Rays' brilliant offseason gets exclamation point with new deals for star pitchers

The Tampa Bay Rays missed out on the postseason last season after making five straight appearances from 2019-23. This offseason was always going to be crucial in order for them to get back to their winning ways, but the team is not known for paying up for top-tier talent.

They thrive as a small-market operation by being cost-effective and relying on their young talent.
It has been a relatively under-the-radar offseason for the Rays, but their moves have been significant.

What have been the most impactful transactions?

The most impactful move was keeping their three stud starting pitchers. All three pitchers avoided arbitration by signing new contracts. Drew Rasmussen signed a two-year extension worth $8.5 million. Zack Littell and Shane Baz signed one-year deals worth $5.72 million and $1.45 million, respectively.

Drew Rasmussen

Rasmussen struggled for the Milwaukee Brewers at the beginning of his career, posting a 5.87 ERA (2020) and a 4.24 ERA (2021) before being acquired by the Rays midseason in 2021 in a trade that included sending Willy Adames to Milwaukee. Rasmussen has been nothing short of spectacular in Tampa Bay when healthy.

In the second half of the 2021 season, the 29-year-old threw 76 innings, and in 2022, he threw 146 innings with a 2.84 ERA in both seasons. Since then, the righty has been riddled with injuries, only pitching 44.1 innings in 2023 and 28.2 innings last season with an ERA under 2.85 in both seasons. It's a big "if", but if Rasmussen is healthy, he can be a Cy Young candidate.

Zack Littell

Littell pitched out of the bullpen over his first six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox, but he slowly transitioned to a starter after being acquired off waivers from the Red Sox in 2023.

He enjoyed his first entire season as a starter in 2024, posting a 3.63 ERA in an outstanding 156.1 innings, also producing 141 strikeouts. If he repeats his 2024 stats, he will be an impressive contributor to what could be one of the best rotations in baseball.

Shane Baz

Baz has limited experience in his three-year career. Last season, he produced a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts, going just 79.1 innings.

The righty is only 25 years old, but it should be a main priority for the Rays to sign Baz — a former top prospect in all of baseball — to a long-term deal. He was a cheap re-sign this season given that he's still under team control, but the longer the team waits, the more expensive the young starter will get, especially if he has another standout year.

What other moves have the Rays made this offseason?

Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan is due to return after missing the entire 2024 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. Ryan Pepiot also had a standout season after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason. He threw 130 innings in 2024 and logged a 3.60 ERA and 142 strikeouts.

Those two, plus Taj Bradley, who had an up and down 2024 season (4.11 ERA), meant Jeffrey Springs was expendable.

The Rays dumped Springs's remaining $21 million and three years of team control to the Athletics for Joe Boyle, Will Simpson, Jacob Watters, and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick. Boyle is the only acquisition with MLB experience, but he struggled mightily with a 6.42 ERA last season.

However, the Rays have shown the ability to take young arms that have struggled and turn them into legitimate contenders like Rasmussen and Littell. So, Boyle could make quite the turnaround in 2025, though he will likely start the season in AAA until an injury opens a spot in the Rays starting rotation.

The Rays also signed Eloy Jiménez to a minor league deal after his down 2024 season, during which he hit a cumulative .238 with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. The 28-year-old will likely come off the bench in 2025, but he stands to improve greatly on his limited production from last season.

What Else Can The Rays Do Before The Regular Season?

Beyond all that, the team picked up Brandon Lowe's club option, but with the emergence of José Cabellero and Richie Palacios in their first full season in the majors, Lowe could be a trade option.

Second base has been a highly sought-after position this offseason. Lowe has two years of team control remaining on the six-year contract he signed in 2019 and would be a popular trade target.

The Rays' lineup was massively weak at the catcher position last season. Alex Jackson and Ben Rortvedt manned the position for most of the season but struggled to hit .122 and .228, respectively. They signed bounce-back candidate Danny Jansen this offseason to a one-year $8.5 million contract.

He brings experience with a seven-year career and has shown flashes of being a productive hitter. In 2022, he hit .260 with 15 HRs and 44 RBIs, so the possibility of an above-average contributor behind the dish is more likely now than it was before the offseason.

Yandy Diaz is in a similar situation to Lowe. He is an aging player (33) with two years and $22 million remaining on his contract, which makes him a possible trade candidate. The Rays are saying that Lowe and Diaz are unavailable right now, but because the team likes to rid themselves of sizable contracts, if the right offer presents itself, then a trade may still happen.

Whether Diaz or Lowe gets traded, this offseason has flown under the radar. The Rays traded big contracts to get young talent in return, re-signed important impact pitchers, and improved in various spots on offense through free agency.

Like in past seasons, they will rely on their outstanding starting rotation to keep the team in games and hope their young offense, which had an average age of 27.2 last season, can put up enough runs to keep them competitive in a loaded AL East.

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