Rays Named Top Landing Spot for Reunion With Veteran Starter

Will the Tampa Bay Rays look to add to their starting rotation before the start of the season?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set for spring training to start soon, and the team will be hopeful that the moves they made will help make the team a contender in 2026. 

It has undoubtedly been a very busy winter for the Rays. This is a team that has been extremely active both in free agency and especially on the trade market. As the front office always tries to get the most out of their roster with a low payroll, they do have to keep an eye toward the future. 

Fortunately, the team is generally able to balance that out well. However, they have missed the playoffs the last two campaigns, and the farm system hasn’t been regarded as strongly as in the past. 

Currently, there are a couple of notable flaws for the team, with one of them being in the starting rotation. While the unit has some upside, there are a lot of question marks as well. Adding another proven veteran makes a lot of sense, and there are still some options on the market. 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Rays being a good landing spot for a reunion with starting pitcher Zack Littell. 

Littell Makes Sense for Tampa Bay

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Zack Littell | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though he might not be a star pitcher, Littell could be exactly what the team needs. Currently, the Rays would be foolish not to address the fact that Shane McClanahan and Steven Matz are both major question marks in the rotation.

McClanahan hasn’t pitched in the majors in two years, and Matz was a relief pitcher last year. With that being said, while they do have some young arms who might be ready to make an impact, adding another veteran who can be reliable and eat innings would be ideal. 

Littell fits that description perfectly, and a reunion could make sense. While he did give up a ton of home runs last year, the right-hander certainly pitched better with the Rays than he did with the Reds, totaling a 12-10 record overall. However, the 186.1 innings pitched number between the two teams was really impressive. 

As a veteran who is still available, a one-year deal would likely get the job done for the two sides, and that aligns well with what Tampa Bay would likely want to do. Overall, a reunion makes a lot of sense for both sides and could help solve a potential issue for the Rays.