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Rays Likely To Explore Catching Market

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The Rays dropped to fourth place in the AL East, finishing the season at 80-82. After missing the postseason for the first time since 2018, Tampa Bay baseball operations president Erik Neander spoke Friday about the need for more offense. He specifically pointed to catcher as an area where the club must improve.

“We’ve got to find a way to get more output out of that position than what we got this year,” Neander said (link via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “We’ve got to find a way to be better back there, without question, and that’ll be a priority in terms of where our mental energy goes throughout this winter.”

While that’s not quite a definitive declaration the Rays will add from outside the organization, it’s clear they’ll examine the market. Tampa Bay had one of the lightest-hitting catching groups in the majors. The Rays got a .194/.272/.291 batting line out of the position. Only the White Sox had a lower batting average. Tampa Bay was 24th in on-base percentage and 28th (better than just the White Sox and Marlins) in slugging.

The Rays opened the season with René Pinto as their starter. That didn’t last long. Tampa Bay optioned Pinto after 19 games. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, where he hit .191 with a .257 on-base mark. Ben Rortvedt, whom the Rays acquired from the Yankees on the eve of Opening Day, ended up taking the majority of the playing time. The lefty hitter turned in a middling .228/.317/.303 slash over 328 plate appearances. Tampa Bay had Alex Jackson backing Rortvedt up from early May until designating him for assignment in September. Jackson hit .122 in a career-high 58 games. September call-up Logan Driscoll also struggled in his limited MLB work.

Like most clubs, the Rays have generally prioritized defense at the position. Rortvedt graded reasonably well as a receiver. Statcast credited him with better than average framing and blocking metrics. He also showed strong pop times, although his 16.2% caught stealing rate was subpar. Rortvedt presumably showed enough to hold an offseason roster spot. He’s out of minor league options, so the Rays would need to keep him in the majors or make him available to other teams to open the season. Driscoll still has a full slate of options and seems likely to start next season in the minors.

Jackson already elected minor league free agency after clearing waivers last month. Pinto remains on the 40-man roster but may have a tenuous hold on that spot. He’ll be out of options next season. It’s unlikely the team runs things back with a tandem of Rortvedt and Pinto; the latter might find himself on waivers at some point this winter.

The free agent catching class is light at the top. That’s not a huge issue for the Rays, who probably wouldn’t have made a huge splash even if the market were stronger. There are a handful of right-handed hitting backstops who should be available on one- or two-year deals. Kyle Higashioka, Carson Kelly, Danny Jansen, Jacob Stallings (whose deal with Colorado contains a mutual option) and Elias Díaz are among the top options. Anyone from that group could be a realistic target to share time with the lefty-hitting Rortvedt. Each should at least provide more offense than Jackson managed in that role.

Rays Acquire Ty Cummings From Mariners To Complete Randy Arozarena Trade

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The Rays have acquired right-hander Ty Cummings from the Mariners as the player to be named later in the July trade that send outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle, per announcements from both clubs. The righty wasn’t on Seattle’s 40-man roster and won’t need to be added to Tampa’s.

The Mariners were leading the American League West for much of the first half of 2024 but were fading in the summer as their offense disappeared. They attempted to revive their lineup at the deadline by acquiring Justin Turner from the Blue Jays and Arozarena from the Rays. In the deal with Tampa, the M’s parted with prospects Aidan Smith, Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later, who has now been revealed as Cummings.

Both Turner and Arozarena hit well for the M’s but the club still fell shy of the postseason. They still have a chance to recoup some value on the Arozarena deal going forward as he can be retained for two more seasons. He made $8.1MM in 2024 and will be due two more raises in the forthcoming campaigns. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a salary of $11.7MM in 2025.

Cummings, 23 next month, was selected by the Mariners in the seventh round of the 2023 draft. Taken out of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, he signed for a $225K bonus. He made his professional debut this year, making 25 starts for High-A Everett. In his 116 2/3 innings for the AquaSox, he allowed 4.17 earned runs per nine. He struck out 24.7% of batters faced, walked 9.2% of them and got opponents to hit the ball on the ground at a 50.3% clip.

Back in July, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs published his list of the top 34 prospects in the Mariners’ system. Cummings wasn’t one of those 34 but got an honorable mention as Longenhagen described him as a potential depth starter.

Diamond Sports Group Planning To Cut Ties With 11 MLB Clubs

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Diamond Sports Group said in court today that it plans to broadcast just one MLB club next year, the Braves, per reporting from Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The company, which owns the Bally Sports Networks, also had deals with the Reds, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Cardinals, Rays but plans on walking away from those. As Drellich notes, as part of the company’s ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, they can accept and reject contracts though the measures have to be approved by the court. The Brewers, Guardians, Twins and Rangers had one-year deals with Diamond for 2024. Those 11 clubs will now have to renegotiate new deals with Diamond or find other broadcasting arrangements.

Drellich provides some more specifics on X, noting that it’s more complicated than Diamond simply abandoning these 11 clubs, but that seems to be the company’s goal regardless. Alden González of ESPN adds some more details, noting that a confirmation hearing has been set for November 14 and 15 in Houston. The Marlins and Diamond have mutual interest in working out a new deal, per a report from Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. The Angels are working on a new deal with Diamond, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Per Drellich, league representatives said they were “sandbagged” by the news. “We have no information about what is being done,” said Jim Bromley, lawyer for MLB. “We’ve had no opportunity to review and now we’re in front of the court and being asked to make our comments.”

The ongoing financial situation of Diamond Sports Group has been a significant part of baseball’s economic landscape for a long time and this could prove to be a major development as part of that narrative. Largely due to cord cutting, the regional sports network model has been gradually collapsing in recent history. In the 2022-23 offseason, reports emerged that Diamond was in rough shape financially and the company filed for bankruptcy before the 2023 MLB season began.

They dropped their contracts with the Padres and Diamondbacks during that 2023 campaign. It threatened to do the same with the Guardians, Twins and Rangers for 2024 but ultimately renegotiated lower fees with those clubs and continued those broadcasts through this year. Now it seems like the company is continuing down this path but with an even more aggressive severing of their existing ties to Major League Baseball.

This is bound to have short-term effects on clubs and players. These contracts have been sources of significant revenue for clubs, as MLBTR covered earlier this year. The 11 teams that Diamond plans to cut ties with were previously receiving between $33MM (Brewers) and $125MM (Angels) on an annual basis. Per reporting in April, the Padres were set to receive about $60MM in 2023 before their deal with Diamond collapsed. The league reportedly covered about 80% of those fees last year but didn’t plan to do so in 2024 and beyond.

Uncertainty around broadcast revenue seemingly played a major role in the 2023-24 offseason, which was disappointing for players. Teams like the Padres, Rangers, Twins and others were either cutting payroll or not increasing it as much as had previously been expected, with the TV situation often being used as justification. This appeared to play a role in various free agents not finding markets as strong as they had anticipated and many of them lingered unsigned into the early months of 2024 and/or signed for deals well below projections. It seems fair to expect that similar narratives could emerge in the coming winter.

Per González, a company source says that Diamond is still hoping to sign new deals with the 11 clubs being cut out today. However, that would presumably involve reduce fee payments, such as those received by the Guardians, Twins and Rangers this year. As mentioned up top, the Marlins and Angels seem to expect to continue their relationship with Diamond/Bally in 2025, though negotiating new deals may take some time.

In the long-term picture, MLB might be happy to be further cutting ties with Diamond. They have continually expressed skepticism about the company’s plans to stay afloat. Diamond has tried various methods of refinancing, including signing a streaming deal with Amazon, but the league hasn’t seemed convinced that any of the company’s plans would lead to long-term stability.

As mentioned, the league has already started selling some games to fans in direct-to-customer fashion. Commissioner Rob Manfred has aspirations of marketing a digital streaming package consisting of several MLB teams, which fans could watch without blackout restrictions. MLB.TV already exists and allows fans to watch most games, but the RSN deals lead to certain teams being blacked out in the areas covered by those deals.

Having less commitment with Diamond going forward will increase the viability of that streaming plan over the years to come. However, as mentioned, less TV revenue figures to have a sizeable impact on the short-term economics of the game. This will lead to ripple effects throughout the upcoming offseason and will likely be worrisome for certain players hitting the open market in the coming weeks. New deals could be negotiated between now and the 2025 season, which could put some money back on the table, though likely less than in previous years.

There is also the matter of the fan experience, as there were times in 2024 where the Braves were not available on TV to some customers during a dispute between Bally’s and Comcast. For fans of these 11 clubs today, they will have to keep an eye on the proceedings to determine if their favorite club will still be accessed in the ways they are accustomed to or if they will have to switch to some new broadcast model.

34 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated Hitter

Pitchers

AL Notes: Reinsdorf, Blue Jays, Rays, Diaz

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The White Sox won five of their last six games but couldn’t avoid history, as the 41-121 club had the most losses of any team in the modern era.  In an open letter to fans today, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf described the season in such terms as “a failure,” “embarrassing,” “completely unacceptable,” and others, while noting that “as the leader of this organization, that is my ultimate responsibility.  There are no excuses.”

In terms of what is next, Reinsdorf said the team is “embracing new ideas and outside perspectives” to get things on track.  “This will include further development of players on our current roster, development within our system, evaluating the trade and free agent markets to improve our ballclub and new leadership for our analytics department, allowing us to elevate and improve every process within our organization with a focus for competing for championships….When named general manager in 2023, Chris Getz and his staff immediately began conducting a top-to-bottom evaluation of our existing operations.  Chris is rebuilding the foundation of our baseball operations department, with key personnel changes already happening in player development, international scouting, professional scouting and analytics.  Some of these changes will be apparent quickly while others will need time to produce the results we all want to see at the major-league level.”

More from around the American League…

  • John Schneider listed catching, bullpen, and power hitting as the Blue Jays’ biggest offseason needs, the manager told The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath and other reporters today.  “I think you need a little bit more than just a [catcher] that’s going to play once or twice a week,” Schneider said, implying that Toronto will be looking for a timeshare partner for Alejandro Kirk rather than a backup.  Finding help behind the plate could be tricky in a typically thin free agent catching market, though Kirk’s offensive improvement in the second half of the season provides some hope that Kirk can get back to his All-Star form from 2022.  Basically any improvement is needed for a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball, but Schneider specified that “I think that you need unique looks and unique stuff — stuff that complements one another, guys that can do different things.”  How the Jays address these needs and several other roster holes will be a challenge for a team that is still largely reliant on such core players as Kirk, Bo Bichette, George Springer, and others to be much better than they were in 2024.
  • The Rays are another AL East team with an underachieving lineup, and Yandy Diaz unsurprisingly feels that “one or two more bats” are needed this winter, the infielder told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Diaz’s own production dropped from the highs of his 2022-23 seasons, as a slow start diminished his numbers even if Diaz returned to his usual form over time.  In fact, Diaz’s most productive month (.879 OPS) came in September, even though he said he was dealing with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.  Diaz isn’t worried that the injury will require any surgical treatment, and said “I need to work on my strength, my knee and exercises, and get ready for Spring Training, and hopefully everything’s going to be OK.”
  • In other Rays news from Topkin, the team intends to retain its coaching staff for next season.  Of course, outside factors could complicate these plans, as rival clubs routinely interviews Rays coaches for other jobs, such as managerial or bench coach vacancies.

Judge Rules Wander Franco’s Case Can Proceed To Trial

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Judge Pascual Valenzuela of the Dominican Republic has ruled that the charges against Wander Franco have sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, per Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. That trial does not yet have a date set. Franco faces a potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

In August of 2023, investigators in the D.R. began looking into accusations that the Rays shortstop had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The age of consent in that country is 18. In July of this year, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, as well as human trafficking. He will now stand trial in relation to those charges, in light of today’s ruling.

Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August last year when the accusations first emerged, standard procedure for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was reinstated for the offseason in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 campaign began.

Players on administrative leave are still paid, but Franco was transferred to the restricted list in July. Per Recio’s report, his administrative leave agreement between MLB and the Players Association had a provision that his time on administrative leave would end if he were charged. Recio adds that Franco’s bail agreement doesn’t allow him to leave the country, so the Rays were able to move him to the restricted list since he can’t physically report to the club. There has also been reporting of a second formal complaint against Franco, though the status of that case is less clear.

The Rays Already Look Primed For A Rebound In 2025

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After years of regularly exceeding expectations brought about by their low payrolls and reliance on unproven talent and/or reclamation projects, the 2024 Rays have finally had a rough season. At 74-78, they've been out of playoff contention for quite some time and have uncharacteristically been outscored by 60 runs. This will be their first playoff miss since 2018, although even that season saw them win 90 games. This is shaping up to be Tampa Bay's first sub-.500 season since 2017 -- a remarkable feat when considering the front office's perennially limited budget and the subsequent roster churn that brings about.

The Rays operated as sellers at the deadline, trading their most established power bat (Randy Arozarena), two starting pitchers (Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale), their All-Star third baseman (Isaac Paredes), one of their best relievers (Jason Adam) and a series of useful role players (Amed Rosario, Shawn Armstrong, Phil Maton, Tyler Zuber).

Oftentimes, deadline sales of that magnitude serve as a portent for an offseason dedicated to rebuilding, as recently illustrated by the 2023 White Sox and the 2021-22 Nationals. That type of rebuild, however, seems largely unnecessary in Tampa Bay. Even with a lineup consisting of unproven journeymen and a host of light-hitting, glove-first regulars (e.g. Jose Siri, Ben Rortvedt, Jose Caballero), the Rays already look like a team that could jump back into contention as early as next season.

Let's take a look at the reasons for that.

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Rays’ Edwin Uceta Suspended Two Games

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4:36pm: The suspension was reduced to two games, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X link). Uceta also received an undisclosed fine.

3:56pm: Uceta will not appeal the decision, Cash tells Topkin. The right-hander’s three-game suspension will begin tonight.

2:55pm: Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Rays righty Edwin Uceta has received a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for throwing at Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos in last night’s game. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash has received a one-game suspension. Uceta can appeal if he chooses and would still be eligible to take the field while the appeal process plays out. Cash is serving his suspension tonight, per the league’s announcement. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported the details surrounding the suspensions.

Uceta entered last night’s game in the eighth inning with two men on base and one out in what was then a 4-4 tie. He promptly yielded a two-run double to outfielder Cal Stevenson, struck out catcher Garrett Stubbs, allowed an RBI single to infielder Buddy Kennedy and then served up a two-run homer to Trea Turner. Bryce Harper followed with a double. Uceta then hit Castellanos on the hip with a 96.2 mph sinker on the first pitch of the next plate appearance, prompting both benches to clear (video link). Castellanos and Harper, in particular, were animated with their anger and what they clearly believed to be intent behind the pitch.

Castellanos said after the game that he had “an overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled,” before even stepping into the batter’s box (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). Harper was also vocal in the aftermath, stating that throwing at a player with intent “is not something that you should accept as Major League Baseball” — particularly in an era where today’s pitchers can throw so hard. “We’re in a race right now,” Harper continued. “We’re doing our thing. We’re trying to get into the postseason. A guy wants to drill him. It’s not right.”

Uceta, naturally, maintained while speaking through an interpreter that he did not intend to plunk Castellanos — the first batter he’s hit all season in 36 1/3 innings (138 batters faced) and just the third batter he’s hit in his MLB career (314 plate appearances).

Even with that dismal outing, Uceta’s ERA on the season stands at 1.49. He’s quietly emerged as an important bullpen piece for Tampa Bay since signing a minor league deal in the winter and having his contract selected to the big league roster back in May. Part of Uceta’s success this season has been impeccable command. He’s walked just 4.3% of the opponents he’s faced (against a  massive 37% strikeout rate).

That alone doesn’t signal intent, of course; it was a pressure-filled situation wherein Uceta had missed spots badly on both the double to Stevenson and the home run to Turner. He’s also struggled with command in the past, entering the season with a career 11.9% walk rate. It’s certainly feasible that he was rattled by the moment in an outing where he’d already lacked command, but it’s simultaneously understandable that the Phillies took exception and believed there to be intent.

Regardless, Cash will be absent from tonight’s dugout, and Uceta could miss up to three games. Castellanos thankfully didn’t sustain any type of injury on the play. He remained in the game and is back in tonight’s lineup. Leadoff slugger Kyle Schwarber, who tweaked his elbow on a dive back into first base last night and was set for further evaluation today, was originally in the lineup but was scratched just minutes ago after informing the team of lingering soreness in his elbow (X link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Harper will serve as the designated hitter tonight, and Kody Clemens will get the nod at first base.

Rays Place Jeffrey Springs On 15-Day Injured List

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The Rays announced this morning that they’ve placed left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the 15-day injured list due to what the club described as left elbow fatigue. Left-hander Tyler Alexander was recalled to the big league roster in a corresponding move.

Springs, 32 later this month, underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and returned to the mound in the majors for the first time on the day of the trade deadline back in July earlier this year. It was unfortunate timing for the Rays, as Springs went under the knife just three starts into a four-year extension the club inked him to prior to the 2023 season on the heels of a 2022 campaign where he posted a 2.35 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 135 1/3 innings of work split between the rotation and bullpen. Springs has made seven starts since returning from the IL earlier this year and, while he hasn’t quite reached that level of dominance, he’s certainly held his own with a 3.27 ERA and a 4.00 FIP to go with a strong 26.1% strikeout rate.

It’s not yet clear whether or not today’s trip to the IL spells the end of Springs’s 2024 season. For his part, Springs told reporters (including those at MLB.com) today that his hope is to make two more starts this season and that his elbow was just “a little more sore than normal,” which manager Kevin Cash suggested was probably fatigue that should be expected coming off surgery.  Still, given the fact that he’s suffering from an issue regarding his elbow just over a month after returning from Tommy John surgery, it would hardly be a shock if the Rays simply decided to play it safe with him for the remainder of the season. After all, the 70-72 Rays sold somewhat aggressively at the trade deadline as they fell out of playoff contention and pivoted towards prioritizing next season and beyond. Even after dealing away key pieces such as third baseman Isaac Paredes and outfielder Randy Arozarena back in July, the Rays appear to be in pretty good shape to contend in 2025.

A big reason for that optimism is the expected return of several key pitchers to full-time rotation duties next year. Ace lefty Shane McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery just over a year ago and resumed throwing in late July, putting him on track to be part of the club’s Opening Day rotation next year. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who returned last month from an internal brace procedure on his elbow in a bullpen role, also figures to be considered for a return to a rotation role next year. Springs, too, figures to be part of that conversation, leaving the Rays deep in rotation options as that trio joins Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, and Zack Littell in contention for starting jobs headed into 2025.

That deep group of rotation options led the Rays to deal both Aaron Civale and Zach Eflin from their rotation mix this summer, and it’s at least feasible that the club could look to deal another piece such as Littell from their rotation mix over the winter in order to help address an offense that has under-performed with a collective wRC+ of just 96 this year. Whether the Rays look to deal from their deep well of pitching talent in order to restock the lineup or simply hope that a full season from top prospect Junior Caminero and stronger performances from players like Christopher Morel, Josh Lowe, Dylan Carlson, and Jose Siri can boost the club’s offense internally, Springs figures to factor prominently into the club’s rotation plans next year, and putting him in the best position to be healthy and effective headed into next year is sure to be Tampa’s priority as the season winds down.

Taking Springs’s spot on the roster is Alexander, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tigers before joining the Rays this year. In his first season with Tampa, the lefty has swung between the bullpen and the rotation with lackluster results, posting a 5.66 ERA and 5.52 FIP in 89 frames. With that being said, his peripherals have been much better in the bullpen than as a starter, as he’s struck out a respectable 21.1% of opponents while pitching in relief against a walk rate of just 4.7%. Alexander is tentatively expected to pitch bulk innings for the club tomorrow night in a start that was previously slated to go to Springs.

Rays Designate Alex Jackson For Assignment

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The Rays announced Thursday morning that they’ve designated catcher Alex Jackson for assignment and selected the contract of left-hander Mason Montgomery from Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay also optioned lefty Tyler Alexander to Durham and recalled infielder Austin Shenton.

Tampa Bay has stuck with the 28-year-old Jackson all season, giving him 158 turns at the plate as the team’s backup catcher despite a .122/.201/.237 batting line and sky-high 34.2% strikeout rate. Jackson has played strong defense, but that lack of productivity in the batter’s box has now reached its tipping point, as Tampa Bay seems poised to turn his role over to recently promoted Logan Driscoll, who’s enjoyed a strong year in Durham and will now pair with defensive standout Ben Rortvedt to comprise the Rays’ catching corps.

Jackson was taken by the Mariners with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 draft and for years ranked as a top prospect thanks to huge raw power and one of the most impressive high school performances in recent memory. He was in play as a possible No. 1 overall pick during his draft season and viewed as a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. The M’s were bullish enough on his bat and athleticism to move him to right field immediately in pro ball, in hopes of fast-tracking his path to the big leagues.

Instead, Jackson’s hit tool never came around to match his power. He’s bounced around the league in a series of small-scale trades and minor league contracts but never cemented himself as a consistent big leaguer. In parts of five MLB seasons, Jackson has taken 340 plate appearances and batted .132/.224/.232 with a staggering 41.8% strikeout rate.

As he’s moved back behind the plate and continued to hone his defensive skills in the minors, Jackson has become a quality defender at catcher. However, his persistent strikeout troubles extend even to the Triple-A level (29.3%). He’ll now head to waivers and be made available to the other 29 clubs. If he clears, he’ll have the opportunity to elect free agency, as is the case with all players who’ve been previously outrighted in their career.

Montgomery, 24, was the Rays’ sixth-round pick in 2021 and ranked as one of the system’s top arms for the past few seasons. He’s had a dismal year in the Triple-A rotation and is currently sitting on a 6.26 ERA in spite of a sharp 26.1% strikeout rate and an only slightly higher-than-average 8.9% walk rate. Home runs have been Montgomery’s downfall, as he’s yielded an average of 1.95 long balls per nine innings pitched.

That said, there’s reason to perhaps look at Montgomery in a more favorable light. Beyond the intriguing K-BB profile, Montgomery moved to the bullpen on a full-time basis in early August and has been borderline untouchable since. He’s fired 9 2/3 shutout innings since moving to short relief, yielding just five hits and five walks while punching out a mammoth 20 of the 38 hitters he’s faced in his new role. He’ll give the Rays a fresh arm for now but also has the potential to develop into a long-term relief weapon for manager Kevin Cash.

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