Blue Jays Would Further Widen Gap on Rays Adding Top Starting Pitcher in Free Agency
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The Tampa Bay Rays know they have their work cut out for them to get back into the playoff race in the American League. They face an uphill battle annually against their division, with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays spending so much more money.
This offseason will likely be no different. All three franchises have already been connected to players at the top of the free agent market. The Rays do not shop there, and to a lesser extent, neither do the Baltimore Orioles.
Tampa Bay had a solid core emerging, and would be even stronger adding someone such as J.T. Realmuto.
But there is still a pretty significant gap that looks to exist between them and their AL East rivals. That gap could get even bigger should the Blue Jays successfully court one of the best free agent starting pitchers available this winter.
Blue Jays named a fit for Ranger Suarez
David Schoenfield of ESPN has named Toronto as a possible fit for left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez. He has consistently produced over the last five years with a 3.25 ERA; the only thing that has truly held him back is his health.
He has battled several injuries, spending a lot of time on the sidelines. Suarez has yet to make 30 starts in a single season, and his career-high for innings pitched is 157.1, which he accomplished this past summer.
However, when he is on the mound, he has proven capable of being dominant. He may not profile as a true ace given his lack of fastball, but he has front-end upside.
An All-Star in 2024, he possesses a six-pitch arsenal that he mixes and matches to help overcome the lack of velocity. It makes him effective against left and right-handed batters, having the kind of pitches to make things difficult for everyone at the plate.
Blue Jays adding Ranger Suarez would be bad news for Rays
Why would his addition to the Blue Jays' rotation make things so hard on the Rays? Because they struggled mightily against left-handed pitching this past year.
Tampa Bay’s offense is far from prolific. It is one of the reasons they are looking for upgrades at so many spots this winter.
They produced a .251/.313/.401 slash line in 2025. Third baseman Junior Caminero, first baseman Jonathan Aranda, second baseman Brandon Lowe and designated hitter Yandy Diaz were the only above-average performers at the plate on the team.
Against left-handed pitching, those numbers plummeted. They managed to slash only .234/.295/.372 in 1,693 plate appearances against southpaws.
Already facing an uphill climb to compete with the 2025 AL Champion Toronto squad, things will become even more challenging should they address one of their most glaring needs in the rotation and fill it with a left-handed starter of the caliber of Suarez.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.