For Rays, five questions to ponder in shaping offseason moves

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are going to make moves to try to improve their offense. They have to, and they know it.

Baseball operations president Erik Neander said as much Tuesday when — because Tampa Bay scored only one run in 24 innings of the wild card series vs. Cleveland — he was holding a season wrap-up media session at Tropicana Field rather than prepping for a division series opener in New York.

“I don’t think it’s in us to just stand pat and assume things will get better,” he said.

Over the next few weeks, the Rays will have a better sense of what those options are, as Neander, general manager Peter Bendix and staff will come up with myriad possibilities via trades and signings, a priority ranking and a long list of alternative scenarios. Their M.O. to is explore all options and be prepared in case they have to act fast.

As the Rays dig into data and launch discussions with teams and agents, here are five questions to ponder:

Will they trade Randy Arozarena?

If the goal is to improve the offense, why would they consider dealing a player who had one of the most productive seasons in franchise history, the only Ray to have at least 20 homers, 30 steals and 40 doubles?

For at least three reasons.

One, because of his inconsistencies in getting there, alternating hot-and-cold stretches, illustrated roughly by his OPS by month this season (.507, .860, .693, .812, 1.023, .685). Also, his 2-for-30, 15-strikeout finish to the season and 1-for-9 playoff showing with five Ks.

Two, because he may soon start to get expensive. Depending on the service-time cutoff, Arozarena could be Super 2 arbitration eligible and, per mlbtraderumors.com, get around $4 million for 2023 rather than roughly $725,000. That big raise would have a residual impact over his next three arbitration-eligible years. Being repped by usually hardline agent Scott Boras adds to the equation.

Three, because Arozarena is one of the few Rays not named Franco, Glasnow or McClanahan who could get the Rays an impact player, or several young ones, in return.

Is there a 2023 Freddie Freeman?

The Rays made an uncharacteristic but legitimate run at one of last offseason’s top free agents, deciding the $150 million or so was worth it given the positional fit at first base and potential impact.

After top free agent Aaron Judge, the next tier, depending on opt outs, could include Nolan Arenado, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Trea Turner, none of whom are obvious fits. (Or could they trade for Shohei Ohtani?)

Also of note, though the 2023 payroll is manageable, the Rays in 2024 with Tyler Glasnow’s $25 million extension already have close to $50 million committed to five players.

Will they bring back Evan Longoria?

The greatest Ray is expected to become a free agent when the Giants pay a $5 million buyout rather than pick up a $13 million option. A return to the Rays to close out his career sounds heartwarming and something Longoria, 37, has said he would be open to.

But consider: The Giants are saying there is “certainly a role” for him on the 2023 team (and could work out a new deal); he is 37 and has been limited to 81 and 89 games the last two years due to injuries; and he might not fit if the Rays bring back Yandy Diaz to play third base, limiting Longoria to designated hitter duty or a shift to first base.

Should they move Brandon Lowe to first base?

That would help with their infielder roster squeeze, as Vidal Brujan and Isaac Paredes are out of options, and they love Taylor Walls’ defense. But 30-homer-hitting second basemen are rare and it’s typically easier to find help at first, which should be open with Ji-Man Choi likely moving on. So this shift may depend on what over moves they make.

Will they bring back free agents Kevin Kiermaier or Mike Zunino?

Kiermaier, 32, seems more likely to move on as the Rays, with Jose Siri and occasionally Manuel Margot in center, won’t have much room unless he would be OK with a reserve role. Zunino, at the right reduced price after making $7 million, could still fit given how the Rays value his work with the pitchers and experience. Though he does profile somewhat similar offensively to Christian Bethancourt, who surpassed Francisco Mejia as their top catcher, and projects to make $1.6 million.

Rays rumblings

A survey was sent via mlb.com to 2022 ticket buyers “assessing the potential for a new ballpark in the Tampa Bay area.” It asked questions about preferences between sites near downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa, as well as the impact of an adjacent mixed-use district, plus attendance, ticket-buying and seating choices. … The Rays may wait until after the World Series to start clearing 40-man roster space, as they have to reinstate several players from the 60-day injured list and make room for top prospects Taj Bradley and Curtis Mead, plus likely Xavier Edwards and a few others. … Bench coach Matt Quatraro is expected to interview for several managerial openings. … One interesting post-playoffs point: Manager Kevin Cash left McClanahan in to face Jose Ramirez in the sixth inning of Game 1 with one on, one out and a 1-0 lead, which was the same point he took out Blake Snell in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. … Among several players with season-ending messages on social media, Choi thanked fans for their “unwavering support” and love, said he was “incredibly thankful” to be a Ray and that he “can’t wait to continue to go out there and perform for this fanbase.” … Glasnow, on the “Chris Rose Rotation” podcast, said watching the final 10 innings of Game 2 vs. the Guardians was tougher than pitching the first five: “I was sitting next to McClanahan, and he was like, ‘Dude, I’m going to throw up.’” ... Writing from the Arizona Fall League, the Athletic’s Keith Law called outfielder Mason Auer “one of the toolsiest players in the minors” and said the Rays “got a steal” taking him in the fifth round of the ‘21 draft. ... The New Jersey Institute of Technology last week opened the Naimoli Turf Room indoor sports training facility in honor of original Rays owner Vince Naimoli and his wife, Lenda.

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