One Rays' Trade Target Already Clear After One Month

Apr 22, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Tropicana Field. Mike Watters-Imagn Images

One Rays' Trade Target Already Clear After One Month

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 30, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays are off to a fantastic start to the season and a lot of things are going right. However, there are some areas of need for the team to improve.

Despite some unsure expectations coming into the year, the Rays have proven to be a contender so far in the American League. This is a team that has met most of the challenges that they faced head on and there are some real positives so far.

Coming into the campaign, it was quite obvious that the starting rotation was going to be what led this team. So far, that has been proven true. Their two major free agent acquisitions for the unit have performed very well with both Nick Martinez and Steven Matz.

While these two have been really strong for the team so far, not every free agent acquisition has worked out as well. In the lineup, they brought in Cedric Mullins to help provide an offensive spark for the outfield. The former All-Star had a great career with the Baltimore Orioles, but really struggled in the second half of the year after being traded to the New York Mets. Now, with Mullins not being able to bounce back and live up to expectations, center field production has been an issue.

Mullins’ Struggles Have Created a Need

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Coming into the winter, Tampa Bay had a clear need to improve their outfield production on offense. Jake Fraley and Mullins were the two major additions. While Fraley has produced well in his platoon role, Mullins has not. So far this season, he has slashed .126/.184/.232 with two home runs, eight RBI, and six stolen bases.

The numbers don’t lie and Mullins has been a massive weak spot for the lineup. In the minors, Jacob Melton is their top prospect at the position that they got in the Brandon Lowe trade, but he hasn’t performed great in the minors thus far.

As the Rays really start to think about contending this year as the season progresses, improving offensively in the outfield and specifically in center field appears to be an early need.

Tampa Bay is not afraid to be aggressive when they need to be, and with a chance to contend in their first year with new ownership, making a splash might be a goal. If Mullins continues to struggle, center field should be where the team seeks upgrades.

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

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