The Rays may be first in the AL East, but their search for shortstop help comes with a catch that could shape everything they do at the deadline: Taylor Walls.
Tampa Bay has already been tied to pitching help, including Tarik Skubal, and shortstop has also emerged as a spot the club could target. Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels is among the names connected to the Rays. But Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic pointed out the issue sitting right in the middle of the conversation - Walls’ defense.
“Shortstop is one of the positions the Tampa Bay Rays could upgrade, with the Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto among their potential targets, according to Fansided's Robert Murray,” Sammon and Rosenthal write. “The Rays, though, place a premium on up-the-middle defense. And Taylor Walls, since his debut in 2021, leads all shortstops by a wide margin in defensive runs saved.”
That’s the dilemma for Tampa Bay. If the Rays want to improve offensively at shortstop, they may have to give up a major edge with the glove. And for this team, that’s no small thing.
Neto’s bat may be appealing, but his defense is a concern. He has minus-9 Outs Above Average, which would be a steep drop from what the Rays get from Walls.
Walls is at minus-2 OAA this season, but he still grades out as the better defender. He also checks in ahead of CJ Abrams, who has minus-12 OAA, and Jeremy Pena, who has minus-3 OAA, among possible trade targets.
If Tampa Bay wants a cleaner fit, Miami’s Otto Lopez stands out as a name that actually matches the Rays’ needs. He has a positive five OAA this season and is hitting .328, the best mark in MLB. On top of that, he’s controllable through 2029 and wouldn’t come with a huge financial commitment.
So while the Rays have options, the Walls issue narrows the field fast. Any shortstop move has to clear a high bar defensively, or Tampa Bay risks solving one problem by creating another.
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