The Rays didn’t just make a move at the deadline - they found a bat that has already changed the feel of their lineup.
As Tampa Bay keeps pushing through September with the playoffs in view, the front office has to like the way its aggressive approach has played out. The club entered the year with modest expectations, yet it has spent most of the season sitting at the top of the American League. Now the focus shifts to clinching a playoff spot and trying to lock down the division, with the AL East winner almost certain to get home-field advantage because the rest of the league has not separated itself much.
That’s where the trade for catcher Liam Hicks stands out. Catcher was a clear need for the Rays coming into the season, and they finally addressed it at the deadline without having to part with any of their top prospects. In a year when the team had enough areas to patch up, that was a savvy bit of business.
Hicks has backed up the move quickly. In 23 games with Tampa Bay, he has hit .310/.405/.493 with three home runs and 13 RBI.
His OPS with the Rays is nearly 100 points higher than it was with the Marlins, and the early returns have been loud enough to notice. The lineup has looked better with him in it, and that matters for a club that wasn’t getting much offensive production out of the catcher spot.
The deal looks even better because Hicks is under team control for the next couple of years. That gives Tampa Bay not just a short-term boost, but a piece that can stick around.
Freddy Peralta’s improved pitching has also helped the team recently, with his last two starts drawing attention, but Hicks has become one of the clearest wins from the deadline. Right now, the Rays have every reason to feel good about the trade - and even better about what it could mean over the next stretch.
In Other News...
Rays Suddenly Face Bigger Bullpen Concern With Garrett Cleavinger
The Rays made another bullpen adjustment after placing left-hander Garrett Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness, a move that comes on the heels of a rough outing and leaves Tampa Bay with a more immediate question in the late innings. To cover the roster opening, right-hander Ty Johnson was called up from Triple-A Durham, while infielder Oliver Dunn was designated for assignment.
Cleavingers absence matters because he had become one of the left-handed options the Rays could lean on in a relief mix that rarely gets much breathing room. The forearm issue adds another layer of concern, and it now puts his availability for the rest of the season in doubt as Tampa Bay tries to stabilize a bullpen that has already had to absorb plenty of shuffling. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Got An Unsettling Scare With Bryan Baker Late
A late-night scare for the Rays came when Bryan Baker, who has quickly become one of the most important arms at the back end of the bullpen, exited during a game against the Rangers after walking two batters and showing a noticeable drop in velocity. For a team leaning hard on its closer, any sign of physical trouble in that spot is going to grab attention fast, especially with the game still hanging in the balance.
Tyler Wells stepped in and finished the job, locking down the save as Tampa Bay held on for the win. Afterward, Baker pointed to dehydration as the reason for the brief departure and said he did not expect the issue to linger, which should ease some of the immediate concern even if it left plenty of Rays fans uneasy in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Aranda Delivered In A Rays Moment Rangers Will Regret
Jonathan Arandas latest big swing came at exactly the right time for the Rays, who outlasted the Rangers 6-3 in a game that needed extra innings to settle. Tampa Bay had built its day around Drew Rasmussens steady work on the mound, and the right-hander once again gave the club the kind of start that keeps it in control deep into games, even after Texas clawed back to tie things in the eighth.
In the 10th, the Rays finally broke the deadlock and turned a tense road contest into another win they can point to as a marker of how theyve been playing when Rasmussen takes the ball. Aranda has been one of the more reliable bats in the mix, and this was the kind of moment that can linger for the Rangers long after the final out, especially after Tampa Bay found a way to answer the late push and finish the job. [Read more 🡒]