Rays Will Have to Explore Trading Outfielders To Alleviate Logjam

Will the Tampa Bay Rays trade an outfielder during the winter meetings?

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 will be heading into the winter meetings as a team to watch with a few needs and potentially some players to trade as well. 

Coming into the offseason, the Rays figured to be a team that was going to try to make some moves to both add to the roster, while also moving a veteran or two. The first real surprise for the franchise came when they elected not to pick up the option for closer Pete Fairbanks. 

That move came as a shock, with the right-hander expecting to be one of the top trade candidates this winter. However, he is now a free agent and has seemingly a strong market with a number of potential suitors. 

With payroll still being a concern for the team, they will be continuing to operate the same way until new ownership gets the stadium plans figured out. However, they have added two outfielders in free agency, with Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley coming in. 

Adam Berry of MLB recently answered some questions regarding the Rays heading into the winter meetings, one of which was about the logjam in the outfield now. He expects that at the winter meetings, a trade will solve that problem for the team. 

Someone’s Gotta Go

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

After adding two new outfielders, the team now has a surplus at the position, and it seems likely that they are going to have to move at least one or two of them. They began that process earlier in the offseason when they elected to let Christopher Morel go following a poor season and a half with the team. 

When looking at the current depth of the outfield now, a young player like Chandler Simpson or Jake Magnum could find themselves as the odd man out and potentially be moved. After signing Mullins, he figures to be the starting center fielder for the team after they handed him a $7 million deal. 

In the corner spots, things could also get a little bit crowded with Simpson, Fraley, and Josh Lowe. Furthermore, they also have Jonny DeLuca coming back as well. With a crowded outfield and limited spots, following the two new additions, it would behoove the franchise to trade at least one of their outfielders from last year. 

Outfield depth is undoubtedly something that other teams will desire at the winter meetings, and Tampa Bay is in a good position to make some deals and help improve different areas using theirs.