Rays' Offseason Moves Have Resulted in Uncertainty for Franchise in 2026

What will the 2026 season look like for the Tampa Bay Rays following an interesting offseason?

Dec 17, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays Sr. Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Erik Neander talks with media during a press conference at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

With the offseason finally getting close to being over, the Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the more active teams this winter. However, just because they have been active doesn’t mean that they will be better in 2026. 

Following two straight years of missing the playoffs, the Rays were a team that came into the winter looking to improve and contend in the American League East. Being one of the best teams in the division is going to be hard, especially considering the talent that has been added to the group this winter. 

For Tampa Bay, they have made a lot of changes, and this roster is going to look fairly different in 2026. However, some of the moves made weren’t to help for next year, but rather to stockpile some more controllable talent in their farm system. 

Due to the team making moves both for 2026 in free agency and some trades with an eye on the future, the Rays seem like they will be operating in the middle ground. 

Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked all the teams this offseason in terms of tiers, and for the Rays, they fell in the “definitely doing something” category. 

Rays Operating Like Normal

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Despite new ownership coming in, Tampa Bay is still going to be operating as they have in recent years, and that will be trying to balance between being a contender and building for the future. Without a playoff appearance in the last two campaigns, they have struggled a bit to contend. However, a positive run differential in 2025 could be an indication that the team was better than their final record. 

With most of the top free agents off the board at this time, it’s hard to imagine that the Rays will be making a massive splash to improve the current roster. In terms of needs, help behind the plate offensively would be a good area to upgrade. Unfortunately, finding impact players at that position is challenging, and they saw a great option in J.T. Realmuto, who recently received a massive deal from the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Keeping a balance of trying to be competitive while also thinking about the future is hard to accomplish, especially when payroll is low. While the Rays shouldn’t be a bad team in 2026, it’s hard to imagine that they can realistically contend with some of the elite teams in the AL East.