The Rays have gone into the division and come away with a bullpen arm, landing right-hander Tyler Wells from the Orioles in a trade that stands out immediately because of who Tampa Bay gave up.
Michael Forret is the price tag. The former Orioles prospect was a top-ten prospect for the Rays and had also emerged as a strong candidate to be moved, since he needed to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
That kind of in-division deal usually comes at a premium, and Baltimore’s familiarity with Forret clearly mattered in getting this one done.
Wells brings a winding path to Tampa Bay. He’s a West Virginia product who transferred to a California high school before heading to California State, then entered pro ball when the Twins took him in the 15th round of the 2016 draft. The Orioles later grabbed him in the Rule 5 draft before the 2021 season, and he worked out of the bullpen.
He shifted into the rotation in 2022, then moved back to relief in 2023 before undergoing a UCL repair, described as internal brace augmentation, in 2024. This wasn’t his first major arm procedure, either; Wells had Tommy John surgery in 2019.
And for anyone trying to keep score on the Rays’ Tyler/Taylor confusion, the team now has Tyler Wells the reliever, Tyler Wall the home clubhouse manager, Taylor Walls the starting short stop, and Chris Adams-Wall, the Rays Radio pre- and post-game host.
In Other News...
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 🡒]