The Tampa Bay Rays have put themselves in strong shape in the AL East, and the heavy lifting has come from the right places. Junior Caminero, Drew Rasmussen and rookie Victor Mesa Jr. have all given the club meaningful production, helping keep the New York Yankees from making a serious push.
But not every move from the offseason has worked out, and one of the clearest misses has been veteran left-hander Steven Matz. Tampa Bay gave him a two-year, $15 million contract, a price tag that stands out sharply by Rays standards.
“The Rays have their share of less-than-awesome players, but they've been pretty good at limiting exposure to the truly bad ones. But with [Steven] Matz, they haven't had much choice but to keep using him,” Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer wrote.
Matz has been shuttled between the bullpen and the rotation, with 11 starts in 33 total appearances. The Rays have kept trying to find a workable role for him, but the results have not followed.
“He's on a two-year, $15 million contract, which is on the steep side by Rays standards. Yet even though they've tried everything to get him into a groove, his ERA is over 5.00 as a starter and a reliever over 77.0 total innings,” Rymer added.
Manager Kevin Cash could turn to Matz in a mop-up role, or simply avoid him altogether once the postseason arrives. At his peak, Matz was a dependable mid-rotation arm with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals, but that version has not shown up in Tampa Bay.
In Other News...
Rays Face Another Wander Franco Turning Point
Wander Francos legal situation has entered another critical stage, with both his lawyers and prosecutors appealing the outcome of his second trial in the Dominican Republic involving allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. The Court of Appeal in Puerto Plata is set to issue a ruling on Oct. 20, adding another date to a case that has already kept the former Rays shortstop out of baseball for well over a year.
Franco was previously found guilty in an earlier trial and received a suspended sentence, before the appeals court ordered a new trial. He has not played since August 2023 and remains on Major League Baseballs restricted list, leaving Tampa Bay and the rest of the sport still waiting for the next legal turn in a case that has no immediate baseball resolution. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Made Tampa Bay's Playoff Path A Lot More Complicated
The Yankees are already in the postseason, but their surge has tightened the race around them in a way that matters plenty to Tampa Bay. New York sits at 90-66 and is still likely headed for the Wild Card round, yet it remains close enough in the AL East to keep pressure on the Rays with six games left, especially after opening this four-game set with a win behind Carlos Rodns eight shutout innings.
For Tampa Bay, the bigger picture is that every result now has double meaning: the division chase and the playoff seeding puzzle are both still in play. Aaron Boone also hinted Rodns start could have been his final regular-season outing, a sign the Yankees may be planning ahead for a possible Wild Card Game 3 against the Red Sox, which only adds another layer to a finish that is getting more complicated by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Get A Needed Infield Return As Bench Picture Suddenly Shifts
Ben Williamson is back on the Rays roster at a time when the club could use some stability on the infield. Tampa Bay reinstated the versatile infielder from the 10-day injured list, adding a player who began the season as the teams starting second baseman and has carved out value with his defense and his ability to handle left-handed pitching.
The corresponding move was just as telling for the bench picture, with outfielder Jake Fraley designated for assignment to clear space. Williamsons return gives the Rays another option on both sides of the ball as they continue to sort through the season, and it also nudges the roster toward a different balance in the middle infield and off the bench. [Read more 🡒]