The Tampa Bay Rays have made a notable change inside one of the areas that has helped power their rise.
According to industry sources who spoke to Francys Romero on X, the team has parted ways with Jeff Johnson, who served as Manager of International Scouting, and Rigoberto de los Santos, the Dominican Republic Regional Crosschecker/Santo Domingo Area Scout.
It is an eye-opening move for an organization that has built a reputation for finding talent in all the right places. That reputation has only grown as the Rays sit atop the American League at 83-57, three games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East. Depending on how their series with the Texas Rangers unfolds, they could clinch a playoff spot as early as this weekend.
The timing stands out even more because Tampa Bay’s future remains loaded. Even after trading away seven prospects before the MLB trade deadline to strengthen the roster for the stretch run, the Rays still have one of the most highly regarded farm systems in baseball.
That depth is a big reason the front office was able to make those deadline deals ahead of Aug. 3. Players ranked between Nos. 20-30 in the Rays’ system would be viewed as borderline top-10 prospects in other organizations around the league.
So while the departures of Johnson and de los Santos are unexpected, the organization has earned enough trust that there is plenty of benefit of the doubt to go around. Tampa Bay has made a habit of staying on its path, bringing in younger, more affordable talent as veterans get more expensive.
And given the Rays’ track record in scouting, it would not be surprising if both men quickly find new opportunities elsewhere in the league. The next question is who Tampa Bay brings in to fill those spots, with the possibility that the replacements could be rising names in the scouting world.
In Other News...
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The move leaves the Rays trying to navigate another early setback with a pitcher they had hoped could stabilize things as he worked back into major league form. To fill the opening, the club recalled right-hander Alex Cook from Triple-A Durham, a straightforward roster response on paper but one that underscores how fragile McClanahans comeback trail has become. [Read more 🡒]
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Shane McClanahan was locked in a tight game until the fifth, when the Rangers finally cracked it open and shifted the tone for good. The loss only added to the frustration around Tampa Bay, and it also put a spotlight on a matchup that has been especially unfriendly to the Rays whenever Quantrill takes the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Are Testing An Unusual Kenny Piper Role In Big Spots
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What makes the role worth watching is how unusual it is for a young catcher to be used this way so quickly, especially one who arrived as an 18th-round pick and had to work his way into the big leagues. The Rays have even embraced the idea of a "catching closer," which says plenty about how they view Piper's fit in those moments. The real question now is how far they are willing to push that experiment when the pressure rises and the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]