Rays Agree To Minor League Deals With Connor Seabold, Tres Barrera
The Rays agreed to minor league deals with right-hander Connor Seabold and catcher Tres Barrera, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Both players will be invited to spring training.
Seabold, 29, has pitched parts of three seasons in the big leagues. The Beverly Hills Sports Council client spent the 2024 season with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Samsung Lions and pitched quite well, tossing 160 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. That marked his first and to date only season overseas, and it’s not a surprise that a strong showing of that nature earned him a look back in North American ball — albeit on a non-guaranteed deal.
A third-round pick of the Phillies back in 2017, Seabold was flipped to the Red Sox alongside Nick Pivetta in the lopsided deal sending Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman back to Philly. Seabold briefly ranked as one of the more promising arms in Boston’s system but has yet to find his big league footing. Elbow and forearm injuries impacted his 2021-22 seasons, and Seabold was hit hard in a larger sample with the 2023 Rockies. In 108 2/3 innings, Seabold has been tagged for 98 runs — a grisly 8.12 ERA. He has a 4.13 mark in 172 Triple-A innings, however, and his KBO work was impressive. The Rays have a knack for getting the most out of reclamation arms of this ilk, too.
The Rays have a full rotation, with Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiot all in the mix for starts. The bullpen is more fluid, perhaps creating space for Seabold to work as a swingman or multi-inning reliever. Given his success in the KBO, it’d make sense for the Rays to keep him stretched out — if not in the big league ‘pen then as a depth option in Triple-A Durham.
The 30-year-old Barrera has appeared in four big league seasons — three with the Nationals and one very brief look with the 2023 Cardinals. The ACES client is a .228/.313/.310 hitter in 164 MLB plate appearances. He spent the 2024 season with los Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League, hitting .258/.333/.421 in 50 games. Barrera is a .222/.315/.351 hitter in Triple-A. He’s known more for his solid receiving, framing and blocking skills than for his bat.
Tampa Bay signed Danny Jansen to serve as its top catcher in 2025. He’ll pair with defensive standout Ben Rortvedt as the team’s primary pairing behind the dish. The only other catcher on the 40-man roster at the moment is Logan Driscoll. Barrera will add some experienced depth who can step up in the event of an injury or head to Durham to serve as in-season depth.
White Sox Claim Brandon Eisert, Designate Steven Wilson
The White Sox announced Friday that they’ve claimed lefty Brandon Eisert off waivers from the Rays and designated right-hander Steven Wilson for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.
Eisert, 27, made his big league debut last season as a member of the Blue Jays — he’d previously gone from Toronto to Tampa Bay in a cash swap following a separate DFA — and allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings. He spent the bulk of his season in Triple-A for a third straight year. Despite generally successful numbers there in seasons past, he didn’t get a big league look until 2024.
In three seasons with Triple-A Buffalo, Eisert posted a 3.83 ERA in 183 1/3 innings. The former 18th-round pick has set down 28.6% of Triple-A opponents on strikes against a tidy 7.9% walk rate. He’s consistently posted ground-ball rates between 42-44%, right around league-average, and allowed either 1.17 or 1.18 HR/9 in all three of those Triple-A campaigns. Eisert doesn’t throw hard, relying on a 90-92 mph heater as well as a slider and changeup that both fall in the 84-85 mph range. He’s consistently generated quality results in the upper minors, however, and has a pair of minor league option years remaining.
Wilson, 30, went from San Diego to Chicago as part of the Friars’ acquisition of Dylan Cease. He wasn’t a headline piece of the return by any means, but the Sox surely hoped that he could build off two solid seasons to begin his career as a member of the Padres’ bullpen. From 2022-23, Wilson totaled 106 innings of 3.48 ERA ball with a 25.4% strikeout rate, 10.9% walk rate, 1.19 HR/9, 27 holds and a save.
Things didn’t pan out as hoped. Wilson had multiple IL stints due to back strains, saw his fastball velocity dip from 94.5 mph to 93.4 mph on average, and served up eight homers in just 34 1/3 innings (2.08 HR/9). His 20.9% strikeout rate and 16% walk rate were both career-worst marks.
The Sox still tendered Wilson a contract after the season and came to terms on a $950K salary. That salary could now help him pass through waivers unclaimed, at which point the Sox could stash him in Triple-A. Wilson would have the right to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency, but he’d have to walk away from his contract in order to do so. He’ll likely accept an assignment if it comes to that.
For the time being, the Sox will have five days to trade Wilson. At that point, he’ll need to be placed on outright waivers (a 48-hour process) if he’s to have his DFA resolved within the allotted one-week timeframe.
Sternberg, Manfred Discuss Rays Stadium
Rays owner Stuart Sternberg spoke with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday from this week’s owners meetings. He made clear that he is not having any conversations about selling the franchise amidst their stadium uncertainty.
“If it was (for sale), people would know it,” Sternberg said. “I’ve always been, and I will continue to be, pretty transparent about our intentions. And pretty — not pretty — but very honest about them. And I have been.”
The Rays need to decide in the coming weeks whether to move on plans to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg. Last summer, the Rays had reached a tentative agreement with the city and Pinellas County to construct a new $1.3 billion stadium by the 2028 season. That was delayed following the hurricanes in the Tampa area last fall. The County postponed approval on $312.5MM in public funding on the project. The County voted to approve the bonds in mid-December, but the Rays had already expressed frustration with the delay.
The agreement leaves the team responsible for cost overruns in construction. The Rays have claimed the delayed bond approval makes it impossible to have the stadium ready until 2029. A county official said in December that the Rays had put the estimated price hike around $200MM; Topkin wrote yesterday that the overruns are expected to be close to $150MM. In either case, the team said in December it “cannot absorb this increase alone” and wanted to renegotiate with the city and county to “solve this funding gap together.” Local officials have stated that they will not commit more public money.
The Rays have until March 31 to meet various construction benchmarks. If they have not done so, the agreement is nullified. Sternberg did not provide a specific timeline on when the team will make its final decision. “I’m not saying a decision or this or that, but I’ll be prepared coming out of this (meeting) and speaking to owners here,” he told Topkin. “There’s a lot that goes into it. … I don’t know what the rush is for anybody, or for us. If this is, in fact, a multi-generational decision, I don’t think anyone will care if it’s a date in January, February or March.”
Topkin spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about the situation on Thursday. As he has on multiple occasions, Manfred made clear that the league does not want to see the team relocate. “We’d like to keep the franchise in Tampa Bay. We think the market is big enough and that there is passion for the game. Having said that, it is challenging,” Manfred said.
Whether they move forward with their long-term stadium plans, the Rays also need to figure something out for the next few seasons. They’ll play at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season because Hurricane Milton destroyed the Tropicana Field roof. The Rays’ lease at the Trop had run through 2027, but it’ll roll over through the ’28 campaign since it isn’t in use this year.
Responsibility for the Trop repairs falls on the City of St. Petersburg. That comes with an estimated $55.7MM cost. It’s unclear whether the stadium can be fixed in time for Opening Day 2026. Sternberg and Manfred each said there are no current plans for where the Rays would begin the ’26 season if the Trop is not done. “I remain committed to the idea (that) we’ve got to get the Trop fixed, because we have an interim period beyond 2025 that we have to cover no matter what,” Manfred said to Topkin. “I think Stu is on board with that idea that we need to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we have a ton of uncertainty in terms of ‘how fast can you get it fixed?’“
Giants Acquire Osleivis Basabe
The Giants acquired infielder Osleivis Basabe from the Rays in exchange for cash, according to announcements from both teams. Tampa Bay designated Basabe for assignment earlier in the week. The Giants already had an open 40-man spot to accommodate Basabe.
The 24-year-old Basabe’s only big league experience came back in 2023, when he totaled 94 plate appearances across 31 games and batted .218/.277/.310. That inauspicious debut came after a more encouraging .296/.351/.426 output (95 wRC+) in Triple-A that year. However, the 2024 campaign brought significant declines for Basabe in nearly every meaningful category. He spent th entire year in Triple-A Durham, hitting .248/.293/.336. Basabe’s walk rate dropped from 7.3% to 4.9%. His strikeout rate jumped from 15.5% to 18%. His average exit velocity dipped by nearly three miles per hour, while his hard-hit rate fell by a hefty eight percentage points.
Rough as the previous season was, Basabe is regarded as a solid defender who can handle shortstop, second and third. He ranked within the top 10 prospects in Tampa Bay’s system an offseason ago and has a minor league option remaining, so the Giants can send him to Triple-A without needing to expose him to waivers.
With Willy Adames at short, Matt Chapman at third and Tyler Fitzgerald at second, there’s no immediate path to Basabe logging any kind of consistent at-bats in the majors, even if he has a big spring showing. However, the Giants’ bench is far less solidified, and he’ll join Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt and David Villar (among others) in competing for a utility role on Bob Melvin’s bench.
MLBTR Podcast: Jack Flaherty Back To Detroit, Max Scherzer, And What’s Next For The Padres
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Tigers re-signing Jack Flaherty and reportedly still lurking on Alex Bregman (1:50)
- The Blue Jays signing Max Scherzer (16:35)
- The Rays signing Ha-Seong Kim (22:20)
- The Padres shifting Xander Bogaerts back to shortstop with Kim leaving (30:10)
- The Mariners re-signing Jorge Polanco and might be effectively done (36:10)
- The Reds acquire Taylor Rogers from the Giants and San Francisco might be effectively done (49:05)
Check out our past episodes!
- Ryan Pressly To The Cubs, Bregman’s Future, And Jurickson Profar – listen here
- Debating A Salary Cap, How To Improve Parity, More Dodgers Moves, And Anthony Santander – listen here
- The Jeff Hoffman Situation, Justin Verlander, And The Marlins’ Rotation – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins
Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move these days. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Per R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, most clubs have a report date of February 12th or 13th. The Cubs and Dodgers are a bit earlier than most, on the 9th and 11th, respectively. That’s due to the fact that those clubs are heading to Tokyo, with exhibition games in mid-March, followed by regular season games against each other on March 18th and 19th. All the other teams have Opening Day scheduled for March 27th.
It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until end of May or later. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.
There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, as well as Nick Pivetta, Andrew Heaney, David Robertson, Randal Grichuk, Kenley Jansen, Harrison Bader, Lance Lynn, Jose Quintana and many more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together in the next week or so. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment.
Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time and could find themselves transferred soon.
Angels: Robert Stephenson
Stephenson underwent a hybrid Tommy John surgery with internal brace in late April. Given the 14-plus months required to recovery from such a procedure, he’s not likely to be ready in the early parts of the 2025 season.
Astros: Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Bennett Sousa
Javier underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is targeting a return in the second half of 2025. France is recovering from shoulder surgery and hoping to return in July. Sousa’s timeline is less clear but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in April. Other possibilities include Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., who are expected to start the season on the IL but returning in April or May still seems possible.
Athletics: Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk
Medina underwent Tommy John surgery in August and Waldichuk in May. Medina might miss the entire season while Waldichuk is likely to miss a few months at least.
Blue Jays: Angel Bastardo, Alek Manoah
The Jays grabbed Bastardo from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft in December, even though he had Tommy John surgery in June. Manoah also had Tommy John around that time and is hoping to be back by August.
Braves: Joe Jiménez
Jimenez had knee surgery in November with a timeline of eight to twelve months, so he might miss the entire season. Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are also possibilities, though those will be more borderline. Strider had internal brace surgery in April, so returning in May is somewhat possible. Acuña is recovering from a torn ACL last year and it’s possible he’ll miss the first month or so of the season. Given how important both of those players are, Atlanta probably won’t put them on the 60-day IL unless it’s 100% certain that they can’t come back in the first 60 days of the season.
Brewers: Robert Gasser
Gasser had Tommy John surgery in June and will be looking at a late 2025 return even in a best-case scenario.
Diamondbacks: Kyle Nelson
Nelson’s timeline is unclear, but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in May and missed the remainder of the 2024 season.
Dodgers: Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Emmet Sheehan
Stone underwent shoulder surgery in October that will cause him to miss the entire year. Graterol also underwent shoulder surgery and isn’t expected back until the second half of 2025. Each of Ryan, Hurt and Sheehan required Tommy John surgery in 2024: Ryan in August, Hurt in July and Sheehan in May.
Guardians: Sam Hentges, David Fry, Shane Bieber, Trevor Stephan
Hentges required shoulder surgery in September, with an expected recovery timeline of 12 to 14 months. Fry underwent UCL surgery in November with a more fluid timeline. He won’t be able to throw at all in 2025 but could be cleared for designated hitter action six to eight months from that surgery. Bieber is perhaps a borderline case, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April. Given his importance, the Guards may not transfer him to the 60-day IL until it’s assured that he won’t be back in the first 60 days of the season. Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery in March and perhaps has a chance to avoid the 60-day IL, depending on his progression.
Mariners: Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar
Brash underwent Tommy John surgery in May. Given the typical 14-month recovery timeline from that procedure, he would be looking at a midsummer return. However, it was reported in November that he’s ahead of schedule and could be back by the end of April. That’s an optimistic timeline but the Mariners will probably hold off moving him to the 60-day IL until the door is closed to an early return. Kowar underwent Tommy John in March, so an early return in 2025 is possible for him, depending on how his recovery is going.
Marlins: Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez
Garrett just underwent UCL surgery last month and is going to miss the entire 2025 season. Pérez underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last year and will miss at least part of the beginning of the 2025 campaign.
Mets: Christian Scott
Scott required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in September and will likely miss the entire 2025 season.
Nationals: Josiah Gray, Mason Thompson
Gray required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in July, meaning he’ll miss most or perhaps all of the 2025 season. Thompson required Tommy John surgery in March, so he has a better chance to make an early-season return if his recovery is going well.
Orioles: Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells
Bradish and Wells each required UCL surgery in June, so they’re both slated to miss the first half of the upcoming campaign.
Padres: Joe Musgrove
Musgrove had Tommy John surgery in October and will therefore miss the entire 2025 season. However, the Padres only have 36 guys on their 40-man roster at the moment, so they’ll need to fill those spots before moving Musgrove to the 60-day IL.
Pirates: Dauri Moreta
Moreta required UCL surgery in March, so an early-season return is possible if his rehab is going well, though he could end up on the 60-day if the club goes easy with his ramp-up or he suffers any kind of setback.
Rangers: Josh Sborz
Sborz underwent shoulder surgery in November and is expected to miss the first two to three months of the upcoming season.
Rays: Nate Lavender, Ha-Seong Kim
The Rays took Lavender from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft, even though he had Tommy John in May and will miss the start of the season. Kim’s status is more up in the air after he had shoulder surgery in October. Various reports have suggested he could return anywhere from April to July. The Rays made a sizable investment in Kim, their largest ever for a position player, so they probably won’t shelve him until they get more clarity on his status.
Red Sox: Patrick Sandoval, Garrett Whitlock, Chris Murphy
Sandoval had internal brace surgery in June of last year and should miss the first half of the season. Whitlock had the same surgery in May, so he could have a bit of a better chance to return in the first 60 days of the season. Murphy underwent a fully Tommy John surgery in April and will certainly miss the beginning of the upcoming season. Another possibility is Lucas Giolito, who had internal brace surgery in March, though he expects to be ready by Opening Day.
Reds: Julian Aguiar, Brandon Williamson
Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery in October and Williamson in September, so both are likely slated to miss the entire 2025 season.
Tigers: Sawyer Gipson-Long
Gipson-Long underwent internal brace surgery in April. On top of that, he underwent left hip labral repair surgery in July, with the club hoping to address both issues at the same time. It seems likely that he’ll miss some of the early 2025 schedule, but his IL placement will depend on how he’s been progressing.
White Sox: Jesse Scholtens
Scholtens underwent Tommy John surgery in early March. Whether he goes on the 60-day IL or not will depend on how he’s progressed since then and when the White Sox expect him back.
Yankees: Jonathan Loáisiga
Loáisiga underwent internal brace surgery in April, so he could potentially be back on the mound early in the 2025 season. It was reported in December that the Yankees are expecting him to be in the bullpen by late April or early May, so he’ll only end up on the 60-day IL if he suffers a bit of a setback.
Rays Designate Brandon Eisert For Assignment
The Rays have designated left-hander Brandon Eisert for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. That’s the corresponding move for infielder Ha-Seong Kim, whose two-year deal is now official.
Eisert, 27, had a brief spell on the Tampa roster. After being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays when that club signed Anthony Santander, the lefty was acquired by the Rays on January 23 in a cash deal. Now less than two weeks later, he’s been given the DFA treatment yet again.
His major league experience is very limited, with just three appearances last year marking the total of his big league track record. He has generally posted strong minor league numbers. From 2021 to 2024, he logged 246 2/3 innings across various levels, allowing 3.76 earned runs per nine. He struck out 29.1% of batters faced and only issued walks at a 7.7% clip.
In spite of those solid numbers on the farm, there is perhaps some skepticism that he can be as effective in the majors. His fastball only averaged 91.2 miles per hour during his MLB debut last year and he was only at 90.2 mph in Triple-A.
The Rays will now have a week of DFA limbo at most to assess the market on Eisert. Since the waiver process takes 48 hours, any trade talks would need to take place in the next five days. Though the lack of velocity could be tamping down the enthusiasm somewhat, Eisert has been getting minor leaguers out for years now. If any club is intrigued enough to acquire him, the lefty still has a couple of options and barely a month of service time, meaning he could be used as affordable depth with roster flexibility for the foreseeable future.
Rays Sign Ha-Seong Kim
The Rays officially announced the signing of Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year free agent deal. The Boras Corporation client is reportedly guaranteed $29MM and can opt out after the first season. Kim will make a $13MM base salary for the upcoming season. He can earn an additional $2MM in performance bonuses, as he’ll make $10K for every plate appearance between 326 and 525. If Kim forgoes the opt-out, he’ll make $16MM in 2026. Lefty Brandon Eisert has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Kim’s free agency has been one of the more difficult ones to project on account of his uncertain health status. In August of last year, while with the Padres, he injured his right shoulder while diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt. He underwent surgery in October to repair the labrum in that shoulder. His agent, Scott Boras, has since suggested that Kim could be back on the field by April. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller gave a more nebulous and less optimistic answer of “May, June, July.”
Prior to that injury, there was an argument for Kim securing a four- or five-year deal, perhaps approaching nine figures. But the injury to his throwing shoulder made that harder to see. Though he’s a solid hitter, a big part of his appeal as a player is his defense. He has played most of his career at shortstop but also has significant time at second and third base with strong marks at all three spots. If he comes back from surgery with diminished arm strength and is less viable on the left side of the diamond, that would cut into his value.
As such, it seemed likely that he would sign a deal that allowed him to return to free agency next year, either on a one-year deal or a two-year pact with an opt-out. That would give him the chance to potentially return, prove his health and sign another contract with the injury in the rear-view mirror.
At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Kim for a straight one-year pact with a $12MM guarantee, though with the caveat he could follow players like Rhys Hoskins and Michael Conforto in securing a two-year pact with an opt-out. Hoskins got $34MM from the Brewers and Conforto $36MM from the Giants. Both are represented by Boras and Kim switched his representation to that agency in October, shortly after his injury.
The situations aren’t completely analogous. Both Hoskins and Conforto signed their deals after missing an entire season but were set to be healthy as those deals began. Kim, however, seems likely to start the season on the injured list. Kim’s guarantee comes in a bit below those guys, perhaps a reflection of the slightly different timeline.
That makes this an interesting gamble for the Rays. If Kim’s injury lingers towards the longer end of Preller’s timeline, it’s possible that they are going to be paying him $13MM for just half a season. If Kim doesn’t immediately get back in form, he could then forego his opt-out and stick around for 2026 with an even higher salary. For what it’s worth, both Hoskins and Conforto had tepid results in the first years of their respective deals and did not use their opt-outs.
The upside for the Rays is that they could get a really strong player for a relatively modest price. Kim struggled at the plate in 2021, his first season after coming over from Korea, but has been above average in each of the three seasons since then. He stepped to plate 1,678 times over the 2022 to 2024 campaigns, with his 11% walk rate and 17.9% strikeout rate both a few ticks better than average. While not a huge power threat, he got to double-digit homers in each of those campaigns, hitting 39 overall. His combined batting line of .250/.336/.385 led to a wRC+ of 106.
As mentioned, Kim is a strong defender at multiple positions. He also stole 72 bases over the past three years. Putting it all together, FanGraphs has considered him to be roughly a four-win player. He was credited with 3.6 fWAR in 2022 and 4.2 the year after. Last year, the injury limited him to just 121 games, so his fWAR tally came in a bit lighter at 2.6.
The Rays have some question marks at shortstop. Wander Franco was supposed to be the long-term answer there but he hasn’t played since August of 2023, when heinous allegations of sexual abuse against minors emerged. The legal process is still playing out on those charges but it would be surprising if he ever returns to the majors.
Players like Taylor Walls, José Caballero and Osleivis Basabe are on the roster but each of them have posted lackluster offensive numbers in their respective careers thus far. Prospect Carson Williams is probably the new shortstop of the future but he might still need some more time in the minors. He’s still not yet 22 years old, with that birthday coming up in June, and spent all of last year at Double-A. He did get into four Triple-A games late in 2023 but the Rays might want to send him there for a slightly longer stint before giving him his major league debut.
For the Rays, ideally, Kim can return relatively early in the year and play like his old self. Junior Caminero seems likely to take over the third base job this year, with Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz the projected regulars on the other side of the infield. That could give them a formidable infield for the majority of the season.
If that plan comes to fruition, Kim would likely opt-out and head back to free agency. He would be leaving $16MM on the table but would be looking for a larger guarantee on a multi-year deal. The Rays could then issue him a qualifying offer, which would probably be around $22MM or so. The QO was $21.05MM this offseason but usually goes up over time due to salaries increasing. The QO number is calculated by averaging out the salaries of the 125 highest-paid players in the league. That could allow the Rays to recoup draft pick compensation and then perhaps hand over the shortstop job to Williams.
There are other less-ideal outcomes on the other end of the spectrum. It’s possible Kim doesn’t return until the second half. Or he returns at some point but his arm strength isn’t quite what it was, making him an imperfect shortstop solution. Or perhaps Williams seizes the job before Kim gets back, leaving him as something of a high-priced utility guy. In those or other imperfect scenarios, the odds of him staying for 2026 would increase. That would naturally be an underwater deal at that point, since he would have walked away otherwise.
That wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world, depending on the specifics. The Cubs got an okay-but-not-great season out of Cody Bellinger in 2024, then saw him forego an opt-out opportunity. They were still able to dump most of the remainder of the contract on the Yankees. The Brewers, however, are seemingly stuck with Hoskins after his mediocre season. That has perhaps been part of the reason why they don’t have a lot of financial wiggle room this winter.
The Rays are a low-spending club, far more like the Brewers than the Cubs or the Giants. Kim’s $13MM salary will actually make him the highest-paid player on the team. Though they’ve given out some big extensions over the years, this is the third-largest guarantee they’ve given to a free agent, behind the $40MM they gave Zach Eflin and the $30MM they gave Charlie Morton.
It’s unclear exactly what sort of payroll parameters they have for 2025. Cot’s Baseball Contracts had them at $99MM on Opening Day last year. They ended up moving some players making notable salaries at the deadline, such as Eflin, Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes. This offseason, they flipped Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics but then signed Danny Jansen and now Kim.
RosterResource now projects them for a $90MM payroll this year. That’s a bit below 2024 but they also might have extra financial concerns apart from player salaries. Due to the hurricane damage to Tropicana Field, they are going to be playing the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. That’s normally the home of the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the Yankees. That is presumably leading to some unexpected moving costs and perhaps less ticket revenue for the upcoming season. Their plans for next year and beyond are murky as well.
It’s an interesting gambit for the club to take with its limited resources. For clubs still looking for middle infield help, Alex Bregman is a potential option due to his reported willingness to play second base. Apart from him, Jose Iglesias, Paul DeJong and Brendan Rodgers are some of the notable free agents.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the two-year deal, $29MM guarantee and opt-out. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported the specific annual breakdown and the incentives. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that the bonuses start at 325 plate appearances. The Associated Press reported the $10K per plate appearance specifics.
Rays Acquire Alex Faedo
The Rays have acquired right-hander Alex Faedo from the Tigers, per announcements from both clubs. Faedo had been designated for assignment by the Tigers last week when they signed Tommy Kahnle. The Rays are sending minor league catcher Enderson Delgado and cash to Detroit. Infielder Osleivis Basabe has been designated for assignment by the Rays in a corresponding move, which MLBTR covered here.
Getting Faedo, 29, is a buy-low move for the Rays. The Tigers grabbed him with the 18th overall pick in 2017 and Baseball America ranked the righty as the #50 prospect in the entire league going into 2018.
But the big league results haven’t matched up to that prospect billing just yet. Faedo has thrown 175 2/3 innings for the Tigers over the past three seasons, allowing 4.51 earned runs per nine. His 20.9% strikeout rate and 9.7% have both been a bit below league average. He is now out of options and would have had a hard time holding a roster spot in Detroit all year, so he got bumped off.
The Rays are seemingly more willing to carry Faedo on the roster, since they are giving up a prospect and cash to get him. Perhaps the hope is that Faedo is in the process of finding a home in the bullpen. He has worked as a starter and a reliever in his big league career, but with a 5.00 ERA out of the rotation and 3.44 ERA from the bullpen. His 22.6% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate as a reliever aren’t outstanding numbers, but better than his 20.2% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate as a starter.
Though he hasn’t had huge punchout stuff, he’s had some intriguing numbers in terms of limiting damage. His 34.4% hard hit rate allowed last year was in the 82nd percentile of qualified pitchers, according to Statcast. His barrel rate was in the 76th percentile and his average exit velocity 65th. His 2023 numbers in those categories were fairly similar.
His out-of-options status will make things a bit challenging for the Rays, a club that normally likes to rotate pitchers on and off the roster with regularity. RosterResource projects the club to run a six-man rotation of Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen. That leaves a seven-man bullpen consisting of Pete Fairbanks, Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodríguez, Mason Montgomery, Mike Vasil and Faedo. Montgomery is the only one of that relief group that can be optioned and RR has the out-of-options Cole Sulser listed in Triple-A as of this writing.
The roster might not shake out exactly like that, as spring performance and health can certainly change things, but there’s not a ton of flexibility in the relief group at the moment. But if the Rays manage to keep Faedo in the mix, there will be a long-term payoff. He has just under two years of service time at the moment, meaning he can be controlled for five seasons if he continues to hang onto his roster spot and hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration.
For the Tigers, losing Faedo probably stings a little bit, but at least they were able to recoup some potential future value out of a guy who got squeezed off the fringes of the roster. Delgado, 20, was an international signing of the Rays out of Venezuela. Back in July, Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked Delgado as the #37 prospect in the Rays’ system. That report suggests Delgado could carve out a future backup catching role based mostly on his defense, particularly his throwing arm.
The FanGraphs report gives less praise for his offense. He has slashed .215/.337/.322 over three minor league seasons, though he showed some improvement last year with a line of .259/.382/.400. Given his age and that he still hasn’t climbed higher than Single-A, he’ll be a long-term play for the Tigers.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Faedo was going to the Rays for Delgado and cash, prior to the official announcements.
Rays Designate Osleivis Basabe For Assignment
The Rays announced Monday that they’ve designated infielder Osleivis Basabe for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to newly acquired righty Alex Faedo, whose previously reported trade from Detroit to Tampa Bay has now been formally announced by the clubs.
Basabe, 24, made his big league debut with Tampa Bay in 2023, which now stands as his lone season with MLB work. He appeared in 31 games and tallied 94 plate appearances, hitting .218/.277/.310 during that span. It certainly wasn’t a great debut effort, but the .296/.351/.426 slash (95 wRC+) Basabe had posted in Triple-A Durham was a good bit more encouraging — particularly for someone whom scouting reports praise as a solid defender at either position on the left side of the infield.
The 2024 campaign, however, saw Basabe take a step back in virtually every meaningful category. Those offensive rate stats plummeted to .248/.293/.336 in Triple-A — a drop that left him about 36% worse than league-average at the plate, by measure of wRC+. His walk rate fell from 7.3% to 4.9% as his strikeout rate climbed from 15.5% to 18%. Basabe averaged 89 mph with a 39.7% hard-hit rate with Durham in 2023 but was only at 86.3 mph and 31.3%, respectively, in 2024.
Though Basabe’s 2024 season was nightmarish, he’s only a year removed from ranking as a top-10 prospect in a strong Rays system. He also has a minor league option remaining, so any team that acquires him would be able to send him to the minors without first needing to pass him through waivers. He’s capable of playing any of shortstop, third base or second base, which should add to his appeal. Basabe hits from the right side but has traditionally had more consistent offensive production in right-on-right matchups than he has versus lefties.
The Rays will have five days to trade Basabe. At that point, he’d need to be placed on waivers, as outright waivers are 48-hour process themselves and the maximum window for a DFA to be resolved is one week.