The Rays have exercised ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen’s club option for 2027, per a team announcement. Rasmussen is in line to earn $20MM next season.
This was a slam-dunk decision for the 2026 American League champions, who have seen Rasmussen blossom into one of the majors’ best starters over the past few years. Acquired from the Brewers in a May 2021 trade centering on shortstop Willy Adames, Rasmussen has logged a stellar 2.73 ERA in 133 appearances (111 starts) and 600 1/3 innings as a Ray.
This past season, in which he earned his second straight All-Star nod, counts as the best of Rasmussen’s career. Across a personal-high 172 innings, the 31-year-old recorded a 2.67 ERA with above-average strikeout and walk rates of 26% and 4.8%, respectively. He ranked seventh in the majors in ERA and fWAR (5.0), while his walk rate was second among starters. Teammate Nick Martinez finished first in that category.
Thanks in large part to Rasmussen, Martinez and the rest of their pitching staff, the Rays won 98 games and entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the AL. Rasmussen largely thrived in the playoffs, helping the Rays win their third pennant in franchise history. Over five outings and 28 2/3 frames in October, Rasmussen logged a 2.20 ERA with 31 strikeouts against five walks. The Rays knocked off the Yankees and Guardians in their first two playoff rounds, but they fell to Rasmussen’s former team, the Brewers, in a five-game World Series. He toed the rubber twice in the Fall Classic, including in a 4-1 loss in Game 5, and combined for 7 2/3 innings of four-run ball.
More to come…