Rays Take Worthwhile Shot on Career Minor League Pitcher With Spring Training Invite

The Tampa Bay Rays are going to give a career minor league pitcher to make their team in spring training.

May 14, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove on the dugout fence before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been pretty busy this offseason, making a number of moves to shake their roster up not only for 2026, but with an eye toward improving in the future.

Once their 2025 campaign wrapped up, it was clear the roster had a few needs to address. Help was needed in the outfield, at catcher and shortstop. Adding some depth to the pitching staff wouldn’t hurt, either.

Cedric Mullins was signed in free agency to help address their need in the outfield, with Steven Matz being signed to bolster the starting rotation. However, more help is still needed after two blockbuster trades were made.

In a three-team deal, the Rays sent second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and right-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Starting pitcher Mike Burrows was sent from the Pirates to the Houston Astros, who sent prospects, outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Anderson Brito, to Tampa Bay.

Rays sign Chase Solesky to minor league deal with spring training invite

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

A separate deal was made with the Baltimore Orioles centered around right-handed pitcher Shane Baz. In return, the Rays received a haul of prospects, improving their long-term outlook.

Alas, if Tampa Bay wants to compete in 2026, they need to make more additions to the roster. While it would be nice to see some more moves made at the Big League level, the Rays are looking to catch lightning in a bottle.

Another minor league deal was signed with right-handed pitcher Chase Solesky with an invitation to spring training. A 21st-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Tulane, he has not yet made it to the Major Leagues.

Despite that, Tampa Bay has seen something they like enough to extend him an invitation to spring training, where he will have the opportunity to pitch his way onto the roster and into the organization’s pitching plans.

#Rays have signed RHP Chase Solesky to a minor-league deal with a spring invite. Is 18-40, 4.68 over 126 minor league games (119 starts) in #WhiteSox and #Nationals systems, reached AAA in 2023.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) January 15, 2026

Alas, fans likely shouldn’t get their hopes up too much. Solesky pitched at Triple-A Rochester, an affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in 2025. He made 24 appearances, 23 of which were starts, throwing 109.2 innings with a 5.17 ERA and 97 strikeouts.

In 2023, Solesky also reached Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights, the affiliate for the Chicago White Sox. The results were even worse with them, pitching to a 6.35 ERA across 78 innings with 63 strikeouts.

A lot of success was found at the Double-A level, where he made 28 appearances, throwing 128.2 innings with a 3.02 ERA. Given their history of developing pitchers, the Rays will assuredly be looking to unlock that level of potential after a few seasons of struggles for Solesky.