Rays Surprisingly Mentioned As Potential Trade Suitor for Former White Sox All-Star

Could the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox come together on a trade this offseason?

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There have already been a lot of trade rumors involving the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. It isn’t too surprising, given the cycle the team has followed essentially since their inception.

When players get too expensive or close to free agency, the Rays notoriously will unload them. The examples are endless, with the most recent trade chips being Jeffery Springs, Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot and Brooks Raley. Last year, ahead of the trade deadline, they moved on from Randy Arozarena.

This offseason, the same thing could very well happen with closer Pete Fairbanks, second baseman Brandon Lowe and designated hitter Yandy Diaz. All three are expensive, relative to the Tampa Bay budget, and nearing free agency.

Alas, they are going to have to pay some people to play in 2026. The Rays are never going to be super active on free agency, but could they look to the trade market to find some much-needed upgrades for their lineup?

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports recently put together a piece ranking the top 25 trade candidates who could be on the move this winter. Coming in at No. 22 is Chicago White Sox center fielder, Luis Robert Jr.

Rays shockingly listed as potential fit for Luis Robert Jr.

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It isn’t a surprise to see him featured on such a list, given the trade rumors that have swirled around him for more than a year. What is a surprise is Axisa listing Tampa Bay as a potential landing spot.

“If the White Sox are willing to eat some money to facilitate a trade, it would open up the market a bit, perhaps enough for teams like the Pirates and Rays to get involved,” he wrote.

The $20 million team option that the club exercised at first glance would instantly take a team such as Tampa Bay out of the running. But given Robert’s level of production in recent years, Chicago is going to have to eat some of that salary to facilitate a trade.

The asking price ahead of the deadline in July was reportedly astronomical as well. The Rays are more than one player away from contending and aren’t going to unload multiple top prospects to acquire Robert.

Rays might be better off avoiding Luis Robert Jr.

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They would be better off running things back with Lowe and Diaz part of the equation for a combined $23.5 million at that point. Bringing them back wouldn’t require parting with assets of any kind.

However, it is easy to see why, should the White Sox eat money, Tampa Bay would kick the tires on Robert. They need help in the outfield, and his upside is immense.

He was not good in 2024 and 2025, but in his first four seasons in the MLB, he recorded an OPS+ of at least 100. Robert is also a stellar defensive player in center field and would plug a huge hole in the team’s lineup with a lack of run production from the outfield as a whole.

If the salary comes down to the $10-13 million range, the Rays might be willing to take a chance on him. But that also means moving on from Lowe or Diaz because it is hard to envision the franchise adding too much salary this winter, even with a new ownership group in place.