Assessing Rays Outfield After Signing Jake Fraley

Rays Outfield Shuffles After Jake Fraley Signing

Fraley’s Fit

Fraley, 30, has bounced around, and the Rays claimed him mere days after sending him packing. The Rays have been fairly quiet this winter even though their outfield needs a ton of work. The activity began when they initially claimed Fraley off waivers from the Atlanta Braves in early November. The Rays then DFA’d both Fraley and Christopher Morel at last week’s non-tender deadline. Also gone is Everson Pereira after he was moved to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for a pair of relief arms. So much for that summer swap with the Yankees!

Fraley was originally drafted by the Rays way back in 2016. Bringing Fraley aboard is a positive first step because he can safely slide into one of the corner outfield spots. He has scant experience playing center field.

The other returning options on the grass include Josh Lowe, Richie Palacios, Jonny DeLuca, Tristan Peters, Chandler Simpson, and Jake Mangum.  Lowe needs to recapture his 2023 form and is on the hot seat to make major improvements this season. Palacios has to prove his health after only playing in 17 games. DeLuca only appeared in 20 games last season. Simpson and Mangum feel like similar players, with the exception of Simpson’s supernatural speed. Bottom line, this outfield still needs work.

He Is Who He Is

Fraley has an incredible history of injuries. Scanning his injury history is like reading a grocery list. He slashed .241/.332/.382 with six home runs and 23 RBI this season. Those numbers basically mirror his career figures, which are decidedly average. His career .248/.333/.402 and 100 OPS+ demonstrate that this guy cannot carry the offense alone. His biggest strength could be getting on base so that the run producers can do their thing. The Rays must feel he can’t be any worse than Morel.

He’s got a decent arm in the outfield. Plus, his speed isn’t too shabby for a 30-year-old. If healthy, Fraley has the potential to steal 20-25 bases.

Fraley possesses a strong platoon advantage against right-handed pitchers. He has smoked right-handers to the tune of a .261/.344/.432 slash line in 1,320 plate appearances. He represents a bat off the bench as well as a late-game defensive substitute.

The Last Word

The real question is: what follows the Fraley signing for the Rays? They need to figure out their identity in the outfield. Is this group of players going to emphasize defense/speed while praying for any kind of offensive potential? Maybe the plan is to do everything in their power to prevent runs. The problem is that the Rays also need to find ways to score runs against the vaunted pitching of the American League East.

If everything remains the same, then opposing pitchers will hardly stress about pitching to these guys at the bottom of the order. The Rays need to continue churning through outfield options. Maybe that means trading someone from this crowded group of outfielders in order to receive more steady production. The bottom line is that they still have their work cut out for them this winter.