The Tampa Bay Rays came up short in the Tarik Skubal chase, with the Detroit Tigers sending their ace to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But that doesn’t necessarily close the door on a deadline deal between the two clubs.
Detroit sits in a tricky spot. The roster includes veterans on expiring contracts who could be moved for help down the line, yet the Tigers are still only 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League.
Trading Skubal would point toward selling, but the picture isn’t that clean. They could still try to buy and sell at the same time.
If Detroit does decide to move more pieces, Casey Mize is one name to watch. Tampa Bay has emerged as a possible destination for the veteran lefty.
MLB insider Jon Heyman included the Rays among the teams that could be in on Mize, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and maybe the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees, among others.
That’s an interesting development for Tampa Bay, especially after the club already made one move for a starter. Over the weekend, the Rays landed Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets in a deal that sent outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Emilien Pitre and right-handed pitcher Gary Gill Hill to New York.
The Rays have the prospect capital to keep adding, but it’s fair to question whether another starter is the right fit. Shane McClanahan’s injury has altered the club’s deadline plans, and another arm could still be near the top of the wish list.
For now, while McClanahan is out with his back injury, the rotation projects as Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Peralta, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour working in a bulk-inning role behind an opener.
Mize, who has a 2.70 ERA, remains available, but the Tigers’ place in the standings makes him a complicated target. If McClanahan’s absence drags on, though, Tampa Bay could see the value in another starter who can help absorb innings while Jax and Seymour take on more than they have in years.
That possibility is why this is still worth monitoring. The Rays could also look at adding a starter as a way to strengthen the bullpen, with Jax or Seymour eventually sliding back into relief.
And the pitching isn’t the only area Tampa Bay may want to address. The Rays also need to add a bat, and Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants is a name that makes plenty of sense.
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Rays Linked To An All-Star Bat Who Could Change Everything
A familiar trade-market name is starting to surface again, and it makes sense for a Rays club always looking for ways to squeeze more offense out of its roster. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale, Tampa Bay is viewed as the heavy favorite to land a three-time batting champion from San Francisco, with the Giants expected to sell and several contenders monitoring the situation.
The appeal is obvious for a Rays team that values contact, versatility and run creation in the margins. Philadelphia, Boston and Texas are also said to be in the mix, so Tampa Bay is not alone here, but any move that adds that kind of bat would reshape the conversation around the lineup in a hurry. For now, it is a matter of whether the Rays can turn a strong position into an actual deal. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Catching Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
The Rays have been busy reshaping the roster, and their latest move adds another layer to a catching mix that already had some intrigue. According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, Tampa Bay has landed Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins, continuing a stretch of aggression that also brought in starter Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets.
Hicks is expected to give the Rays more flexibility behind the plate and in the defensive alignment, while also adding some offense to a lineup that can always use another productive bat. For a club that has spent the week making clear it wants more depth and more options, this is the kind of move that could matter in more ways than one, especially once the full catching picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Missed On A Deadline Target That Could Sting
The trade deadline brought another aggressive move in Philadelphia, where the Phillies continued adding to their roster by landing second baseman Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for starting pitcher Ramon Marquez and reliever Marty Gair. They also separately added pitcher Brooks Raley from the Mets, underscoring how active they were in the final stretch before the deadline and how quickly the market can move when contenders start picking off available talent.
For the Rays, the larger takeaway may be less about what the Phillies gained than where this particular player ended up. Arraez had been a name on Tampa Bays radar, and for a while the club looked like it had a real shot to bring him in before the deal swung in another direction. In a deadline market built on thin margins and fast decisions, missing on a target like that can linger, especially when the player fits so neatly into the kind of lineup the Rays like to build. [Read more 🡒]