Recent Trades Does Not Mean Rays Are Giving Up on Contending in 2026

Are the Tampa Bay Rays giving up contending in 2026 following recent moves?

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

The Tampa Bay Rays have been a busy team of late, with a couple of notable trades heading into the weekend. Now, the team is starting to figure out what the roster is going to look like after some notable turnover. 

It was a wild Friday for the Rays, who elected to trade two key contributors in Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz. Tampa Bay got an absolute haul of prospects in return for these two players, and their farm system is going to be one of the best in baseball heading into 2026 if it remains where it is now. 

However, while getting a haul of prospects is encouraging for the long-term outlook of the franchise, the team took a step back for 2026. With Lowe, especially, that production is going to be hard to replace. He was one of the best offensive second basemen in all of baseball, and there is no clear option to replace that on the team currently. Despite some looming questions and the team taking a step back right now, their president of baseball operations is confident that they will be ready to compete come Opening Day. 

Erik Neander of MLB recently spoke with Adam Berry of MLB about the recent moves and the outlook for the team in 2026. With a long offseason to go, Neander believes that the team will improve and still be a contender. 

“If things break our way, we're playing in the postseason. We're going to continue to do everything we can to make that possible in 2026.”

Recent Trades Aren’t Tampa Bay Giving Up

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

While the recent moves made by the Rays are for the future, other decisions that the team has made are to improve for 2026. The additions of Steven Matz, Jake Fraley, and Cedric Mullins are to improve now. 

With the team dealing Lowe and Baz, it will also free up some more money for the franchise. This was a team that was reportedly interested in Jorge Polanco this winter before he ultimately signed with the New York Mets. That willingness to spend is encouraging, and they could be seeking more help in free agency. 

Overall, while the team is undoubtedly not as good as it was before the blockbuster deals, there is still plenty of time to improve this offseason. With a good number of options still available, Neander might not be wrong when he says that the team will be able to compete come Opening Day.