The Rays have added right-hander Chris Roycroft from the Cardinals, with St. Louis getting a player to be named later or cash in return.
The deal was completed Friday, when Tampa Bay sent right-hander Trey Pooser to the Cardinals, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pooser, 24, was a 10th-round pick in 2024 and has split the 2026 season between Single-A and High-A.
Roycroft, 29, had already been designated for assignment by St. Louis a few days earlier. Tampa Bay made room on its 40-man roster by designating catcher Dom Keegan for assignment, then optioned Roycroft to Triple-A Durham.
The right-hander has spent the past three seasons with the Cardinals and gave them useful innings as a rookie in 2024, when he logged 34 1/3 frames with a 4.19 ERA, a 21.3% strikeout rate, an 11% walk rate and a 53.5% ground-ball rate.
Since then, though, the results have gone the other way. Roycroft has thrown 26 major league innings and allowed 27 earned runs on 39 hits, with 20 walks and 19 strikeouts.
His work in the minors has also been shakier in 2026. In 24 2/3 innings for Memphis, he’s posted a 5.84 ERA with a 16.8% strikeout rate. The encouraging signs are still there in spots - a 7.1% walk rate and a 58.5% grounder rate in Triple-A - but he’s been giving up much more contact than usual, especially in the strike zone.
For Tampa Bay, the appeal is straightforward: Roycroft is in his final minor league option year, which gives the club the ability to move him between Durham and St. Petersburg for the rest of the season. If he remains on the 40-man roster through the end of the year and into spring training in 2027, he’ll need to make the team or risk being designated for assignment.
In Other News...
Rays Skid Just Forced A Deadline Decision Fans Have Dreaded
The post-All-Star break slide has turned the Rays deadline into something much bigger than a routine roster tune-up. Tampa Bays unselfish style has long been part of the organizations identity, but the recent skid has exposed how thin the margin is when the lineup needs more punch and the pitching staff starts to wobble.
Eric Neander now faces the kind of pressure that comes with a team that still sees itself as a contender but can feel the ground shifting underneath it. The Rays are believed to be weighing help on both sides of the ball, and the next move has to be the kind that changes the tenor of the season rather than simply patches a few holes. [Read more 🡒]
Another AL Threat Just Entered The Twins Trade Deadline Picture
With the trade deadline approaching, the Rays are doing what they usually do this time of year: keeping a close eye on the market and looking for ways to patch holes before October arrives. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale, Tampa Bay and the Yankees both had scouts on hand for a recent Twins game against the Cubs, a sign that Minnesota could be part of the conversation as the deadline draws near.
For the Rays, the appeal is easy to see. They have been tied to help in multiple spots, and Minnesota offers options that could fit different needs on the roster, from the rotation to the lineup. The bigger question now is how aggressive Tampa Bay wants to be, especially with another AL contender apparently circling the same names and raising the cost of doing business. [Read more 🡒]
Rays May Have To Beat The Yankees To Fix A Major Flaw
Scouts from both the Yankees and Rays were spotted at Wrigley Field taking a look at a few Twins players, including Ryan Jeffers, Joe Ryan and Trevor Larnach, a reminder that the deadline market can get crowded fast when two contenders are chasing the same help. For Tampa Bay, the interest makes sense. Catcher production has been a problem, and that spot is shaping up as one of the clearest areas the club may try to address before the deadline.
Jeffers is the name that stands out most because of the way he has hit this season, and he has already surfaced in trade chatter tied to New York. If Minnesota stays in the race, the Twins can keep him. If they slip, the Rays may find themselves in a familiar spot, trying to solve a weakness while another big-market rival is looking for the same upgrade. [Read more 🡒]