Rays All-Star Slugger Unsurprisingly Deemed Top Potential Trade Candidate

Which player from the Tampa Bay Rays is their top trade candidate?

Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

The offseason is well underway for the Tampa Bay Rays, and the franchise will be hoping to improve and make a run in the American League East. 

While the Rays have been busy to start the winter, they have yet to make a significant improvement to the roster. So far, the most notable addition for the team was the signing of Jake Fraley, whom they traded for and waived already this winter. 

Furthermore, the team also saw a significant loss with closer Pete Fairbanks heading to free agency. Tampa Bay elected not to pick up his team option, making him a free agent. That move was indeed a shocker, and he is now considered to be one of the top free agent relief pitchers available. 

Now, the direction that the franchise is going to go in is a bit uncertain. With that being said, the team has a couple of veterans on the team that they might look to deal this winter. Mark Feinsand of MLB recently wrote about the most likely player to be traded for each team this winter. For the Rays, it was All-Star slugger Brandon Lowe. 

Lowe Is a Wise Choice

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Of the potential trade candidates on the team, Lowe certainly makes sense, and he has been rumored in recent years as a likely player to be traded. In 2025, the slugger was able to have one of the best campaigns of his career. He was named to the All-Star team for the second time and proved to be an elite offensive slugger. 

Last season, he slashed 256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI. The numbers that the 31-year-old was able to put up made him one of the best offensive second basemen in the league, and teams would surely be interested in someone with that ability. 

For the Rays, Lowe is entering the final year of his contract, which makes him a prime trade candidate for the team. There isn’t an obvious option to replace him, and certainly not one that would be able to hit 31 home runs. 

Even though it is likely in the best interest of the team to trade him long-term and get a solid prospect back in return, it would cripple their chances of contending in 2026. Barring a fantastic offer coming in for him, Tampa Bay would be wise to hold on to him until the summer and see how the franchise is performing at that point.