The Tampa Bay Rays may be sitting atop the American League, but the days between now and the trade deadline could tell a lot about how seriously they plan to push this thing.
Even after a strong first half, the warning lights are on a bit after Tampa Bay got swept in four games coming out of the All-Star break. The Rays are still 15 games over .500, but the recent stumble has only sharpened the sense that this team needs help on the offensive side.
That’s where the trade market starts to get interesting.
Tampa Bay has more than one area that could use a boost, so the challenge is figuring out where the first move should come from. The Rays would love to land a difference-maker, but they could also go after a player whose current team has not gotten the kind of production it expected.
That’s the lane The Athletic’s contributors pointed to when they updated their trade board and named the Rays as one of the best fits for Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Volpe’s season has not gone the way New York hoped. The former top prospect has shown flashes, but the overall line has been underwhelming, and the Yankees have stuck with him in the starting role for a surprisingly long time. He also missed a chunk of the early part of this season because of injury, and in 47 games he has hit .245/.341/.322 with one home run and 14 RBI.
There is still some upside in the profile. Volpe’s rookie season included a career-high 21 home runs, and he remains under team control through the 2028 season. That combination could make him appealing to a Rays club that has built a reputation for finding value where other teams see a problem.
Tampa Bay has made a habit of turning overlooked players into useful pieces, and Volpe fits that mold as a player who may need a reset. He may not be the headline-grabbing addition, but he is the kind of bet the Rays have been willing to make before.
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Schmitz has looked more comfortable in zone concepts than in schemes that ask him to move and adjust on the fly, and last seasons protection issues only sharpened the concern. He enters the final year of his rookie deal with a chance to change the conversation, but also with the kind of pressure that can turn every snap into a referendum on whether the Giants have found their long-term answer at center. [Read more 🡒]