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Before the first pitch of Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays are 27-26. That record puts them in second place in the American League East, six games behind the New York Yankees. Over their six-game winning streak, Junior Caminero, Jonathan Arranda, and Brandon Lowe have led the the offense. Their turnaround could inspire the Rays to get more aggressive on the trade market as the deadline approaches.
Throughout recent history, the Rays' focus is on their pitching. Shane McClanahan and Shane Baz are the biggest names on the team now, but Kevin Cash's starting rotation is full of average to above average pitching. Even though Tampa Bay's ace is still out with a triceps injury, the team is spoiled for pitching.
While they are in second place in the division and could take advantage of Alex Bregman's injury, the Rays are unlikely to catch the Yankees. The wild card picture in the American League is full of teams with more talent than Tampa Bay has. Because of that, it is worth considering how much one of their pitchers could get them on the trade market.
With Drew Rasmussen playing better, Zack Littell becomes a bit expendable. If the Rays were to trade him before McClanahan's return, it makes Cash's life harder. However, the future assets he could net them in return might be worth exploring all possible options.
Here are three potential destinations for Littell if the Rays do end up deciding to trade him.
New York Mets
The New York Mets came as close as anyone in Major League Baseball to defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. They fell short in the National League Championship Series, largely because their pitching could not contain the Dodgers' offense. New York signed Juan Soto, but David Stearns also brought in Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, and Griffin Canning.
The moves have paid off for the Mets. The team leads the league with an ERA of 2.78(of May 26) and their starters are excellent. Bringing Littell in gives Carlos Mendoza another arm to turn to at the back end of his rotation. If nothing else, his experience makes him a good emergency option if they suffer another injury.
Littell's ERA is higher than all of the Mets' starters, but playing with their offensive support could help the 29-year-old bounce back after a rough start. As the league enters its dog days, teams need to have arms that can eat innings and develop into contributors that can chip in once the postseason begins. The Mets have their eyes on the World Series, and Littell could help them get over the hump.
Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs' negotiations with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are their main priority. However, one of the easiest ways to sell both outfielders on the team is to go deep into the playoffs. Chicago's offense is within the top five in batting average and home runs heading into Tuesday's action, but their pitching is average by comparison.
The Cubs will be without Justin Steele for the rest of the season. Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have played well in his absence. However, the back end of Craig Counsell's rotation is questionable. Littell is a younger pitcher who can come in and provide the complimentary pitching necessary to boost their staff.
While the Rays' direction is a bit unclear, Chicago has some young talent that could entice Tampa Bay. Letting go of Littell would be a tough pill to swallow. Getting a player like Miguel Amaya or Vidal Brujan back would lighten the blow significantly. Regardless of how willing they are to let players go, contenders will be calling the Rays about their pitching. It is up to Cash and Peter Bendix to get as much as they can for Littell and others in potential trades.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres are chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. In another tight race in the division, every game counts. Of the three teams, the Giants have the best team ERA, and they could approach the deadline looking to capitalize on a strength.
Despite how good their numbers are as a team, the Giants' starters are not all as good as one would expect. Robbie Ray and Logan Webb continue to lead the way with Justin Verlander providing what he can as the third starter. Behind him, though, the team struggles to get through starts.
Bringing Littell in solves that problem. He slots in well either behind Verlander or in front of him in the order. Bob Melvin would have the flexibility to move things around as he sees fit. When the rotations get shorter in the postseason, though, the addition of Littell would give San Francisco an extremely capable quartet of starters to lean on.
The Giants haven't made a serious run in the postseason since they won the World Series back in 2014. The potential addition of Littell would provide a much-needed boost to their rotation as they fight the Dodgers and Padres for the NL West crown.
