Improving This Key Area Should Be on Rays' To-Do List This Offseason

What area do the Tampa Bay Rays need to improve this offseason?

Oct 7, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays general manager Erik Neander before game one of the 2021 ALDS at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It has been a hectic offseason for the Tampa Bay Rays, who have been an active team both on the trade market and in free agency. However, there are still needs for the franchise to address heading into the new year. 

Starting in free agency, the Rays got aggressive early on. Their decision not to pick up the team option for Pete Fairbanks freed up some money right away for the franchise to allocate to other areas. They did that by signing Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, and Steven Matz to short-term deals. 

These moves indicated that the team was looking to be a contender, but recent decisions have resulted in the team taking a step back. With the recent trades that sent Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz out of town, the team brought back a haul of prospects. However, it has significantly impacted the team for 2026 as of now, and some work will need to be done. 

Eric Treuden of Just Baseball recently wrote about the to-do list for the Rays this offseason. One of the top priorities remaining is to upgrade the starting rotation. 

Rotation Needs Help

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While replacing Lowe’s production at the plate is going to be a massive challenge for the team, they now also have a need in the rotation to fill as well. As shown by the signing of Matz and the decision to give him a try to make the rotation, depth and talent is needed for Tampa Bay in this area. 

Even though Baz had some ups and downs in 2025, he was a steady arm in the rotation. The decision to trade him based on the return that they received was a smart move, but it creates a need, nonetheless. 

Now, the Rays will have plenty of ammo in their farm system if they elect to trade for a pitcher. However, the more logical way to improve the unit would likely be through free agency. There are a number of veteran starters still available, with the starting pitching market moving slowly. 

With Tampa Bay saving more money by trading Lowe and Baz, the team should have the funds to be able to pursue a talented starter in free agency. Even though the team might have taken a bit of a step back following the trades, there is still a long offseason to go, and they could quickly improve with a couple of moves.