The Rays are already staring down the offseason, and part of that work is figuring out which pieces won’t be carried into 2027. After a World Series loss to the Brewers, Tampa Bay has decisions to make, and not everyone on the current roster looks like part of the next version.
Gavin Lux looks like the clearest odd man out. He was on the team, but you could be forgiven for forgetting it.
His last appearance in a Rays uniform came on March 22 in spring training, and he never got back into a game after that. Injuries hit him twice, and he ended up with only 28 games for Triple-A Durham.
Lux made $5.5 million this year, and the Rays would likely rather use that money elsewhere. He also plays spots that are already spoken for, mostly second base and left field, and it’s tough to see him as a shortstop alternative.
Cedric Mullins also appears headed for a split. He has a mutual option that would bump his salary from $7 million to $10 million, according to Spotrac, and it’s hard to imagine the Rays taking that on.
Across 137 games, he hit .208 with a .628 OPS, and his postseason usage was minimal - just five plate appearances total. The idea was to make a sneaky addition and see if it popped.
It didn’t. Still, the Rays got by fine in center field with Jonny DeLuca, and they have other options to explore on the open market.
Jorge Mateo is a little different case, but the same basic question applies: is he worth keeping? He was a useful defensive addition and a strong pinch runner.
The Braves designated him for assignment, and the Rays picked him up for the run to the World Series. Bringing him back would be about cost, since Spotrac projects his market value at $1 million.
If Tampa Bay wants that kind of depth, it’s there. But depth is all he’d be.
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The biggest concern now centers on the middle of the lineup, where Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero never provided the lift Tampa Bay needed. Their production was well below what the Rays count on in October, and the series defeat will inevitably send the conversation back to whether this group can carry the club through the biggest moments when the pitching matchup tilts the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Wander Franco's Latest Legal Blow Leaves Rays Facing A Bigger Question
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For Tampa Bay, the bigger issue now is less about the original headline and more about what comes next. Francos status has already been tangled up in visa and disciplinary questions, and his path back to Major League Baseball remains uncertain as the legal process continues in the Dominican Republic. [Read more 🡒]