The Rays entered the offseason with at the very least seven rotation-caliber arms on the roster. Every of Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Pepiot has had success in a giant league rotation, although accidents have hobbled a number of of that group in recent times. Tampa Bay already thinned out that inventory of arms (and, naturally, trimmed payroll) by transport Springs and lefty Jacob Lopez to the A’s in a deal netting them righty Joe Boyle, minor leaguers Will Simpson and Jacob Watters, and a Aggressive Stability (Spherical A) draft decide in 2025.
The Rays now have “solely” six starters with confirmed (to various ranges) observe data within the majors. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions writes that they’re nonetheless planning on a five-man rotation, nevertheless, including that buying and selling a starter within the late levels of spring coaching is “not out of the query.” At finest, that very frivolously leaves the door for a commerce propped open. There’s nothing to strongly recommend the Rays are planning to deal from the rotation. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless price analyzing the crew’s choices if it involves that time.
The veteran Littell can be the obvious candidate to vary palms. Tampa Bay moved the now-29-year-old righty from the bullpen to the rotation halfway by means of the 2023 season, and the outcomes have been higher than anybody may’ve fairly predicted. Littell solidified the workers within the second half of ’23 and pitched a career-high 156 1/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA over 29 begins final season. Since transferring to a beginning position after the Rays claimed him from the Pink Sox, Littell has began 40 video games and logged a mixed 3.65 ERA with a lower-than-average 20.4% strikeout price however a sensational 4.1% stroll price.
Every of the Rays’ different beginning pitchers is signed or managed through arbitration by means of at the very least the 2027 season. Littell is a free agent following the 2025 marketing campaign. He’s being paid an affordable $5.72MM. He’s not an ace by any stretch of the creativeness, however based mostly on how he’s fared since July 2023, the right-hander may step into the third, fourth or fifth spot in most massive league rotations.
Buying and selling anybody from the remainder of the group is more durable to ascertain. McClanahan has pitched at a Cy Younger degree when wholesome however missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure. He’s managed by means of 2027. Transferring him proper now would imply transferring their most gifted starter at a time after they’d be promoting low. Rasmussen signed a two-year take care of a membership possibility earlier this offseason. That purchased out his remaining arbitration seasons and gave Tampa Bay management over his first free-agent 12 months by the use of that 2027 membership possibility. Flipping him so quickly after signing him to that deal is extraordinarily troublesome to ascertain; MLB groups merely don’t signal a participant to extension after which commerce him previous to ever showing of their jersey beneath the phrases of that new contract.
Baz and Pepiot are beneath membership management by means of 2028. The previous is incomes $1.45MM in 2025, whereas the latter has but to achieve arbitration. (Baz did in order a Tremendous Two participant.) Bradley can’t turn into a free agent till the 2029-30 offseason. We’re speaking concerning the Rays, so the “by no means say by no means” caveat all the time applies to some extent, however buying 4 or 5 seasons of anybody from that bucket would very probably come at a steep worth and require a crew to half with MLB-ready bats which might be each high-upside and controllable for the same and even lengthier window.
Any crew even considering a commerce from the rotation at this stage of the calendar shall be cautious, after all. As we’ve seen all through the league — most prominently up within the Bronx — perceived beginning pitching “surpluses” can flip into deficits rapidly this time of 12 months. The Rays gained’t transfer somebody simply to trim payroll, however they’ve depth even past the six arms talked about right here.
The beforehand talked about Boyle, for example, is having a pleasant spring and has expertise in a giant league rotation already. Following his acquisition within the Springs commerce, president of baseball operations Erik Neander known as the 6’7″ righty somebody who has “the physicality and the stuff to suit on the entrance of the rotation.” Boyle averages almost 98 mph on his heater however has extreme command points that should be ironed out. Righty Jacob Waguespack is perhaps Triple-A certain however has 105 2/3 massive league innings beneath his belt. Prospects Joe Rock and Ian Seymour each had some success in Triple-A final 12 months (the latter specifically). There’s no such factor as “an excessive amount of” rotation depth, however that group may additional embolden the Rays to hear on Littell or one other massive league starter if a crew makes a compelling provide.
