Junior Caminero’s breakout season has put him in rare Rays company.
The 23-year-old third baseman was named one of three American League MVP finalists Monday, ensuring he will finish as Tampa Bay’s highest placer in the voting. Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, the favorite for the award, and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. are the other finalists. The vote is based on regular-season play and is conducted by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
No Rays player had ever cracked the top three in MVP voting before Caminero. The high-water mark for the franchise through its first 29 seasons had been sixth, a spot reached twice by Hall of Famer Evan Longoria, in 2010 and 2013, and by Yandy Diaz in 2023.
Caminero put together a big second full major-league season, batting .276 with 42 homers, 101 RBIs and an .885 OPS while playing all 162 games at third base. His 5.7 WAR, according to baseball-reference.com, backed up the production.
Alvarez posted the loudest offensive line of the group, hitting a majors-leading .316 with 42 homers, 106 RBIs and a majors-best 1.033 OPS. He also flirted with the Triple Crown for much of the season and finished with a 6.8 WAR. Alvarez started 158 games, including 134 at DH and 24 in left field.
Witt added his own case with a .281 average, 18 homers, 54 RBIs, an .800 OPS and a 6.7 WAR, while also providing elite defense at shortstop.
Tampa Bay had another finalist Monday, with Kevin Cash up for Manager of the Year. The other finalists are the Red Sox’s Chad Tracy and the White Sox’s Will Venable. Cash won the award in 2020 and 2021.
The Rays also made a series of roster decisions Monday, headlined by keeping Gold Glove shortstop Taylor Walls on the 40-man roster and paying his $3.1 million option rather than taking their chances in arbitration. Walls was under team control, but the club had to decide whether to commit to the raise from the $2.45 million he made this past season or risk a hearing. mlbtraderumors.com had projected him at $3.5 million in arbitration. Walls hit a career-best .222 with a .607 OPS in 124 games and won his first Gold Glove on Sunday.
Tampa Bay added two minor leaguers who otherwise could have reached free agency: hard-throwing right-handed reliever Alexander Alberto and lefty-hitting outfielder Jack Suwinski.
Alberto, 25, struck out 72 batters in 60 1/3 innings over 49 games between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. He finished with a 3.43 ERA, a 3-1 record and five saves.
Suwinski, 28, came over from the Dodgers at the trade deadline in the Hunter Feduccia deal, but struggled in 37 games at Durham, hitting .231 with one homer, 14 RBIs and a .596 OPS. Before that, he hit .291 with 21 homers, 72 RBIs and a .947 OPS in 93 games for the Dodgers’ Triple-A club.
The Rays also reinstated three players from the 60-day injured list to the 40-man roster: Ryan Pepiot, who had hip surgery, Edwin Uceta, who was dealing with a sore shoulder, and Jacob Melton, who was sidelined by a right hamstring strain.
Other moves included dropping infielder Nick Madrigal and pitcher Jonathan Heasley from the roster after both cleared waivers and chose free agency, completing the trade of Triple-A reliever Evan Reifert to Houston for cash, and re-signing reliever Kodi Whitley to a minor-league deal with a spring camp invite.
That leaves Tampa Bay with 39 players on the 40-man roster. The club must add players it wants to protect from the Rule 5 draft by Nov. 17, and the deadline to tender contracts is Nov. 20.
Also Monday, catcher Caden Bodine, who played at four levels in 2026, won the minor-league Gold Glove.
In Other News...
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Rays Just Created A Tough 40-Man Decision For Next Season
The Rays spent part of the roster churn cycle making sure a few familiar arms and bats stayed in the organization, adding right-hander Alexander Alberto and outfielder Jack Suwinski to the 40-man roster while also activating Jacob Melton, Ryan Pepiot and Edwin Uceta from the 60-day injured list. Jonathan Heasley was outrighted off the roster, Evan Reifert went to the Astros for cash considerations, and Tampa Bay brought back right-hander Kodi Whitley on a minor league deal, leaving the club with 39 players on the 40-man.
What makes the move notable is the kind of flexibility it takes away as much as it creates. The Rays protected Alberto from reaching the open market and brought Suwinski into the picture as they continue sorting out their winter roster, but the group now has to fit into a crowded space with more decisions still ahead before next season gets here. [Read more 🡒]