TAMPA BAY RAYS

2025 finish: 77-85 (4th in AL East)
Manager: Kevin Cash (896-784, 12th season)
Leading the front office: Erik Neander, president of baseball operations (5th season)

 

DOLLARS AND SENSE

Largest luxury tax hit: RHP Nick Martinez ($13 million)
Top returning players: 3B Junior Caminero (4.6 fWAR), DH Yandy Díaz (2.9), 1B Jonathan Aranda (2.5)
Top returning starting pitchers: RHP Drew Rasmussen (2.5), RHP Ryan Pepiot (2.0), RHP Joe Boyle (0.5)
Top returning relievers: LHP Ian Seymour (1.1), RHP Edwin Uceta (0.9), LHP Garrett Cleavinger (0.7)

 

ROSTER WATCH

Key additions: RHP Nick Martinez (free agent), 2B Gavin Lux (trade), OF Cedric Mullins (trade), LHP Steven Matz (free agent), RHP Steven Wilson (trade), LHP Ken Waldichuk (trade), RHP Yoendrys Gomez (free agent), OF Jacob Melton (minors), OF Edward Olivares (minors)
Key losses: 2B Brandon Lowe (trade), OF Josh Lowe (trade), OF Jake Mangum (trade), RHP Shane Baz (trade), RHP Adrian Houser (free agent), RHP Pete Fairbanks (free agent), LHP Mason Montgomery (trade), OF Christopher Morel (free agent), OF Stuart Fairchild (free agent)
Baseball America top-100 prospect(s): RHP Brody Hopkins (37), OF Theo Gillen (64), OF Jacob Melton (70), SS Carson Williams 985)

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

Change is in the air as a new owner (Patrick Zalupski) takes over as the Rays move back into a fixed-up Tropicana Field while still looking for a long-term home. Familiar faces who’ve left include 2B Brandon Lowe, OFs Josh Lowe and Jake Mangum, RHP Shane Baz and closer Pete Fairbanks, while incoming veterans include OFs Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley, 2B Gavin Lux, RHP Nick Martinez and LHP Steven Matz.
The offense will still be built around 3B Junior Caminero (.846 PS), who hit 45 homers in his Age 21 season and is locked into the team’s nucleus at least through his pre-arbitration years. DH Yandy Díaz (.848 OPS) hit 25 homers and 1B Jonathan Aranda (.883 OPS) hit 14 homers in an injury-shortened year.
LHP Shane McClanahan was an All-Star for the second time in 2023, but he missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery and injuries kept him from returning in 2025. The hope is he’s healthy in 2026 and again fronting a new-look rotation.

 

Fangraphs projection: 78.2 wins