- Outfielder Shane Peterson is headed to the Rays on a minors pact, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Peterson, 28, hit .259/.324/.353 in a 226 plate appearance stint with the Brewers in 2015, his first real crack at the big leagues, after showing well at Triple-A that year. An arm injury limited the left-handed hitter to just 15 games in 2016, but he did continue to hit well when he was on the field. All told, the former second-round pick owns a productive .298/.385/.468 slash across 1,775 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
Rays Rumors
Rays/Mariners Trade Speculation
- Speaking of Smith, Dutton hears from a source that the Rays have shown interest in Smith in the past. The Mariners and Rays have been linked in trade talks this winter, with Seattle reportedly looking at Tampa’s available starting pitchers. Dutton suggests that Drew Smyly could be the likelier fit for the M’s, as the Rays would require a lesser return for Smyly than for Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi. The Mariners and Rays are no strangers to each other, as Dutton notes that the two clubs have made two multi-player deals in the 15 months since Jerry Dipoto became Seattle’s general manager.
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Rays Wanted Michael Conforto Or Amed Rosario From Mets For Alex Colome
- The Mets checked in with the Rays on closer Alex Colome, though talks didn’t go far because Tampa Bay asked for either outfielder Michael Conforto or elite shortstop prospect Amed Rosario as a starting point, per Peter Gammons (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). While the effective and cheap Colome would have helped shore up a Mets bullpen that will likely be without soon-to-be suspended closer Jeurys Familia for at least 30 games next season, it’s no surprise that they balked at the Rays’ asking price. Although Conforto took steps backward in 2016 after a great rookie campaign, the Mets regard the 23-year-old as nearly untouchable. The club feels similarly about Rosario, whom MLB.com ranks as the sport’s 11th-best prospect.
Rays Discussing Several Free Agent Hitters
Newly promoted Rays general manager Erik Neander isn’t ruling out a rebuild “if the interest and market dictates,” he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. But, on the heels of a 68-win campaign, it seems Neander is more focused on immediately returning the Rays to relevance.
“There’s a certain belief that we have in the core of our team, that it’s not out of the question that we can compete deep into the season,” Neander said.
As Topkin previously reported, it’s unlikely the Rays will subtract their best starter, Chris Archer, from that core. But they continue to discuss left-hander Drew Smyly with other teams, and right-hander Alex Cobb is also a candidate to end up elsewhere via trade. Dealing one of those two would leave the Rays with a still-capable group that would also consist of Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Blake Snell and perhaps Matt Andriese. They’re mulling adding free agent starter Nathan Eovaldi to the mix, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in August and wouldn’t become a factor until 2018.
In order to complement what should be a respectable 2017 starting staff, the Rays are considering outside help for their bullpen and lineup, per Topkin. Specifically, the team would like to add an adept defensive outfielder and a first base/designated hitter type to its collection of position players. With the latter need in mind, Tampa Bay has discussed such left-handed free agent hitters as Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Howard, Brandon Moss, Luis Valbuena and 2016 Ray Logan Morrison. If they opt for a right-handed batter, which could make more sense given that first baseman Brad Miller and DH Nick Franklin struggle against left-handed pitchers, 2016 National League home run co-champion Chris Carter and Billy Butler are on their radar.
However, of greater intrigue than securing any of the aforementioned names is the possibility of signing Jose Bautista. While he seems like a longshot pickup for the low-payroll Rays, they could be in position to pounce on the Tampa Bay-area resident if his market doesn’t develop as hoped this offseason. Plus, because the Rays finished in the bottom 10 of the standings last season, they wouldn’t have to give up a first-round selection to sign Bautista, who rejected the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer. The Rays would instead surrender their competitive balance pick (currently No. 31 overall) in next year’s draft to ink the longtime AL East rival.
Regardless of whether they’re able to reel in Bautista, it does seem the Rays are aiming to compete next year. Last season’s subpar record notwithstanding, the club has a bevy of quality players in the fold, and free agent signing Wilson Ramos should further help matters if the catcher is able to return from a torn ACL in early 2017.
Rays Sign Michael McKenry
- The Rays added catcher Michael McKenry on a minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. Heyman further adds that McKenry will receive $900K if he’s in the Majors, plus a possible $475K in incentives. He has opt-outs on March 30 and June 1. With Wilson Ramos not expected to be ready to take over behind the plate for at least the first month or two of the year, there’s a need for depth. McKenry will presumably battle with pre-existing options Luke Maile and Curt Casali for a roster spot to open the season.
- Two previously designated players — catcher Justin O’Conner (Rays) and lefty Williams Jerez (Red Sox) — have been outrighted by their organizations, per club announcements.
Rays Set High Price On Alex Colome
There has been significant movement on the market for closers, leaving the Rays with an interesting trade piece in Alex Colome. But while the team is receiving ongoing interest in the controllable young hurler, it’s not moving off of a “price they believe is appropriately high,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Moving Colome would put a dent in the team’s 2017 hopes, Rosenthal notes, and it seems fair to say that the organization’s other recent moves do not suggest that the organization has any intentions of packing it in before reaching Spring Training. It still seems much more likely that the club will deal a starter; Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently provided the latest on that front, suggesting that one of Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, and Erasmo Ramirez may be more likely to be dealt than are Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi.
- The Mariners have been talking with both the Rays and the Reds about starters, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Seattle has been said to be hunting for one more rotation piece, and it’s not surprising to see these two particular organizations mentioned. Tampa Bay, as noted, has long been expected to consider trading out of its staff; the M’s could conceivably have interest in just about any of the pitchers listed above. And while we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics from Cincinnati, it stands to reason that the club would at least weigh offers for pitchers such as Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily.
Rays Designate Justin O’Conner For Assignment
11:03am: Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the operations O’Conner have undergone this winter were to address disk issues in his lower back that impacted him during the regular season (Twitter links). He appears to be facing a lengthy recovery, as senior vice president Chaim Bloom told Topkin that the team is “a ways away from [O’Conner] being able to play,” adding that the 2017 season isn’t entirely lost. (The very fact that the entire season was even referenced as a possibility speaks to the nature of the rehab, however.) Per Topkin, the Rays could look to bring O’Conner back on a minor league deal if he clears outright waivers.
9:40am: The Rays announced on Monday that minor league catcher Justin O’Conner has been designated for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to Wilson Ramos, whose two-year deal with Tampa Bay is now official.
O’Conner, 25 in March, was drafted with the No. 31 overall pick by the Rays in 2010 and rated as one of the organization’s top 30 prospects (per Baseball America) each year since. Prior to the 2015 season, BA rated him as highly as No. 3 on Tampa Bay’s top 30, and MLB.com entered the season with O’Conner ranked 61st overall among MLB prospects that same season. That ranking came on the heels of a very solid .278/.316/.466 batting line compiled between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, but O’Conner limped to a .231/.255/.371 performance in 2015 — his first full season at Double-A.
Injuries have been an issue for O’Conner, though, and the Rays announced today that he’s undergone a pair of back surgeries after being limited to just 20 games in 2016. He also underwent a pair of hip surgeries early in his career, so durability concerns aren’t exactly a new phenomenon for O’Conner.
Last winter, O’Conner rated 13th among Rays farmhands, per BA, though their scouting reported questioned his ability to hit breaking pitches and changeups while also raising questions about his “decision-making on defense and aptitude for game management.” BA does note that he’s gotten 80 grades on his throwing arm — O’Conner has halted 46 percent of stolen bases attempted against him in his career — and has above-average raw power.
Rays Sign Wilson Ramos
Catching help has been a priority for the Rays all offseason, and on Monday they announced the signing of veteran Wilson Ramos to a two-year deal contract that will reportedly guarantee the Octagon client $12.5MM (with a $4MM salary in 2017 and $8.5MM payday in 2018). Ramos will also have the opportunity to earn another $5.75MM worth of incentives, making for a total possibility of $18.25MM.
Perhaps the most notable incentive is an escalator provision that could allow Ramos to boost his 2018 salary by $2MM, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He’d need to make 55 starts at catcher and not end up on the DL due to another knee injury to earn that boost. Additionally, for the 2017 season, Ramos can earn $250K apiece upon his 60th, 65th, 70th, and 75th games started behind the plate. He’ll get $125K at 300 and 325 plate appearances, and $250K a pop at 350, and every 25 plate appearances thereafter up to 500. Ramos can also bump up his 2018 earnings by $250K each upon his 450th, 475th, and 500th trip to the plate.
[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays Depth Chart]
The 29-year-old Ramos appeared set to land a massive free agent payday before suffering horrendously timed ACL and meniscus tears with less than a week to go in the regular season. The recovery from the surgery to repair those injuries will almost certainly carry on into the 2017 season. Ramos is now reportedly hopeful he can return to action in April or May, although it’s certainly possible that his absence could linger into the summer. (The Rays expect him to arrive in June or July, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.)
Before all that, Ramos hit .307/.354/.496 in 523 plate appearances in a breakout 2016 season with the Nationals. That performance won him his first Silver Slugger and All-Star berths, and catapulted him to a 3.5 fWAR season. He also has a reputation for solid, if unspectacular, defense behind the plate. StatCorner rates him as a slightly below-average pitch framer.
Whether he can produce anywhere near that well in 2017 or 2018 remains to be seen. As long as he can be healthy, though, he should be a significant upgrade for the Rays, who had Luke Maile and Curt Casali atop their depth chart at catcher. Given his injury, though, the Rays could also use Ramos at DH, particularly in 2017. The Nationals did not extend Ramos a qualifying offer, so the Rays will not have to sacrifice a draft pick as a result of the signing.
The relatively short duration of the deal will allow Ramos to hit the free agent market again at age 31, still a reasonable age for a catcher to land a significant contract. He will be able to rehab his knee injury without stress, while having enough time to reemerge as an elite catcher at some point during the course of the deal. Ramos declined a three-year, $30MM-plus extension offer from the Nationals in August, before his injury. (After the offseason began, the Nats quickly changed directions, dealing for Derek Norris to start for them at catcher.) Ramos’ current health issues and new contract are riskier for him, but if all goes well and he earns most or all of his incentives, he could conceivably make more than $30MM in the next three seasons anyway. Still, his $12.5MM guarantee seems modest for a player who would have been by far the best catcher available this offseason, had he been healthy.
Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post first reported that the two sides were meeting and that there was serious interest on Tampa Bay’s behalf (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post first tweeted word of the agreement between the two sides. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted the financial details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rays Want "Massive Returns" For Starting Pitchers
The Rays want “massive returns” for their on-the-block starting pitchers – which, in Chris Archer’s case, could mean more than the White Sox received from Boston for Chris Sale – reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Archer, 28, hasn’t been as effective as Sale, though he does come with five controllable years at a combined $38.5MM (Sale has three years of control at $38MM). Given their asking price, odds are that the Rays won’t trade Archer, writes Topkin, who adds that fellow right-hander Jake Odorizzi is also unlikely to go anywhere. Tampa Bay isn’t as attached to Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb or Erasmo Ramirez, meaning any of the three could end up on the move in the right deal.
Rays Weighing Trades For Starters, Seeking Power Bat
- For the Rays, there are still a lot of interesting opportunities remaining even after the team took an interesting gamble on injured catcher Wilson Ramos, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The team’s still-loaded rotation remains an area to watch. “It’s hard to anticipate timing, it’s hard to really know where all this is going to end up,” said senior VP Chaim Bloom, “but we obviously have a number of talented pitchers in our rotation, and I think we had a lot of conversation on pretty much all of them.” Whatever a trade of a starter might yield remains unknown, but Topkin says that Tampa Bay is looking to add some pop at some point. That could involve waiting to see what “leftovers” remain with plenty of sluggers still available; Topkin even mentions, at least hypothetically, the possibility of a move on a player such as Jose Bautista. Ultimately, said Bloom, there’s a better sense internally as to where things could be headed. “There’s still a lot of dominoes to fall, potentially, with us and certainly around the industry, but the conversation this week was really helpful,” he said. “We got, I think, a much better idea of what may be available to us.”
