The Tampa Bay Rays came up short in the World Series, ultimately losing in five to the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, the Rays must look to move forward with some notable players going to market. So, what do the reigning AL champs need?
Biggest needs for the Rays
When the Brewers clinched the 2026 World Series in St. Pete, it opened up the door for Freddy Peralta to go into free agency. At the very least, the Rays’ biggest offseason need starts with what got Tampa Bay to the dance of the Fall Classic: pitching.
Now, granted, the Rays do have internal options to replace Peralta in the rotation. One would like to think that Shane McClanahan, who was on the mound for 2026, will have a similar 2027 in terms of starts made next season. Additionally, Ian Seymour should be a regular in the rotation, despite the home run now and then (a problem that did add up in the World Series).
There’s also the matter of Nick Martinez, who’s not a free agent as of this writing. However, he does have a mutual option for the 2027 season. Just don’t expect that to be activated on both sides’ fronts, especially given Martinez’s career season.
Adding depth behind Drew Rasmussen, McClanahan, and Seymour should be a priority, even if it winds up being short-term.
Moving to the lineup, there aren’t many weaknesses on the Rays’ roster. Obviously, the club will have franchise stalwart Junior Caminero back. The catching position has been stabilized to a certain extent with Liam Hicks, even though the arm wasn’t sharp during the World Series.
If the Rays were to make an addition, it would make sense to bring in another outfielder. Cedric Mullins likely won’t be back, as he, too, has a mutual option ($10MM) that likely won’t be exercised. A left-handed bat to complement Jonny DeLuca would be sufficient.
Yes, it might not seem like a big list. But the reality is this: the Rays aren’t typically big players in the free agent market. Tampa Bay loves to do their work in the trade market. But more importantly, there are not a lot of flaws with the Rays, a largely fast, fundamentally sound club.
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