2026 Profile: Tampa Bay Rays

Additions and Departures

The Rays lost Adrian Houser, Christopher Morel, Caleb Boushley, and Pete Fairbanks, who departed as free agents. Jake Fraley, Cedric Mullins, and Steven Matz, meanwhile, arrived via signings.

But most notably, the Rays were involved in trades.

Luis Guerrero was acquired in exchange for Tristan Gray. Steven Wiulson and Yoendrys Gomez arrived in town in exchange for Everson Pereira. They traded Brandon Lowe, notably, for Jacob Melton. Shane Baz was sent to Baltimore in exchange for several assets, including a high draft pick and prospects.

Gavin Lux and Justyn-Henry Malloy also arrived in town via trade.

Strengths and Weaknesses

While the Rays always managed to pull pitchers out of thin air, things were tougher on the mound in 2025. The team was in the middle of the pack in terms of pitching.

It's the same story at the plate: there are better teams, but there are also worse ones.

Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Ryan Pepiot, Griffin Jax, and Edwin Uceta are pitchers to watch. Offensively, Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Cedric Mullins, and Yandy Diaz are ones to keep in mind.

But as you know, it's the depth of the roster that makes the difference. Every player is important, and players from Triple-A can become key contributors to the team in just a few weeks.

Expectations for the 2026 Season

As we look ahead to the new owner's first full season, we'll be following the team on the field, but also keeping an eye on progress toward a potential new stadium in the Tampa Bay area.

In Tampa Bay, that's always the talk of the town.

Because the team plays in a tough division, it won't be easy for the Rays to make the playoffs. The pitchers will need to dominate, and the offense will have to be more than decent. They can't afford to have long slumps.

But with Kevin Cash as manager, anything is possible.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.