Rays' Most Recent Trade Makes Plenty of Sense for Franchise

The recent trade by the Tampa Bay Rays makes a lot of sense for the team.

Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Josh Lowe (15) scores a run against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been a very busy team this winter, and they continue to reshape their roster for 2026. Recently, they were able to pull off a deal to give themselves a new option at a position of need. 

Coming into the offseason, the Rays had the goal of trying to improve an outfield that really struggled to perform offensively. To kick things off in free agency rather quickly, the team elected to sign Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley to join a crowded group in the outfield. 

Furthermore, they then traded away their star slugger, Brandon Lowe, in a deal that brought back, most notably, Jacob Melton from the Houston Astros. Melton also plays the outfield, but whether or not he was going to make the Opening Day roster despite playing for the Astros last year was a bit uncertain. 

However, the team recently traded away one of their projected starters, Josh Lowe, as part of a three-team deal and was able to bring back former first-round pick Gavin Lux. 

Lux Provides Another Option for Second Base

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Even though Lowe was a player who showed some serious upside in 2023, the last two years, he has struggled. With multiple other options in the outfield and potentially a desire to make room for Melton, moving him does make sense. 

This was a unit that was also heavy on left-handed hitters, and moving on from Lowe will create some additional playing time for others and balance the outfield a bit more. Furthermore, by dealing with Lowe, they were able to bring back an option to play second base for them in Lux. 

The former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers might not have lived up to the hype of being a top prospect, but he is a starting-caliber player in the majors. With the Cincinnati Reds last year, he slashed .269/.350/.374 with five home runs and 53 RBI. 

While Lux might not be a superstar, he is going to present the Rays with a potential option to be the starting second baseman. Furthermore, he also spent time in the outfield last year, creating some valuable flexibility for the team. 

Overall, this is undoubtedly a deal that makes sense for the Rays and upgrades a position of need from one that they have plenty of options for. Now, it will be interesting to see a potential battle for the starting job at second base this spring between Lux and Richie Palacios.