:35pm CDT

The Rays have made some roster moves today, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. They have selected right-hander Elvin Rodríguez to their roster, with righty Ryan Thompson optioned in a corresponding move. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, left-hander José López has been designated for assignment.

The Rays recently lost Shane McClanahan to the injured list and have been scrambling to get to the All-Star break, deploying bullpen games in each of the past two days. They used six different pitchers on Wednesday and then eight yesterday. With the staff fairly taxed and three games against a potent Atlanta offense to get through before the break, they’ve brought in a fresh arm to help out.

Rodríguez, 25, spent the past few years in the Tigers’ system. He split 2021 between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 5.68 ERA but striking out 24.6% of hitters while walking 8.6%. The Tigers added him to their 40-man roster after that season and he was able to make his major league debut in 2022. Unfortunately, his first 29 2/3 major league innings resulted in a 10.62 ERA. He also had a 4.98 ERA in Triple-A last year over 99 1/3 innings.

The Tigers non-tendered him at season’s end and he landed with the Rays on a minor league deal. He’s tossed 47 1/3 innings in the minors this year over 11 starts with a 3.42 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate. The Rays have Tyler Glasnow, Taj Bradley and Zach Eflin lined up to start the next three games but will likely call on Rodríguez if they need multiple innings at any point.

López, 24, had spent his entire career with the Rays until the Padres selected him in the Rule 5 draft last November. The Friars were undoubtedly intrigued by his 2022 season wherein he tossed 59 1/3 innings between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A with a 2.43 ERA. He struck out 37.7% of hitters while walking 15.1%. That obvious lack of control continued into the spring, with López walking five batters in six innings before being offered back to the Rays in late March.

He was able to make his major league debut with Tampa this year, allowing one earned run in a two-inning appearance. Otherwise, he’s been in Triple-A, posting a 7.89 ERA there while walking 13.2% of opponents and striking out just 22.2%.

The Rays will now have one week to trade López or pass him through waivers. His command is clearly an ongoing concern but left-handed relief tends to always be in demand. He’s shown an ability to rack up strikeouts in the past and still has a full slate of options. Any club willing to give him a 40-man roster spot could keep him as an optionable depth piece for the foreseeable future and hope he reins in his stuff.

AL East Notes: Rodon, Westburg, Hays, Whitlock, Paredes

By Mark Polishuk | July 2, 2023 at 6:20pm CDT

Carlos Rodon threw 58 pitches in a high-A rehab start on Saturday, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that Rodon emerged from the outing in good health and in good form. It was Rodon’s third rehab start, and the Yankees’ plan is for the left-hander to make his 2023 debut on Friday against the Cubs. It’s better late than never for Rodon, who had both a forearm strain in March and then some back tightness that put his rehab work on pause. A cortisone injection in early May provided some relief to Rodon’s back, and it has since been relatively smooth sailing as he has slowly built up his arm strength.

Rodon joined the Bronx Bombers on a six-year, $162MM free agent contract this winter. The early injury scare certainly created some immediate second-guessing about the Yankees’ investment, yet if Rodon displays any of his form from the last two seasons, his 60-day IL stint might just be a bump in the road, though Rodon’s lengthy career injury history will always linger. Rodon was a top-six Cy Young Award finisher in each of the last two seasons with the White Sox and Giants, posting a 2.67 ERA, 33.9% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 310 2/3 innings in 2021-22. While a lack of offense has been the Yankees’ chief problem this year, adding an in-form Rodon alongside ace Gerrit Cole atop New York’s rotation will certainly help in the run prevention department, and potentially allow the Bombers to keep grinding out wins until Aaron Judge can return to boost the lineup.

Rays Place Shane McClanahan On 15-Day IL

By Nick Deeds | July 1, 2023 at 4:44pm CDT

The Rays have placed left-handed ace Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list with mid-back tightness, per a club announcement. In a corresponding move, the club has recalled left-hander Jalen Beeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the move comes after McClanahan reported tightness following a second consecutive shortened start.

McClanahan, 26, sports a sterling 2.53 ERA through 17 starts this season even after the aforementioned two shortened outings during which he allowed a combined six runs over 6 2/3 innings of work. He’s been key to the Rays’ success so far this season, helping lift the club to an MLB-best 57-28 record even as a 3.85 FIP and sky-high 88% strand rate indicate regression could be on the horizon for the young lefty.

While any missed time is certainly a blow to Tampa given McClanahan’s dominant performance in the first half this season, Topkin notes that the lefty ace could miss just one start thanks to the coming All Star break so long as his current injury requires only a minimal stay on the shelf. McClanahan himself seemed confident the issue was relative minor in conversation with reporters Friday, framing the impending trip to the IL as a decision geared toward preparing him for the second half.

“We’ve got a lot of ballgames left to play and an IL stint in early July, missing one start, is not the end of the world,” McClanahan told reporters, including Topkin. “With a lot of meaningful games, hopefully in October, I want to make sure we correct it now.”

Replacing McClanahan on the active roster is Beeks, who struggled for the club earlier this season. In 25 games (including seven starts as an opener), Beeks posted a rough 5.87 ERA, 30% below league average by measure of ERA+. While a 3.57 xERA and a 4.37 FIP indicate Beeks may have pitched a bit better than those results indicate, the 29-year-old hurler is hardly a replacement for McClanahan nonetheless. The Rays figure to lean on a four-man rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, and Yonny Chirinos in the run-up to the midsummer classic later this month.

With the trade deadline just a month away, McClanahan joining Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen on the shelf in Tampa highlights the club’s need for pitching. It’s an issue that GM Peter Bendix recently addressed during a conversation with the media that saw him indicate the club’s front office would be doing “everything [they] can” to bolster the roster in the coming weeks as they attempt to capture the first World Series title in franchise history.

The Rays’ Biggest Free Agent Investment Is Paying Off

By Mark Polishuk | July 1, 2023 at 11:46am CDT

While the Rays aren’t exactly threatening the luxury tax threshold any time soon, the team has been increasingly open to at least some modest spending over the last couple of years. Wander Franco’s 11-year, $182MM extension is obviously the headliner of those moves, but Tampa Bay has also locked up the likes of Jeffrey Springs (four years/$31MM), Yandy Diaz (three years/$24MM), Pete Fairbanks (three years/$12MM), Tyler Glasnow (two years/$30.35MM), and Manuel Margot (two years/$19MM) to multi-year commitments.

These deals were all extensions, however, and thus Zach Eflin’s three-year, $40MM contract from last winter was more of an outlier in franchise history. The $40MM represented the most money the Rays have ever given to a free agent over the franchise’s 26 seasons of existence. The Rays’ willingness to make such an expenditure surprised some pundits, for both financial and baseball-related reasons — why was a lower-spending team deep in starting pitching willing to take a relatively big (by their standards) plunge on a starter with a checkered health history?

Three months into the 2023 season, Tampa’s decision is looking quite wise. In the latest example of the “you can never have too much pitching” credo, the Rays’ rotation depth has been tested by multiple injuries. Springs underwent Tommy John surgery, and Drew Rasmussen (flexor strain) and Josh Fleming (elbow soreness) are both on the 60-day injured list and will be out until at least August. Glasnow didn’t make his season debut until late May, after recovering from his own rehab from a Tommy John procedure in 2021.

Against the backdrop of these injury concerns, Eflin’s production has been invaluable. While the righty had a minimum 15-day IL stint himself in April due to back tightness, Eflin has been a stabilizing force within the rotation, and one of many reasons why the Rays have baseball’s best record.

Over 90 1/3 innings this season, Eflin has a 3.29 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, and 4.2% walk rate. The K% is Eflin’s highest over a “full” season (he had a 28.6% strikeout rate over 59 innings in the shortened 2020 campaign), while his walk rate is among the league’s best for the third straight year. The righty’s 52.7% grounder rate is also a career best, while his 37.8% hard-hit ball rate is (if only slightly) above the league average. There isn’t much variance between Eflin’s real-world stats and his expected stats, as his 3.34 SIERA and .277 xwOBA are almost identical to his 3.29 ERA and .274 wOBA.

Eflin is getting great results from his sinker, which has been his primary pitch since 2020. However, he is throwing the sinker only 34.7% of time, teaming it in a slightly more even mix with his curve (28.7% usage) and cutter (27.8%). As such, Eflin’s curveball has now also become a premium offering, and the sinker/curve combo has helped offset the cutter’s much shakier results. Combined with the occasional usage of a changeup and four-seamer to keep batters guessing, and Eflin is on pace for a career year in his age-29 season.

The biggest difference for Eflin in 2023, however, is just that he has thus far been pretty healthy. His 90 1/3 innings already marks the fourth-highest innings total of his eight MLB seasons, and he threw only 86 1/3 total frames in the regular season and postseason with the Phillies in 2022. He missed time last year due to a knee contusion, continuing the theme of knee problems that have plagued Eflin throughout his career — patellar-tendon surgeries on both knees in 2016, and then another patellar tendon procedure on his right knee in 2021. Philadelphia opted to use Eflin out of the bullpen after he returned from the IL last season, in order to get him on the mound in some capacity rather than spend more time fully building up his arm for a starter’s workload.

There hasn’t been any suggestion of an innings limit for Eflin, and though he has yet to pitch more than seven innings in a game this season, that is probably more due to Tampa Bay’s general approach to starter usage more than any specific intent to keep Eflin fresh. His career high for innings was 163 1/3 frames for the Phillies in 2019, so assuming good health from here on out, there is still quite a ways to go before Eflin or the Rays might have any concerns about his workload. With the Rays on pace for another postseason appearance, they certainly hope Eflin can pitch throughout October, and the potential returns of Rasmussen and Fleming will continue to impact the team’s pitching plans.

MLB Announces 2023 All-Star Starters

By Anthony Franco | June 29, 2023 at 6:42pm CDT

Major League Baseball announced the starting lineups for the 2023 All-Star Game this evening. This year’s All-Star Game will take place at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on July 11. The starting pitchers and reserves will be announced at a later date.

American League

Catcher: Jonah Heim, Rangers (1st selection)
First Base: Yandy Díaz, Rays (1st selection)
Second Base: Marcus Semien, Rangers (2nd selection)
Third Base: Josh Jung, Rangers (1st selection)
Shortstop: Corey Seager, Rangers (4th selection, 2nd consecutive)
Outfield: Randy Arozarena, Rays (1st selection)
Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels (11th selection, 11th consecutive)
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees (5th selection, 3rd consecutive)*
Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels (3rd selection, 3rd consecutive)

National League

Catcher: Sean Murphy, Braves (1st selection)
First Base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (7th selection, 5th consecutive)
Second Base: Luis Arraez, Marlins (2nd selection, 2nd consecutive)
Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (8th selection, 8th consecutive)
Shortstop: Orlando Arcia, Braves (1st selection)
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (4th selection, 4th consecutive)
Outfield: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks (1st selection)
Outfield: Mookie Betts, Dodgers (7th selection, 7th consecutive)
Designated Hitter: J.D. Martinez, Dodgers (6th selection, 5th consecutive)

* Currently on injured list with sprained toe

AL East Notes: Duvall, McClanahan, Givens

By Nick Deeds | June 24, 2023 at 9:41pm CDT

Speculation has begun to swirl around Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall as a potential trade chip for the club this summer. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes that rival executives think that Boston is play Duvall virtually every day despite the success of Jarren Duran in center field earlier this season in hopes that the 34-year-old slugger will catch fire and become a tradable asset ahead of the deadline on August 1. Meanwhile, MassLive’s Sean McAdam echoes the sentiment that Chaim Bloom’s front office could look to move Duvall, noting that starting pitching, left-handed relief, and middle infield help are among the weaknesses the Red Sox could look to patch up in return for Duvall’s services.

Duvall got off to one of the hottest starts to open the season across the league, slashing an incredible .455/.514/1.030 in eight games for the Red Sox prior to being sidelined with a fractured left wrist. He returned to action earlier this month, but has struggled in 13 games since returning from the IL with a slash line of just .146/.255/.268 in that time. Of course, both Duvall’s performance before and after the injury are incredibly small sample sizes, and the slugger has less than 100 plate appearances total on the season, meaning there’s still plenty of time for his numbers to stabilize one way or another as Boston weighs its options regarding their veteran outfielder.

More from around the AL East…

Rays fans can breathe a sigh of relief regarding ace Shane McClanahan today, as Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the young lefty woke up “in a good spot” Friday morning after exiting Thursday’s start with mid-back tightness. Still, Ackert notes that the club is exercising caution with its prized left-hander, and considering utilizing Monday’s off-day to push his next start back until next weekend against the Mariners in Seattle. Ackert adds that McClanahan was not sent for imaging and has continued his usual routine between starts. That McClanahan seems to be healthy is great news for the Rays, as the 26-year-old lefty has put himself squarely in the midst of the AL Cy Young award discussion with an MLB-leading 2.23 ERA in 93 innings of work this season.
Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens was scratched from his planned rehab appearance at Triple-A tomorrow, as noted by Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun. Instead, Givens is set to return to Baltimore for an evaluation. Further details about the evaluation are limited, though it certainly seems to be an ominous sign for the right-hander, who’s been on the shelf with shoulder inflammation since the beginning of the month and had the start to his 2023 campaign delayed by knee inflammation. While Givens has been limited to just four innings of work by those injuries, the Orioles bullpen has nonetheless excelled thanks to the emergence of Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano as perhaps the best relief duo in baseball this season. [UPDATE: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters that Givens has some soreness in his throwing shoulder but there is a relatively “low level” of concern about a serious setback.]

Rays GM Peter Bendix On Deadline Approach

By Nick Deeds | June 24, 2023 at 6:25pm CDT

The Rays have boasted the best record in the majors all season long and currently sit at 56-23 with a five game lead over the Orioles in the AL East. Given the club’s phenomenal performance in the first half of the 2023 campaign, it’s of little surprise to hear that the club’s front office is planning to make additions at the trade deadline this season. Given that, it should come as no surprise that GM Peter Bendix made just that claim in conversation with reporters including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

“This year’s club is really strong,” Bendix said. “We have a chance to do some special things. So, I think we’re going to be doing everything we can to make this club stronger, give it the best chance to win a World Series.”

While the news comes as little surprise given the club’s fantastic performance in the first half, it’s noteworthy nonetheless thanks to the Rays’ reputation for always keeping one eye on the future. After all, this is the same front office that didn’t let an AL pennant in 2020 stop them from trading ace Blake Snell to the Padres. While Bendix didn’t completely shut the door on the possibility of a trade or two with an eye toward future seasons, he did push back on the idea the club would entertain moves that extreme, saying that the club is “unlikely to be removing good players from this team, especially if you don’t have another player to back it up.”

Of course, it’s fairly easy to make the argument that the club is deep enough in position player talent that it could weather losing a hitter or two in trade this summer. Even with Brandon Lowe on the IL, the Rays sport a phenomenal infield of Yandy Diaz, Taylor Walls, Wander Franco, and Isaac Parades. Meanwhile, each of Luke Raley, Josh Lowe, Jose Siri, Randy Arozarena, and Harold Ramirez have made compelling cases for regular starts in the outfield. Given this, it’s not hard to imagine the club looking to take advantage of its considerable depth to address weaknesses in other areas, even as Bendix’s comments would indicate the likes of Franco, Diaz, Arozarena and Parades are all varying degrees of off the table in trade discussions.

Bendix goes on to discuss what those weaknesses are, readily admitting that the club is likely to look to bolster its pitching staff this offseason. That hardly comes as a surprise considering that the club has lost Josh Fleming and Drew Rasmussen to injury in the rotation while the bullpen’s 4.51 FIP is bottom three in the AL this season while their 3.94 ERA ranks in the bottom five. Topkin, for his part, cautions that it seems unlikely that the Rays would add “veterans due tens of millions of dollars” or win a bidding war for highly sought-after pitchers.

That would imply a serious pursuit of perhaps the two top starters who could be available on the trade market this deadline, Marcus Stroman of the Cubs and Eduardo Rodriguez of the Tigers, may not be in the cards. Not only has each veteran hurler impressed with fantastic run prevention numbers in the first half this season, but each is guaranteed a hefty sum of money beyond 2023, should they choose to opt-in and forgo the open market: Stroman holds a player option for 2024 worth $21MM, while Rodriguez has three years and $49MM left on his contract following this season should he not exercise his opt-out clause.

Even without a pursuit of a player of Stroman or Rodriguez’s caliber, plenty of interesting options figure to be available nonetheless. In the event the Cubs sell, they could make former Ray Drew Smyly available in addition to Stroman, while the Cardinals could consider dealing pending free agents like Jack Flaherty or Jordan Montgomery as they look to retool their roster. Mike Clevinger of the White Sox, Rich Hill of the Pirates, and Michael Lorenzen of the Tigers are among other pending free agents who could be made available at the deadline, speculatively speaking.

The Rays figure to have a much wider array of options as they look to rework their bullpen. The Royals have already indicated that the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow will be made available to clubs, while Brent Suter and Daniel Bard of the Rockies, Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals, Joey Kelly and Reynaldo Lopez of the White Sox, and Alex Lange of the Tigers all also seem likely to be available if rival clubs come calling. Any of those names would provide a boost to a Tampa bullpen that has struggled to find health and consistency outside of Jason Adam, Kevin Kelly, and Colin Poche.

Of course, with over a month left before the trade deadline on August 1, the landscape of the pitching market is sure to change in the coming weeks. There’s still time for a team currently tentatively expected to sell to turn things around, or for teams currently planning on buying to struggle and be forced to reconsider their stances. Pitching also isn’t the only place where the Rays could look to improve their club, as Topkin opines that the club could make a move at catcher if an upgrade over their current tandem of Christian Bethancourt and Francisco Mejia presents itself.

Regardless of how the trade market ultimately develops from here, the Rays have given their fans plenty to be excited about with their start to the season, and if Bendix’s words are any indication, the front office plans to be active in improving the club as they head into the second half.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Rays Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect