Rays Reportedly Could Try To Pursue Catching Upgrades From Multiple Teams

Will the Tampa Bay Rays try to pursue upgrades at the catcher position?

Oct 7, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays general manager Erik Neander before game one of the 2021 ALDS at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have had a very busy winter, but they recently saw a couple of potential targets that could have helped them upgrade behind the plate. 

Coming into the winter, there were some clear areas that the Rays needed to upgrade, and for the most part, they have been able to address them. Offensively, the outfield looks a lot better on paper with the additions of Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley.

However, while the team did upgrade the outfield, they did elect to trade away All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe in a three-team deal. While the return was good, it did weaken the lineup significantly. 

To replace Lowe, it appears that it will be Gavin Lux and Richie Palacios who will be getting a chance at second base. Offensively, that position has taken a step back, and that is a concern with the catcher position still being a problem in that area as well. 

With top free agents J.T. Realmuto and Victor Caratini signing elsewhere, there aren’t many options left behind the plate for Tampa Bay to try to upgrade in that area.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about a couple of potential trade partners for the Rays to help upgrade at the catcher position. 

Current Catching Situation is Concerning

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With a lot of potential options off the board, it is looking increasingly likely that the Rays will be entering the season with Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia as the combination behind the plate. These two got a good amount of playing time in the second half of the 2025 campaign, but neither performed well offensively. 

This appeared to be a position that the team would want to upgrade this winter, but the contract for Realmuto, who would have been a strong fit, ended up likely being well out of their price range. 

On paper, offensive production for the team appears to be a bit of a concern following the trade of Lowe and also with the current options behind the plate. Barring the team making an external upgrade at catcher, one player to keep an eye on is going to be Dominic Keegan. The talented prospect could potentially be the answer offensively behind the plate, but he is unproven to this point. 

If the Rays can upgrade at the position from one of these teams, they should certainly pursue it with their current options. With Keegan hopefully being the answer long-term, Tampa Bay could get away with a stopgap option.