Rays Surprisingly Seen as Team That Has Added a Plethora of Talent This Winter

Have the Tampa Bay Rays been able to have a good offseason?

Oct 6, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays president Erik Neander during the ALDS workout day against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It has been a very busy winter for the Tampa Bay Rays, but it has been challenging to gauge the direction of the franchise. However, with a plethora of moves made, the organization might have improved overall quite a bit. 

While the 2025 season might not have gone according to plan for the Rays, they were a team that did have some bright spots. As a team, they finished the year with a positive run differential, which is usually a good indicator of success. Furthermore, the team also saw the emergence of a new star in Junior Caminero. 

Even though Tampa Bay does have some good things going for them, they are playing in arguably the best division in baseball. The American League East has improved quite a bit this winter, and any team, including the Rays, could make the playoffs with the talent they all have. 

While most of the team in the division have spent big, Tampa Bay has gone about their winter as business as usual. However, that has helped them improve the overall state of the franchise quite a bit. 

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Rays being one of the teams that have dramatically improved this winter. 

Tampa Bay’s Ranking is Surprising

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Seeing the Rays come in ranked sixth out of 30 teams in terms of upgrades this winter is rather shocking. However, they have been able to add a ton of very good talent to their farm system thanks to a couple of trades, and that has been a significant reason why they are ranked so high. 

A couple of their veteran acquisitions are also expected to make an impact, with Steven Matz, Cedric Mullins, and Gavin Lux all poised for big roles. Even though the improvements might not all have been to help in 2026, the overall team did improve.

With a loaded farm system once again, the future is extremely bright for Tampa Bay. The franchise hopes to have a new stadium for 2029, and a lot of the young talent in the system should be up making an impact in the majors by then. 

It is certainly not easy to find the balance between trying to contend with an eye toward the future, but the Rays have done so very well throughout their history. With another strong offseason, Tampa Bay should continue to have this balance going forward.