Rays Deadline Plans Are Being Challenged From Within

Some current players are pushing back on that notion. Aware of the precarious position several Tampa Bay starters find themselves in, the past weeks have seen them hit hot streaks to make the front office think twice about moving on.

Cedric Mullins and Chandler Simpson were generating discourse for much of the first half for all the wrong reasons. Mullins and his offensive drop-off left the team wanting more from the defensively gifted center fielder, while Simpson ran into a stolen base dry spell.

The bright side with Mullins is that just one month dragged down his stats so much. Since his abysmal March/April, he’s posted a 108 wRC+ and looks much like his old self. The same could be said of Simpson, putting his sorry month of June behind him to become one of the most productive bats in the lineup in July. His 149 wRC+ and 7 stolen bases over 18 games this month give no reason to think about potential upgrades.

Nick Fortes, too, was never seen as a permanent option. It was assumed Tampa Bay would move on from him as more glamorous names started percolating in the trade market. Now, that’s not the case.

Scrapping his early-season struggles, Fortes has quietly been a .326 and 141 wRC+ hitter across June and July. Suddenly, moving on from him hasn’t become so obvious.

Rays receiving great production from role players

Even Victor Mesa Jr. has gone from a minor league depth piece to a must-start against righties. Stellar defense in the corners and near top 75th percentile bat speed have made him a welcome contributor in Jake Fraley’s absence.

Friday’s matchup with the Cleveland Guardians was the real showcase to Tampa Bay’s front office of what talent they already had at home. In an 11-3 statement win, it was the role players who stepped up and did the damage. Fortes collected four hits, Richie Palacios slammed a deciding three-run home run, and Simpson collected key RBIs and made spectacular catches.

This is all to say that the trade deadline is not as simple as some think for the Rays. The fun around creating mock trades to dream about what big names could don a Tampa Bay jersey has overshadowed the outstanding play from smaller role players. 

While it wouldn’t be the popular option to stand pat at the deadline, key starters have earned the chance to keep on proving themselves.