The Tampa Bay Rays entered the All-Star break with a 48-48 record. If the team played in the AL West, they’d only be a few games out of first. However, in the highly competitive AL East, the Rays sit 10 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles.
The Rays are only 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race but they’d have to overtake three teams to claim the final spot, a daunting task considering their mediocre play in 2024. Despite making the postseason five-straight years, the Rays appear likely to concede this season and become sellers at the MLB trade deadline. What exactly the team’s sale will look like is as yet unknown.
Tampa Bay made the World Series as recently as 2020. However, the Rays were swept out of the Wild Card round in each of the last two seasons. So, the question facing president of baseball operations Erik Neander is if the team just needs to tinker or if it’s time to tear it all down and stockpile prospects for a rebuild.
The Rays have a number of players that are likely to draw interest from contending clubs at the deadline. Chief among those trade chips is versatile infielder Isaac Paredes. Tampa Bay’s division rivals the New York Yankees appear intrigued by Paredes. New York would like to upgrade their infield, particularly at third and second. Paredes can handle both positions and Neander is open to fielding offers for the young All-Star, per Andy Martino of SNY.
In addition to being able to play multiple infield positions Paredes provides production at the plate. He’s up to 18 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBI this season with an OPS+ of 136 and 2.5 WAR in 91 games. Last year Paredes posted 31 homers and 98 RBI, so 2024 is no fluke. In fact, the 25-year-old infielder was selected to his first All-Star team this season.
The Rays could move Paredes, other pieces at the trade deadline
Paredes is also attractive from a contract perspective as he’s making just $3.4 million this year and is under team control until the 2028 season. Of course, a young, cost-effective, versatile All-Star fits into the Rays’ long-term plans as well. So it might take a haul from the Yankees, or any other team for that matter, to land him.
Other names that could be the subject of trade discussion as the deadline nears include Randy Arozarena, who’s having a down year but has demonstrated his talent by winning Rookie of the Year, being named ALCS MVP and making an All-Star team. Arozarena is also fairly cheap with a 2024 salary of just $8.1 million and he doesn’t become a free agent until 2027.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe, first baseman Yandy Diaz and pitchers Zach Eflin and Garrett Cleavenger are also expected to draw interest from teams around the league at the trade deadline. None are on expiring contracts but Lowe has team options built in for 2025 and 2026 so he could be jettisoned after this season.
The Rays are likely to move some of their pitching in particular. Eflin would be the most expensive of the group as he’s making $11 million this year and will make $18 million next season before becoming a free agent in 2026. However he could provide much needed rotation help for a contending team in the second half and into the postseason. While he wouldn’t necessarily be a frontline starter, he could contribute valuable innings in the second half. And with only a handful of elite starters available at the deadline, multiple teams will likely kick the tires on an Eflin trade with the Rays.
In addition to Paredes, the Yankees appear interested in Cleavenger, according to SNY. The lefty relief pitcher would be a most welcome addition to New York’s struggling bullpen. The 30-year-old Cleavinger is making just $746.9K this year and is under club control through 2027. He has a 3.52 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 38.1 innings pitched so far this season.
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