The Rays are sitting on top of the AL East at the All-Star break, but they’re still shopping for help, and second base is clearly on the radar.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Tampa Bay has interest in Arizona’s Ketel Marte, with Giants infielder Luis Arraez positioned as the fallback if that bigger swing doesn’t happen.
"They not only have their eyes on Skubal, but they have shown interest in seeing whether the Diamondbacks would move second baseman Ketel Marte and Giants All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez as a backup plan," Nightengale writes.
Arraez, who is under contract through the end of the 2026 season on a one-year, $12 million deal, would give the Rays a very different kind of option in the middle infield. He has long been known for putting the bat on the ball, but this season he’s added more to the package.
At the break, the 29-year-old is hitting .330 with 3.0 bWAR, four home runs and an .829 OPS. He’s also drawn 24 walks against just 16 strikeouts, and he’s become a legitimately good defensive second baseman.
That combination makes him an obvious fit for Tampa Bay’s needs. The Rays want infield help, and the Giants’ infield logjam could make Arraez available. If the Rays can’t land Marte, Arraez looks like the next name in line.
For a team already leading the division, it’s the kind of move that could matter without requiring a massive return. Nightengale’s reporting makes it clear Tampa Bay is exploring both paths, with Arraez sitting there as the backup plan.
In Other News...
Rays Just Got Linked To A Deadline Swing Fans Rarely See
The trade deadline chatter around Tarik Skubal has a way of pulling in contenders from every corner, and Tampa Bay is right in the middle of that conversation. Multiple teams have checked in on the Detroit left-hander, with the Rays among the clubs monitoring a pitcher who would instantly reshape any rotation he landed in, even if the path to prying him loose looks steep.
For Tampa Bay, the interest fits the usual deadline pattern of keeping options open while the market sorts itself out. The Yankees have been linked too, but their pitching picture has gotten murkier after an injury on the staff, and the broader sense around the industry is that this is the kind of swing that rarely gets completed. The Rays are also looking at other names as the deadline nears, which suggests they are preparing for a range of outcomes rather than betting everything on one difficult chase. [Read more 🡒]
This Rays Draft Just Sent A Clear Message About The Future
The Rays used the 2026 draft to make a clear statement about where they want to build next, leaning hard into high school talent and giving their farm system a jolt of long-term upside. Their first five picks set the tone with athletic middle infielders and pitchers who bring unusual deliveries and room to grow, a mix that fits Tampa Bays usual appetite for development but pushes even further toward prep position players and arms.
By the end of Day Two, the pattern only became more obvious. Tampa Bay kept targeting pitchers with low arm slots, advanced spin and limited mileage, the kind of profiles that can take time to mature but also offer real payoff if the organization gets them right. The result was a class that says plenty about the Rays future direction, even before the most obvious centerpiece of it all is fully unpacked. [Read more 🡒]