While the Dodgers are watching the 2026 World Series from home, Junior Caminero has become one of the most compelling players in the Fall Classic.
The Rays’ third baseman has gone 2-for-10 through the first three games against the Brewers, but his impact has stretched far beyond the box score. Tampa Bay has been sloppy at times, and Caminero has stepped into a louder, more visible leadership role. When he has connected, the ball has come off his bat with serious force.
At 23, he already looks like a franchise centerpiece. He hit .276/.360/.524 this season with 42 home runs, giving him a second straight year with more than 40 long balls. There is still plenty of room for his game to grow, and that’s where the big-picture problem starts for Tampa Bay.
ESPN MLB insider Jorge Castillo reported that Caminero has already made clear he wants to be paid at the level of Juan Soto or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As Castillo wrote: “The Rays likely will be faced at some point with the determination that he is too expensive to keep," Castillo wrote.
"Caminero has already expressed his desire to be compensated at the level of Juan Soto or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Rays, whose payroll this season ranked 28th in the majors, do not engage in those markets.”
That kind of money changes everything. If Caminero keeps climbing, the Rays could eventually be pushed toward a trade, because a player with that much value is exactly the sort of asset small-payroll teams have to consider cashing in. The price tag could land somewhere in the $500-$700 million range over roughly a decade, and only a handful of clubs could even entertain that conversation.
The Dodgers fit that profile better than almost anyone.
Tampa Bay does not have to move him immediately. Caminero is under team control through the 2030 season, so there is time.
But waiting all the way to the end of that control window would leave the Rays vulnerable to the same kind of hesitation contenders have shown in other situations, like the Tigers with Tarik Skubal. If Caminero keeps progressing, his arbitration years beginning in 2028 could also start driving his cost into territory the Rays may not want to meet.
That gives Los Angeles a real opening. The Dodgers have Max Muncy on a below-market deal, and the 36-year-old is coming off a .252/.348/.490 season with 29 home runs.
He’ll make just $10 million in 2027, and the Dodgers also hold a $10 million club option for 2028. That contract structure is part of why Japanese star Teruaki Sato isn’t viewed as a strong fit for Los Angeles right now.
If the Dodgers want to make a run at Caminero, the timing could be there after next season if a deal can be reached, or after the 2028 campaign, when the Rays could be positioned to maximize both the return package and the value he has already delivered on the field.
And Los Angeles has another edge: a top-ranked farm system, backed by heavy investment in scouting that should keep it strong for years. Between the farm, the resources, and the roster flexibility, the Dodgers are better equipped than anyone else to eventually go after Caminero.
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