Rays Lose 29-Year-Old Infielder To Free Agency After Short Stint

Will Tampa Bay look to broker a reunion?

Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays' season has been over for a month at this point, but the offesason business can truly begin later this week.

Five days after the World Series concludes (which happened on Sunday), teams can begin signing major league free agents. But one player who spent a very brief stint on the Rays' major league roster earlier this season is already eligible to sign.

That player is 29-year-old infielder Coco Montes, who made the decision to seek a new opportunity on Sunday after finishing the season in Triple-A.

Coco Montes elects minor-league free agency

Mar 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays short stop Coco Montes fields a hopping grounder during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

According to the official transaction log on his roster page, Montes elected free agency on Sunday. He was designated for assigment at the end of July and outrighted to Triple-A Durham, which meant he spent the final two months of the season off the 40-man roster.

Montes first signed with the Rays in January after beginning his major league career with the Colorado Rockies in 2023 and spending all of 2024 in the minors. He was optioned to Durham three times after the season began, before finally getting DFA'd on July 26.

Despite all the moving around, Montes only appeared in five games for the Rays this year: two at second base, two at third base, and two in left field. He went 2-for-10 at the plate without an extra-base hit, but he did manage an RBI, his fourth as a major-leaguer.

Montes has also been playing for Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League this year, presumably in an effort to showcase his skills for big-league teams looking for roster depth.

In 107 games for the Triple-A squad this year, Montes batted only .219 with a .620 OPS, so he'll be counting on a strong winter in the Dominican League, as it's tough to imagine too many squads will be enticed based on his production this year.

Meanwhile, the Rays, who saw a ton of turnover this season, will look to replenish their infield depth, especially if second baseman Brandon Lowe gets traded this winter. We'll see if Montes somehow fits into that plan on another minor-league deal.

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