Rays Receiving Trade Calls on Garrett Cleavinger - Is a Move Brewing?
Garrett Cleavinger isn’t a household name, but among MLB front offices, he’s quietly become one of the more intriguing bullpen arms on the market - and it looks like the Tampa Bay Rays are fielding calls.
According to recent reports, multiple teams have expressed strong interest in the Rays’ lone left-handed reliever, and it’s not hard to see why. Cleavinger has quietly put together two straight seasons of high-leverage, high-efficiency relief work, and his 2025 campaign was arguably his best yet.
Over 61.1 innings, he posted a 2.35 ERA with a 33.7% strikeout rate - good for the 96th percentile in MLB - and a whiff rate that ranked in the 97th percentile. Simply put: he misses bats at an elite level.
And with a walk rate of just 7.4%, he’s not giving away free passes either.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Cleavinger is making $2.4 million this year and is due for another raise in his final year of arbitration in 2027. For a team like the Rays - known for constructing bullpens on a budget and often turning scrap-heap arms into late-inning weapons - that price tag might be just high enough to consider cashing in.
Historically, this is exactly the kind of move the Rays would make: move a solid reliever before his cost outweighs his surplus value, especially if there’s depth behind him. But the Rays of the last couple of years have been a bit more patient, often waiting to see how the season unfolds before pulling the plug on key contributors. If the team sees even a 20% shot at contention, they’ve typically held onto their bullpen anchors until that window closes.
So what does the buzz around Cleavinger tell us? For starters, it suggests the Rays aren’t outright dismissing the idea of a trade - and that they may feel confident in their internal left-handed options.
On the 40-man roster, Ian Seymour and Joe Rock could both be in line for expanded roles, especially in swingman or bullpen capacities. Both have starter backgrounds, but the Rays are known for maximizing value by using arms flexibly.
And don’t overlook Cam Booser, a veteran lefty who’ll be in camp this spring and has a real shot at cracking the Opening Day roster.
If Tampa Bay does decide to move Cleavinger, it won’t be a white flag on the season - it’ll be a calculated, classic Rays move: sell high on a reliever with rising costs, trust the depth, and reallocate resources elsewhere. But with Cleavinger’s numbers and the growing interest around the league, Tampa Bay could be in position to leverage a strong return.
Bottom line: when a reliever is striking out a third of the batters he faces and keeping runs off the board like Cleavinger has, teams take notice. And if the Rays are listening? That’s worth paying attention to.