Tampa Bay Rays take expensive gamble on Jeffrey Springs
Jeffrey Springs had a very different baseball odyssey. A 30th round draft pick by the Rangers who had struggled during his time in the majors prior to 2021, he appeared to be the type of pitcher who was on the edge of the 26 man roster. Then, as tends to be the case with most pitchers, he joined the Tampa Bay Rays and became a surprisingly effective option.
The Rays are gambling that will continue to be the case. They signed Springs to a four year extension worth $31 million, with a team option for $15 million for the 2027 season.
Jeffrey Springs found another level with Tampa Bay Rays
Despite a promising first season in the majors, Springs was not someone who appeared destined for this type of deal. He had posted a 5.42 ERA and a 1.701 WHiP in his 84.2 innings between the Rangers and Red Sox, striking out 91 batters with 44 walks. However, the Rays saw something that led to their trading a pair of minor leaguers for his services.
And once again, the Rays’ wizardry with pitching worked out. Springs has posted a 2.70 ERA and a 1.078 WHiP in his 180 innings in Tampa Bay, striking out 207 batters with 45 walks. He has transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation without missing a beat, giving the Rays yet another strong option for their pitching staff.
It is also just a 180 inning sample size. Springs has also made just 25 starts with the Rays, covering a total of 125 innings. While he was getting stretched out as a starter, Springs never pitched into the seventh inning. Part of that is by design with the Rays, as they prefer to have their starters go through the lineup twice before turning the game over to the bullpen, but it is something to wonder about.
The Rays have slowly begun to spend, at least in terms of keeping their own. It is also another gamble for their rotation, although not as big of one as handing Tyler Glasnow $25 million for the 2024 season. Springs could end up being the pitcher that the Rays envision and a relative bargain, but it is a small sample size to be basing that off of.
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The Tampa Bay Rays hope that Jeffrey Springs can be a key part of their future. They are making a fairly sizable gamble that will be the case.