Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Key Roles the Rays Quietly Locked In This Spring

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set for Opening Day on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, and the team will be hoping for a strong start to the season.

This winter, it was no surprise to see that the Rays were one of the most active teams in the league. Tampa Bay always tries to get the most out of their roster and that usually results in a plethora of moves.

After finishing the campaign eight games under the .500 mark, the Rays will be hoping that a return to Tropicana Field will be better for the team in 2026. Due to some of their struggles, there were a couple of key areas that the team needed to address this offseason.

Despite new ownership coming in, the team didn’t do much to increase payroll, and the primary focus is on getting a new stadium complex. However, despite not spending a ton, they were able to improve some areas of need. One of those areas was their outfield, which was a group that struggled offensively last year. Now, the hope is that it can be a strength.

Outfield Got Locked In

Of all of the changes that the team made this winter, the outfield was certainly one of the areas that saw the most. This unit has been completely reshaped, and there have been some encouraging signs this spring that it could be a strength of the unit.

This offseason, a couple of the notable additions for the team were Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley. Both of these players are capable sluggers and can really hit right-handed pitching well. The Rays were able to buy low a bit on Mullins, who is coming off a terrible second half of the season with the New York Mets. However, he is a former All-Star and has had a plethora of success in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles.

These two will be joining the exciting Chandler Simpson in the outfield, who is one of the few returning members. While Simpson might not have a ton of power, he is a high-contact hitter and could be one of the best in the league when it comes to stealing bases in 2026.

Overall, this unit appears to be fairly locked in coming into the year, but they do have an appealing prospect in Jacob Melton also waiting in the wings. While he will need to work on some things in the minors to start the season, he could be an option as well later on in the campaign.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: