Mining the Tampa Bay Rays for Trade Targets

[Cody Christie]

The Tampa Bay Rays have consistently been successfull when trading away expensive players to restock their farm system. Minnesota has multiple needs this winter, and Tampa is a logical trade partner.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins and Rays have made multiple trades in the past, and there are clear trade targets on the Rays that fit Minnesota’s needs. The most recent trade between these two clubs came at the 2021 trade deadline when the Twins sent Nelson Cruz and Calvin Faucher to Tampa for Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. Minnesota clearly won this trade, with Ryan developing into a solid big-league pitcher, and Cruz struggled in his two months for Tampa. 

Overall, the Twins have fared well in trades with the Rays over the last decade. Can Minnesota find another way to get value from players the Rays can no longer afford on their roster? Here are four potential trade targets and how they would fit on the 2024 Twins roster.

Tyler Glasnow, SP
The Twins are potentially losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda from their starting rotation, leaving the front office searching for another playoff-caliber starter. Glasnow returned from Tommy John surgery last season and posted a 3.53 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and a 162-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 120 innings. He is due a big bump in pay from $5.35 million in 2023 to $25 million in 2024. The Rays are likely looking to shed his salary since they have one of baseball’s smaller payrolls. Tampa would likely extend him a qualifying offer following the 2024 season, and the potentially recouped draft pick will figure into their asking price for Glasnow. Teams trading for him must provide the Rays with enough value to outweigh an entire season of Glasnow and a late first-round pick. 

Manuel Margot, CF
Finding a center fielder is one of the Twins’ biggest needs for the club this winter. Margot has been a strong defender at all three outfield positions in previous seasons, but his defensive ratings dropped last season while being in his first year back from a patellar tendon strain to his right knee. The Twins might believe he will regain some of his defensive value now that he is a year further removed from his injury. Over the last four seasons, he has posted a 96 OPS+ while hitting .264/.317/.375 (.692). As a righty, his numbers are better versus left-handed pitching with a career .281/.341/.420 (.761) line. He is owed $10 million for 2024 and has a team option for $12 million in 2025.

Harold Ramirez, OF/DH
Ramirez is a right-handed hitter, which the Twins have needed in recent seasons. Last season, he hit .313/.353/.460 (.813) with 19 doubles, 12 home runs, and a 125 OPS+. However, he destroyed left-handed pitchers with a .966 OPS in 124 plate appearances. Defensively, Ramirez doesn’t provide much value, with the Rays mainly using him at DH last season. During the 2022 season, he logged nearly 250 innings at first base, so the Twins could use him as a platoon option with Kirilloff. He is projected to make roughly $4.4 million through arbitration this year, which might be the upper limit for what the Twins want to spend on a part-time player. 

Randy Arozarena, OF
Arozarena is a playoff legend for the Rays and a former Rookie of the Year. Next season will be his first as an arbitration-eligible player, so his cost might start rising, which is usually when Tampa starts to contemplate trading a player. Last season, he hit .254/.364/.425 (.789) with a 120 OPS+ and was elected to his first All-Star team. For the Twins, he is the least likely fit on this list because he is limited to corner outfield duties, and the Twins have multiple options at those positions. He is right-handed, so the Twins might consider a trade for Arozarena if they can trade one of their other outfield options. 

Which player should the Twins target? Is Glasnow’s salary too high for the Twins to absorb? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

View full article

[Cory Engelhardt]

Glasnow would be incredible, and I like the idea of Ramirez as a platoon 1B. I don't know that Arozarena is attainable, but he is a superstar too. Fun to dream on.

[tony&rodney]

Glasnow would be a sweet addition. The Rays will understandably want value in return though. The budget squeeze makes any transaction for Glasnow tricky and he onlt would be aboard for one year. I'm finding it hard to come up with ideas to satisfy Tampa Bay. Maybe adding Chistian Vazquez to players like Charlee Soto, Bailey Ober, Tanner Schobel could raise an eyebrow. The problem is I don't want to trade all of those guys and believe the Twins still need Vazquez. 

 

[nicksaviking]

As fun as Glasnow sounds, I don't think I'd pay the price for one season of a 30-year-old who's never started more than 21 games in a season. Seems like a textbook 'buyer beware' situation not to mention a textbook 'Tampa pulled another fast one' situation.

No for me on Margot, this team needs offensive upgrades. I also don't want Ramirez. TB seems to do well unlocking something with these journeymen hitters, but I don't think it tends to stick once they leave TB. I could maybe be talked into Arozarena, he takes a lot of pitches (like the Twins like these days) and he draws a ton of walks which seems to be a very transferable skill team-to-team. Mostly, he's been pretty consistent three years running now. .

[LA Vikes Fan]

I'd love to get Glasnow but I think it's a pipe dream that we would add a $25m pitcher with only one year of control. If we were willing to spend $25m on a pitcher we would offer it to Sonny Gray for 2-3 years and sign him. Just not happening. 

Still, I like the idea of trading with Tampa because I think we have the young hitting talent they need. Do they have any other SP talent that we could try to get? Maybe try to take CIvale and hope he bounces back? I didn't see much else on their roster. 

[Parfigliano]

Glasnow is what Id wish for but dont see TC paying him if they are cutting payroll.

[Beast]

The trade articles have been hot any heavy since the FO basically said big name FOs are out of the question.

But, if they won’t sign a free agent to a significant contract, why would they trade for somebody with a significant contract?

They’re just not trading for Glasnow, Alonso, Corbin Burns, etc.

I get that articles about which utility guy they’ll sign for a 1 year for $5 aren’t going to generate the clicks….but that’s what we’re looking at.  You know it’s going to be exciting when they come out say what they did immediately after the season ends.  They wouldn’t say that willy nilly.

[Finlander]

Glasnow looks to be the prime target on this list. He's a legit ace assuming he's healthy, and fits the Twins' greatest need. If he has a great year, we could extend a QA, get a draft pick if he signs elsewhere. The others mentioned don't seem as appealing or realistic, although Arozarena is talented. But how about Yandy Diaz as a RH 1B target? He's at $8M annually through 2025. Tampa Bay has Curtis Mead, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero coming at corner IF to backfill Diaz. Tampa may intrigued by the chance to shed around $7M of payroll if they believe one of their young guys can step in for Yandy.

[JD-TWINS]

Trade for Devin Williams - 2 years of solid bullpen!!! ……..$6.2M/yr.

After trading Polanco, take the $$ available & sign a FA pitcher for $12-$13M. (Maeda - Lugo - Severino)

$122M payroll now after arbitration tenders ………..,,less Polanco @ &10.5mm - then add a FA & Williams and we cap payroll at $130M.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Trade for Devin Williams - 2 years of solid bullpen!!! ……..$6.2M/yr.

After trading Polanco, take the $$ available & sign a FA pitcher for $12-$13M. (Maeda - Lugo - Severino)

$122M payroll now after arbitration tenders ………..,,less Polanco @ &10.5mm - then add a FA & Williams and we cap payroll at $130M.

Who are you trading for Williams? What is your return (player, team) for Polanco? Curious.

[DocBauer]

Glasnow has never started more than 14 games UNTIL he was coming back from surgery and then started 21. So he's suddenly a late 20's blooming #1/2 SP who can be counted on for 28-30 GS and 160+ IP for $25M on a 1yr deal?

HARD PASS.

He's super talented, but nobody is going to grab him except for one of the large market teams that can afford to just lose $ if his health craters again.

Arozarena fits what this team needs in a RH OF bat, even though it would be nice if he could also play 1B. But as much as we could use another RH bat, and need to find one SOMEWHERE to help, SP and CF are still the biggest issue.

All of these ideas about some huge 1yr bat and 1yr SP option for big contracts and big prospect payouts are just finger exercises. 

[Karbo]

With the salary issue, the only possibility I see would be Ramirez, but I really like the Diaz idea.

[Finlander]

The Twins are a contending team building for sustained success with a mixture of elite veterans and talented prospects. Their pitching staff was among the best in baseball in 2023, and arguably one of the best in franchise history. I don't believe for a minute that they'll enter next season with no TV broadcast deal or revenue. So I'm not buying into the idea that the payroll will certainly drop a significant amount. As of last month, the Twins team owner is listed as the 4th richest in all of MLB, behind the Giants, Braves, and Cards owners and ahead of 5th place Steinbrenner of the Yanks. The team has a playoff window right now with a good team, weakened division competition, and many dents in the armor of teams such as the Yanks and the Red Sox. The spent money has to smart, granted, but I can't see the reason for tightening the wallet as much as has been discussed. No TV revenue? Nah, I don't believe that'll be the case..

[Finlander]

"The spent money has to *be* smart..." Sorry, clumsy thumb syndrome. Point is, if there is a great fit for getting a great one year player, why not now? Salary can be offset somewhat by moving a Polanco, Vasquez, or Kepler, and hopefully playoff wins will help the return on investment.

[Nine of twelve]

I don't dismiss trading with any team as a potential way to improve the Twins. As suggested in the OP, our trades with Tampa Bay have generally been successful during the last decade or so. (This is probably attributable more to luck than anything.) But if I were a Tampa Bay fan I would be frustrated and even angry that other teams, especially average-market teams like the Twins, view the Rays as little more than a feeder system. I would view it as condescending. Over the last 5 years the Rays have the second best record in the AL, trailing only the Astros. They should be emulated rather than looked down upon.

[Otaknam]

2 hours ago, Nine of twelve said:

I don't dismiss trading with any team as a potential way to improve the Twins. As suggested in the OP, our trades with Tampa Bay have generally been successful during the last decade or so. (This is probably attributable more to luck than anything.) But if I were a Tampa Bay fan I would be frustrated and even angry that other teams, especially average-market teams like the Twins, view the Rays as little more than a feeder system. I would view it as condescending. Over the last 5 years the Rays have the second best record in the AL, trailing only the Astros. They should be emulated rather than looked down upon.

The Rays fans have brought that on themselves by their low attendance, which results in trading players before the players want a big contract. I can’t blame other teams for discussing players that the Rays are willing to trade to cut costs. 

[TopGunn#22]

I think you have to put the Mets owner near the top of the list for wealthy.  And he's WILLING to spend.

As much as I like to dream big, I think Beast is right.  We will probably temper our spending.  To me that eliminates Glasnow as a trade candidate at $25 million.  I see a 2nd Tier FA signing for sure but no way am I going after a "Maeda" type.  I'd like a little more Juice at the same or slightly higher price ($12 to $15 million per year) like Montas.  I'd settle for an innings eater like Giolito.  I'd gamble a bit for a Severino.  But Glasnow despite the talent is just to big a risk at $25 million per.  

I don't see any way we acquire Arozarena and Margot has no "pop."  However, Harold Ramirez is intriguing and the price isn't outrageous.  He would be a BIG upgrade on Solano from a hitting standpoint and the 1B option helps a lot.  Throw in some DH and just a "little" LF and it works.   

[SteveLV]

Glasnow is the opposite of what this FO is looking for.  He is expensive and not controlled.

This FO wants inexpensive starting P's with multiple years of control.

Glasnow is headed to a big market team like the Dodgers.

[KBJ1]

None of these players do anything for me. Glasnow@ $25M. Not possible.

Arozarena would be OK, but would he be worth signing lonng term? 250 average & 23 HR. Ho hum.