Rays are looking for pitching. Which hitter can they afford to trade?
ST. PETERSBURG — Everyone knows you’re not supposed to mess with perfection.
But are the rules different for the nearly perfect? Is it permissible to continue tinkering with the very best?
For the Tampa Bay Rays, this is not some existential exercise. In the next 60 days or so, they will need to decide if — and then how — to go about changing the look of the best team in baseball.
Because, as good as they have been, the Rays could use some tinkering. The bullpen is thin, and the starting rotation is one more injury away from troublesome.
Of course, you could say that — and worse — about almost every team in the league. But not every team has the potential to run the table in October, and that makes Tampa Bay’s imperfections potentially more unsettling.
Now, it’s easy for you or me to promote the idea of a deadline swap but harder for the Rays to do something about it. You see, once the season starts, baseball’s version of Newton’s third law applies to general managers. Every action will have an opposite reaction.
In other words, boosting the pitching means subtracting somewhere else.
And that’s what we’re here to talk about.
Before they get serious about the list of possible trade targets ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, the Rays need to figure out who they are willing to lose in return. A current big-leaguer? A top prospect? Or will they take a more conservative route and trade a spare part for a cheaper return?
You have to assume every idea is on the table, because the Rays have tried them all in the recent past with midseason acquisitions.
They’ve given up top prospects (Jesus Sanchez in the Nick Anderson deal, Joe Ryan in the Nelson Cruz acquisition), they’ve gone for midlevel relievers (Chad Bradford, Jesse Crain, Steve Cishek) for a relatively low cost, they traded a proven big-leaguer (Willy Adames for Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen) and they’ve rolled the dice on an older reliever on his way down (Sergio Romo) and fringe pitchers (J.T. Chargois, Matt Wisler) with upside.
You can bet the Rays will be aggressive. They’ve already started the maneuvering by trading good glove/weak bat shortstop prospect Alika Williams for Pirates reliever Robert Stephenson on Friday.
With that in mind, here are the type of decisions the Rays will face:
The Lowe/Walls/Paredes puzzle
Acknowledging Wander Franco is a fixture at shortstop, the Rays have three quality infielders to share second and third base. That’s been a huge bonus for manager Kevin Cash, but it might be a luxury the Rays cannot afford.
Fans have been frustrated with Brandon Lowe’s streaky nature, but he has the potential to be one of the more valuable infielders in the league considering his power and relatively low cost ($8.75 million next year with club options for 2025 and 2026). But, considering Tampa Bay has contractual control of Taylor Walls through 2026 and of Isaac Paredes through 2027, they may be even more valuable than Lowe.
Outlook: This is a position of strength, and that’s always a consideration in Rays trades.
Go big on either Diaz or Arozarena
Both players are putting up MVP-type numbers through the first half of the season. If the Rays want to swing a megadeal, these are the likely pieces. Yandy Diaz is signed for two more seasons (for a total of $18 million) and Randy Arozarena is under club control for three more years, so they would command a hefty return in trades. The Rays also have first baseman Kyle Manzardo waiting in the wings at first base.
Outlook: Hard to see them messing with the lineup to this degree.
Dip into the minor league system
The Rays had either the No. 1 or 2 farm system in Baseball America’s rankings for four consecutive seasons beginning in 2019. They’ve slid back to No. 6 this year, but are still wildly talented.
Since young players (with low salaries) are the lifeblood of the organization, I’d be stunned to see them deal a Manzardo, Curtis Mead, Carson Williams, Junior Caminero or any of the other top prospects. The pain of losing Joe Ryan and then bombing out in the 2021 playoffs is still fresh.
But there are literally dozens of other prospects that could be appealing to rebuilding teams in the right situation.
Outlook: The most likely scenario for a midlevel reliever acquisition.
Ramirez/Margot musical chairs
Harold Ramirez is the baseball equivalent of a found lottery ticket. The Rays got him from the Cubs in the spring of 2021 for a 30-year-old utility infielder at Triple A, and he has been a hitting machine ever since. He had a .299 batting average with 14 home runs in his first 162 games in a Rays uniform.
Still, he does not have a regular spot in the lineup. Of his first 40 starts this season, 36 were at designated hitter.
Manuel Margot is in the first season of a two-year, $19 million extension that’s already looking a little pricey. With Arozarena, Jose Siri and Josh Lowe in the outfield, Margot’s biggest contribution may be his clubhouse presence and occasional start in centerfield.
Outlook: Rays would probably be happy to deal Margot but may not find a suitable trade partner. Ramirez’s stock may never be higher, which could make him an ideal candidate.
John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.
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