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Bold Prediction Shared on What Rays Will Do With Taylor Walls This Offseason

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays have a lot of decisions to make this offseason with players on the roster who are arbitration-eligible. They have the most in the MLB with 17 eligible players, and some of them will likely not be brought back.

One of the players for whom they have a difficult decision to make is shortstop Taylor Walls. His situation is a unique one because the Rays hold a $2.45 million club option on him, which is more than the $2 million he is projected to earn in arbitration.

Will Tampa Bay decline that option and save $450,000? They could always try to negotiate that number down before the hearing and see if he would be willing to sign a deal for less than that amount.

Taylor Walls predicted to be non-tendered by Rays

However, johnbitzer of MLB Trade Values doesn’t believe things will even get to that point. In a recent piece, he highlighted players who could be on the chopping block as non-tender candidates, and Walls was one of them.

He landed under the “veterans getting too expensive relative to their production” tier of his piece. It is easy to see where he is coming from with that prediction based on the production Walls has provided with the bat throughout his Big League career.

In 1,560 plate appearances, he has a .195/.286/.298 slash line with an OPS+ of 67. His single-season high is only 78, so it remains to be questioned whether he will ever be able to produce even at league-average levels.

Walls likely cannot be counted on to be an everyday contributor, but that doesn’t mean he can’t provide the team with some value. As a base runner, he makes a positive impact, stealing 14 bases in 20 attempts this year.

Taylor Walls brings excellent speed, defense to the table

For his career, he has 66 steals and has been caught only 16 times. In the two years he has qualified, he has had Baserunning Value numbers in the 90th and 91st percentiles.

Walls is also an excellent defensive player. He is a finalist for the Gold Glove Award for the American League shortstops. His +17 Defensive Runs Saved number is one of the best in baseball, regardless of position.

The Rays shouldn’t shy away from finding an upgrade at shortstop, especially if they can find someone who offers some offensive upside. But, Walls makes a positive impact in two facets of the game with his speed and defense.

Moving on from him without a surefire replacement wouldn’t make much sense for the franchise.