The Rays’ latest run to the ALCS has once again put their talent-spotting machine in the spotlight.
Bryan Baker, Kevin Kelly, Victor Mesa Jr., Liam Hicks, and Nick Martinez all ended up playing major roles in Tampa Bay’s push, and The Athletic’s Will Sammon dug into how the Rays identified and acquired that group. The paths were all different, but the theme was the same: the Rays kept finding value where other clubs either missed it or passed.
Kelly arrived as a Rule 5 pick from the Rockies in 2022. Martinez was the outlier financially, with Tampa Bay making a rare splash by its standards on a one-year, $13MM free agent deal last winter. The other three came via trades - Baker from the Orioles for a Competitive Balance Round draft pick in July 2025, Mesa in a quieter swap with the Marlins last February, and Hicks from the Marlins again at this year’s trade deadline.
Martinez is the only one of that group who cost anything close to a significant amount. The other four are set to make less than $4MM combined in salary in 2026.
That kind of return is exactly why the Rays keep getting praised for the work done by their scouting department, analytics team, and development staff. If it all ends with the franchise’s first World Series title this fall, the payoff would be enormous.
Elsewhere in the division, the Red Sox explored a catching move that never got across the finish line before landing Adley Rutschman from the Orioles in a deadline blockbuster. According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Boston made a push for Hunter Feduccia before Tampa Bay sent him to the Dodgers. Feduccia became available after Hicks came aboard, and a part-time role in Boston would have made sense given his .205/.303/.284 line over 370 Major League plate appearances.
Feduccia had spent a long time in the Dodgers organization before Tampa Bay acquired him at the 2025 deadline, and Los Angeles brought him back once injuries hit both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing. He has stayed in the backup role behind Smith through the NLDS, with Rushing unable to catch because of a partial UCL tear in his throwing elbow. Feduccia remains under team control through 2031, and the piece notes he could be a name Boston circles back to this winter if it wants to move on from Connor Wong as Rutschman’s backup.
On the Orioles side, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko offered a read on the bullpen that points toward change. He wrote that both Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin appear likely to leave in free agency.
Akin’s situation is complicated by the Tommy John surgery he underwent in July, and he may not pitch at all in 2027. Even so, that injury could make a new deal more plausible if Baltimore wants to take a longer view, perhaps with a cheap two-year arrangement that pushes most of the money to 2028, when he would be expected to be healthy again.
Kittredge, meanwhile, missed the first month of the season with shoulder inflammation and finished with a 3.54 ERA over 48 1/3 relief innings. He also posted a strong 5.1% walk rate, though his strikeout rate dropped sharply from 2025 to 2026, and he is heading into his age-37 season.
In Other News...
Zach Eflin Just Put Baltimore In An Awkward Rotation Spot
Zach Eflins season never really got off the ground in Baltimore, and now the Orioles have a much larger rotation question hanging over them. He underwent Tommy John surgery in early April after exiting his first start with elbow discomfort, a brutal turn for a pitcher the club had planned to count on as part of its starting mix.
Eflins future with the Orioles now looks uncertain beyond the injury timeline, too. Baltimore is expected to buy out his 2027 mutual option for $2 million, which likely closes the door on his current deal, while Eflin is projected to miss a significant chunk of next season during rehab before possibly exploring a two-year free-agent contract once hes healthy again. For a team trying to map out its pitching depth, it leaves one less sure thing and another spot to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Bullpen Puzzle That Could Spark Real Debate
Before the season even got rolling, the Orioles were already dealing with a bullpen that looked short on certainty. Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge landed on the injured list before Opening Day, and closer Ryan Helsley also spent time there, a rough set of early blows for a group that was supposed to help stabilize games late.
Looking ahead, the bigger question is how Baltimore sorts out a relief mix that could still feature Helsley, Flix Bautista, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Josh Walker and Grant Wolfram in 2027. Some of those arms arrived via trade or new deals, which only adds to the intrigue as the Orioles try to figure out which pieces are part of the long-term answer and which ones are just keeping the inning alive for now. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Could Finally Land The Rotation Arm This Staff Lacks
The Orioles are headed into an offseason that should put starting pitching near the top of the shopping list. With Trevor Rogers and Chris Bassitt possibly on the way out, the front office is staring at a rotation picture that could use more certainty and a little more upside, especially if Baltimore wants to keep pace in a division that punishes thin staffs.
That is why the trade market is already being framed as a likely path, with Baltimore monitoring arms who could fit both now and beyond this season. Minnesota, Seattle and Los Angeles all have pitchers who make sense in different ways, and the appeal for the Orioles is obvious: find someone stable enough to anchor the middle of the rotation without stripping the rest of the roster bare. [Read more 🡒]