My Two Cents: Happy Homecoming For Former Rays Pitcher Jeffrey Springs

TAMPA, Fla. — Jeffrey Springs spent four years in Tampa Bay, pitching for the Rays and establishing himself as a top-flight major-leaguer. It was the best time of his life.

Springs returns home this week, now with a new team. He was traded to the Athletics in the offseason, and they're back in Tampa for a three-game series that started Monday. Springs takes the mound Tuesday, so he's here to work, but he's also excited to see his former teammates.

But it's so much more than that. Many of the guys across the way in the Rays clubhouse are far more than just fellow ballplayers. They are best friends, with tight ties that bind. Today ... and forever.

“We have all those bonds as teammates but it’s all much deeper than that,'' Springs said Monday in the A's clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field. "Friendships last a lot longer than the baseball will, and that’s certainly the case with us.’’

Springs considers several Rays players to be close friends, but he's especially tight with pitcher Drew Rasmussen. Their career paths have coincided in Tampa Bay — the good and the bad — and it's good to see each other again face to face.

“I love it. I’m so excited to see him and he’s excited to get back and see everyone as well. I couldn’t be happier,'' Rasmussen said Sunday. "First and foremost, he’s a great friend. Him and I, we both transitioned into the rotation fairly close to each other, we both got hurt fairly close to each other, we rehabbed together, went to Durham together on rehab assignments.

"We’ve spent so much time together. The opportunity to see him, it’s exciting, and to watch him pitch and see how his family is doing. It’s going to be great to spend some time with him.’’

Springs said his wife Bailey and son Stetson flew in a day early so they could step some time with Rasmussen's wife Stevie and their son Rhett. The family friendships run that deep.

"It’s more about our kids growing up together, and our wives are super close,'' Springs said. "They even flew in early so they could see Stevie and Rhett. My son was really excited to see Rhett.

“Drew is an awesome dude, and we’ve had a lot of good times together. I’d rather reflect on the good times than all of the rehab times, but he’s a great friend and someone I could lean on during the rehabs. ''

Springs is in the second year of a four-year, $31 million contract, and with so much pitching depth, the Rays traded him to the A's last December, along with Jacob Lopez, who pitched Monday night in the A's 6-4 win. Springs was devastated, because he truly loved him time in Tampa Bay.

He was a journeyman reliever with an ERA near 7 during the first three years of his career at Boston and Texas, but when he got to the Rays, they converted him to a starter in his second year — and the results were sensational. They did the same thing with Rasmussen, and along with Shane McClanahan and Tyler Glasnow, the Rays had the best rotation in baseball.

Springs joined the rotation in May 2022 and started 25 games. He was 9-5 with a 2.46 ERA. He made three starts in 2023 — allowing just one total run over 16-plus innings. He threw six no-hit innings in his first start, and seven scoreless in his second, allowing just three hits.

But in his third start against Boston, he only lasted three innings, and left with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He would not return to the mound for 15 months, not returning until July 30 a year ago. He appeared in seven games in 2024, slowly working his way back.

This year, he has a team-leading six win with the A's. He's 6-6 with a 4.30 earned run average. He's done some good things, but he's had a few hiccups too in his 17 outings, including 15 starts. He's had six outings allowing two runs or less.

“Performance wise, it could be a lot better. I’ve had some ups and downs,'' Springs said. "Obviously, it’s a new organization and a new way of doing things. You get used to something for four years, and now it’s something different. But I’m grateful to still be playing and still being in the big leagues.

“I’ve had some bumps and bruises along the way, but I think I’m trending in the right direction.''

He's also happy for Rasmussen, who was injured a month later in 2023 and required the third major elbow surgery of his career. They spent a year together working through rehab, and it meant a lot to both of them to have someone to lean on.

“I’m glad to see him doing so well, especially coming back after that third surgery. He’s a guy you really want to root for,'' Springs said. "Maybe not too much (Monday night) because he’s pitching against us, but he’s an awesome person.''

Springs gets his shot on the mound Tuesday night, and he's close with the veterans on this Rays team, guys like Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe and Josh Lowe. It'll be different staring them down, that's for sure.

“It’ll weird pitching against them when you spend so much time with a lot of these people,'' Springs said. "They’re like brothers to me. It’ll be different. I’ve pitched against people I know before, but this will be different. It’ll be exciting.''

Tuesday night's game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET, 30 minutes earlier than usual because of an early day game in Wednesday. Springs will square off against Shane Baz, whom he also spent a lot of rehab time with. Baz had an elbow injury in July of 2022 and missed the entire 2023 season.

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