Rays Recent Breakout Now Finds Himself in a Roster Crunch
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The World Baseball Classic, featuring several Tampa Bay Rays players, has been dominating headlines lately, and for good reason.
Every player wants to get in on the action of bringing home glory and recognition to their nation. Players like Julio Rodriguez have been quoted as saying that winning the WBC title would mean more than a World Series ring.
While many have been amped to try to bring a title home, when it comes to his standing on the roster, some players like Richie Palacios have foregone the WBC in order to focus on setting themselves up for the healthiest and best year they can have.
Palacios was an especially interesting case to hear this news from. Playing for Team Netherlands with roots of Curaçaoan descent would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he declined. It shows an attitude from him that makes this upcoming season feel especially important.
Richie Palacios turned down World Baseball Classic to focus on MLB season
Palacios has held a roster spot in Tampa Bay since 2024, showing sporadic spurts of greatness followed by disappointing injury news. Knee sprains, finger injuries, and lower back tightness have all hampered what is still an exciting profile if he’s able to play at full ability.
The 92-game sample he displayed in an otherwise dreary 2024 season for the Rays was a real bright spot.
In a season that saw Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes shipped off, while the rest of the offense slumped, Palacios made huge strides in his approach at the plate that made him a 1.8 bWAR player. His mix of a keen eye and elite swing decisions while splitting time between second base and right field made him a more than useful player.
Two years later, his utility and value are more dubious. The 2024 season gave Palacios the advantage of stepping up to fill in for several slumping or traded players.
Playing time was not hard to come by then, but the situation has changed. These 2026 Rays are loaded with options in various positions, and Palacios will need to fight an uphill battle to secure a starting spot.
Opportunity arising again for Palacios to make impact
Brandon Lowe’s departure seemed like a gap that Palacios would be perfect to fill, but other candidates project to outmatch him in key ways.
Gavin Lux has the prospect pedigree and elite contact skills that facilitate a starter's job. Ben Williamson has been one of the hottest Rays in spring training so far, and creeps closer to a more assured role with each stellar day at the plate.
Also, there’s the Taylor Walls vs. Carson Williams shortstop battle, which will leave someone in the tough spot of conceding and shifting over to second base to accommodate.
That’s a lot of options in front of Palacios, but his defensive profile offers something many rostered players can’t provide with both infield and outfield ability.
It’s one of the rarer combos to find in a player, and even rarer if they can play both with quality as he does. His largest sample in 2024 showed he could cover second base at 4 Defensive Run Saved above average while handling left and right field at 2 DRS above average.
Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander is especially on board with Palacios, citing him as an internal name they would heavily consider after the Lowe deal, but then acknowledging, “we're going to give ourselves a little bit of time to sort through it.”
Rays like Richie Palacios, but have a lot of depth options
Having the support of the main roster decision-maker is important, but that quote was also before they traded for Lux.
So, after all the roster shuffling this offseason, what will his fate be?
The front office recognizes he’s a starting worthy player, but projection models like FanGraph’s depth charts have him at a meager 25% playing time split across five different positions.
The hard truth for Palacios is that injuries and a need for depth are the likeliest path to him securing at-bats. His profile is one of a contributing player, but it's not quite enough for what the Rays need right now. Small stature and lack of power limit his game, so his eye is going to have to be impeccable for him to have a good season at the plate.
Richie Palacios will probably get some games at second base as well with #Rays, to provide them with more infield flexibility. https://t.co/6ZTFjK3UNK
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) August 24, 2025
It’s tough to rain on the parade of such a determined and great spirit like Palacios, but the ceiling on Lux is simply much higher. Lux was the former No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, possessing quality attributes like elite contact that lift his game even in his post-hype years.
This will all hinge on the impending decision for who makes the Rays roster out of camp. Lux, Palacios, Ryan Vilade, Williamson, and Walls will all receive consideration, though the edge for at-bats against righties already seems slated for Lux.
Palacios seized his opportunity when the Rays seemed to be near their lowest in 2024. The times have changed, though, and Tampa Bay has been busy building a roster filled with quality depth everywhere and not contingent on names like Palacios having to surprise out of nowhere.
His playing time question is one in a long line of curiosities in a Rays’ offense that currently seems to have more depth players than spots.
Sam Hougham is an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara, who earned his degree in Communication. He is a passionate baseball writer and researcher who began his career at Diamond Digest, a platform for up-and-coming voices in baseball writing. Since then, he has launched his own website, The Daily Lineup Card, where he publishes long-form analytical pieces focused on scouting, drafting, and team analysis. A lifelong Tampa Bay Rays fan, Sam’s other sports interests include Aston Villa FC and the English Premier League, the NHL, and the NFL. You can follow him on X, @samuelhougham, or reach him via email at samhougham791@gmail.com.