The Mets may have a perfect target to chase this offseason if Tampa Bay sticks to one of its usual habits and moves on from talent before free agency.
That possibility points straight to Drew Rasmussen, the Rays’ ace and one of the most appealing arms on the market if the club decides to make him available. Rasmussen has been operating at a top-end level all season and into the postseason, and his performance has now earned him back-to-back All-Star nods after he made the team for the first time in 2025.
“There hasn't been much buzz yet regarding which players other teams might make available this offseason, but Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen ($20 million team option for 2027 in his last year before free agency) and some of the Mariners' starting pitchers (given their glut of rotation options) could be available,” Danny Abriano wrote.
The fit with New York is obvious on paper, even if the price tag won’t be. A trade for Rasmussen would cost real prospect capital, and the Mets would also be staring down an expensive final season before free agency. Still, this is the kind of pitcher that can change a staff, which is why his name belongs near the top of any Mets wish list if Tampa Bay puts him on the block.
Rasmussen’s path also adds a neat wrinkle here: he pitched for the Brewers in 2020 and 2021 before landing with the Rays. Since arriving in Tampa Bay, he has been nothing short of elite, putting together a 2.76 ERA over the past five seasons.
If the Rays decide to keep following the playbook they’ve used before, the Mets would have a compelling name to pursue.
In Other News...
Rays Survive A Playoff Scare With Two Key Youngsters
The Rays got a tense moment out of the way early in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series when Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca crashed into each other while going after a foul ball. Both stayed in the game, which mattered more than anything in the moment, and manager Kevin Cash said the collision came from effort in a loud postseason environment. It was the kind of play that briefly quiets a dugout before everyone checks on the two young players involved.
Caminero was said to be feeling overall good after taking the hit, while DeLuca came out with some bumps on his left side. For a Tampa Bay team leaning on young talent in October, the scare served as a reminder of how quickly a routine hustle play can turn into a concern, especially in a playoff setting where every out and every ball in play seems to carry extra weight. For now, the Rays can at least breathe knowing neither player was forced out, even if there was a little more drama than anyone wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Trade Is Looking Worse As Other Teams Cash In
A three-team deal that once looked like a clean swap of change-of-scenery candidates is aging very differently for the Rays. Tampa Bay landed Gavin Lux from the Dodgers, with Josh Lowe going to the Angels and Brock Burke heading to the Reds, and the early returns have made the transaction harder to grade than it seemed at the time.
Burke has been a real gain for Cincinnati, working his way into a heavy workload and turning in a 2.30 ERA while leading the National League in appearances. The Rays, meanwhile, never got a chance to see what Lux might have added because of a shoulder injury and a string of setbacks, and with his contract now headed toward free agency, the long-term value of Tampa Bays side of the deal is still very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face Early ALCS Gut Check After Letting Game 1 Slip
The Rays did plenty right in the opening frame of Game 1, jumping out to an early lead and putting themselves in position to control the American League Championship Series opener. For a club that has spent the season leaning on timely hitting and steady run prevention, it looked like the kind of playoff start that can settle a series before it really starts, especially with both teams getting quality work on the mound for most of the night.
Instead, Cleveland kept hanging around and turned the final two innings into the difference, riding late offense and a bullpen that held up under pressure to steal a 5-3 win and grab the first game of the series. For Tampa Bay, the loss is less about one missed chance than the reminder that a best-of-seven can tilt quickly when an early edge doesnt turn into separation. [Read more 🡒]