Why the Rays Keep Trading Stars - and Why It Makes Baseball Sense
Another year, another tough goodbye for Rays fans. This time, it’s Brandon Lowe - a cornerstone of the lineup, a familiar face in the clubhouse, and one of the most productive hitters in franchise history - headed out the door.
It’s never easy watching a fan favorite get moved, especially when the numbers tell you just how much he’s meant to this team. Lowe ranks eighth all-time in games played for the Rays, third in home runs, fourth in slugging, and sixth in OPS.
That’s not just solid - that’s the kind of production that defines an era. And let’s be honest: odds are the Rays won’t get that kind of output from second base in 2026.
So why make the move? Because this is the Tampa Bay Rays - and this is what they do.
The Business of Baseball, Rays-Style
If you’re a fan frustrated by this cycle, you’re not alone. It’s a tough sell to a fanbase that already deals with small crowds and a tight payroll.
But for the Rays front office, this isn’t about sentiment. It’s about sustainability - and maximizing value before it disappears.
To understand the logic, you have to go back to 2010.
That was the year Carl Crawford was entering free agency. The Rays, fresh off their first wave of success, had a decision to make.
Trading him would’ve been the calculated move, but ownership believed that team had a real shot at a World Series run. So they kept him.
Crawford had a career year, the Rays won the AL East - and then lost in the Division Series. After the season, Crawford signed with the Red Sox and walked away without the Rays getting anything in return.
Lesson learned.
Since then, the Rays have made it a point not to let valuable assets walk for nothing. If a player’s not going to be re-signed - or if their value is peaking - they move him.
It’s not personal. It’s the blueprint.
That’s how we got the trades of James Shields, David Price, Evan Longoria, Blake Snell - and now, Brandon Lowe.
The Trade Tree That Keeps on Giving
The Rays’ front office doesn’t just trade for the sake of it. They’re playing the long game, and the results speak for themselves.
Take the Shields deal. That move brought back Wil Myers, who later helped lead the team to other deals that eventually landed Yandy Díaz. The David Price trade brought back Willy Adames and Drew Smyly, which led to a whole new string of acquisitions - Mallex Smith, Ryan Yarbrough, Mike Zunino, Drew Rasmussen.
It’s like a never-ending trade tree, and last week, it grew a few more branches.
On the same day Lowe was dealt to the Pirates (via Houston) for two prospects, the Rays also moved right-hander Shane Baz to the Orioles for four more young players. Baz wasn’t even close to free agency, but the return was too good to pass up - a classic Rays move.
And fittingly, Baz’s arrival in Tampa Bay was part of one of the most legendary trade trees in franchise history.
Let’s rewind to 2007. The Rays traded a 22-year-old Delmon Young - then a rising star - to Minnesota for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett.
Garza threw the only no-hitter in team history and was later flipped for Chris Archer. Archer became a two-time All-Star and was eventually dealt to Pittsburgh for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and Baz.
That’s right - Baz was part of the same trade tree that started with Delmon Young nearly two decades ago. Meadows brought back Isaac Paredes.
Glasnow was moved for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca. And now Baz has spun off into four more prospects.
Seventeen years later, that one deal is still paying dividends.
Not Every Trade Is a Home Run
Of course, not every move pans out. The Blake Snell deal, in hindsight, didn’t quite deliver the return the Rays hoped for.
That’s the risk with prospects - they don’t all hit. But the Rays aren’t in a position to spend their way out of mistakes.
They have to get these decisions right more often than not.
And they usually do.
So when you look at last week’s deals, yes - it’s fair to feel frustrated. It’s okay to be disappointed.
Lowe was a homegrown star, a clubhouse leader, and a big bat in the middle of the order. But he’s 31, and with free agency looming in a year, the Rays made the call to cash in early.
Eyes on the Future, Not Just the Present
The AL East in 2026 looks like a gauntlet. The Yankees are still loaded.
The Blue Jays and Red Sox are retooling. And the Orioles?
They’ve opened up the checkbook and are suddenly spending like contenders.
Given that landscape, the Rays front office - led by Erik Neander - appears to be setting its sights more on 2027 and beyond. This isn’t a full-on rebuild, but it’s a pivot. A recognition that the best shot at contending again might come with the next wave of young talent.
And if you’ve followed this team for any length of time, you know that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
After all, Ben Zobrist became a Ray because of a similar trade. So did Ji-Man Choi.
So did Díaz, Glasnow, Meadows, and Adames. Even postseason heroes like Brett Phillips and Randy Arozarena were brought in through this same strategy.
It’s not always flashy. It’s not always popular. But in Tampa Bay, it’s the model - and it’s kept the Rays competitive far longer than their payroll says they should be.
Yes, Brandon Lowe is gone. But if history tells us anything, the next fan favorite might already be on his way.