The Rays have enough rotation questions on their hands without adding Shane McClanahan to the list of possible departures.
CBS Sports has pegged the left-hander as one of MLB’s potential trade candidates heading into the 2027 season, and the timing makes the idea worth watching. Tampa Bay is already dealing with uncertainty around Nick Martinez and Freddy Peralta, and McClanahan’s name now sits in the middle of that offseason conversation.
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports pointed to both the pitcher’s comeback and the financial side of the equation, writing, "McClanahan's long and labored comeback from Tommy John surgery was finally realized this past season, and he turned in a strong age-29 campaign for the Rays."
Perry also noted, "These, though, are the Rays, and McClanahan's forthcoming arbitration payday combined with his uncertain health history may prompt them to shop him to pitching-starved fellow contenders. He carries risk, of course, but there will no doubt be potential takers lining up for him."
There’s no sign Tampa Bay is actively trying to move him, but the possibility is there. And after the season McClanahan just put together, it’s not hard to see why this would be a tough call.
He finished the regular season with a 3.36 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and 106 strikeouts over 118 innings. For a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, that kind of production matters.
Still, the injury history hangs over everything, especially with arbitration set to push his salary higher. That puts Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander in a familiar spot: weighing the value of a proven arm against the kind of return another club might be willing to offer.
Tampa Bay has never shied away from making hard roster moves when players get more expensive. If a team came calling with a package of valuable players or prospects, the Rays would have to at least listen.
But there’s a real downside here, too. Martinez is already gone after Tampa Bay declined his $20 million mutual option for 2027, and Peralta is also heading into free agency after a postseason run that ended with American League Championship Series MVP honors.
Losing all three in the same offseason would be a heavy blow to a rotation that already has enough uncertainty.
The Rays should be focused on building a staff that can help them chase another championship, not creating more holes. That doesn’t mean McClanahan is untouchable, though. If the right offer lands, Tampa Bay would have to think hard about it.
Even so, after everything he went through to get back on the mound, keeping McClanahan may be the smarter play. Trading him just to sidestep an arbitration bump doesn’t feel like the move here.
The Rays already have plenty of questions in their pitching staff. Holding onto McClanahan for another run at a World Series looks like the better answer.
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Thomas Pannone is in the same boat after his limited run with Milwaukee this season, parting ways with the Brewers organization by choosing free agency as well. For teams like the Rays, these moves are part of the constant roster churn that comes with trying to keep depth intact, and for the players involved it opens the door to a new landing spot while leaving their next step unresolved. [Read more 🡒]