Rays Need To Make Move To Sign Star Slugger to Extension
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Through the first month of the 2026 MLB season, the Tampa Bay Rays have far exceeded all expectations.
They have already ripped off two six-game winning streaks, beating up on American League Central foes in the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians, while also sweeping the New York Yankees.
Starting pitching has been a strength for the Rays, but they have also received timely, clutch hitting. One of the players leading the way in the lineup is third baseman Junior Caminero, who has not missed a beat despite moving away from Steinbrenner Field for home games.
A highly-touted prospect moving through Tampa Bay’s minor league system, he is the cornerstone of the franchise. One that the Rays should be working as hard as possible to lock into a long-term deal.
Junior Caminero worth signing to extension
There were a lot of extensions agreed to recently between teams and their young stars. Four of them surpassed the $100 million mark: Konnor Griffin and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kevin McGonigle and the Detroit Tigers, Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox and Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs.
Some of the extensions were agreed upon prior to a player even debuting in the Major Leagues. That isn’t the case with Caminero, who debuted with massive expectations and has lived up to the hype.
Before reaching the Big Leagues, his manager in winter ball was the great Albert Pujols. A future Hall of Famer, he proclaimed that the young Rays star would one day be enshrined in Cooperstown as well.
That bold prediction certainly looks like a possibility. An All-Star in his breakout 2025 campaign when he launched 45 home runs and recorded 110 RBI, Caminero is a star. The kind of player any franchise would love to have as its face, someone to build around for the long term.
My goodness, Junior Caminero 😱 pic.twitter.com/ENp02d4K4P
— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2026
Already one of the best power hitters in the sport, he has another level he can take his production to. He swings as hard as any player in baseball and is hitting the ball into the ground less and less.
His strikeout rate is down, and his walk rate is up, hinting that he is getting a better grasp of the strike zone. However, Tampa Bay does need to find more protection for him in the lineup; opposing pitchers will have no qualms about sending him to first base with a walk since it is better than giving up a home run.
As someone who wants to stay with the Rays, it is a no-brainer for the team to engage in extension talks with him. With a looming lockout and potential salary cap on the horizon, it makes sense for both sides to lock in a lucrative long-term deal because Caminero looks like the real deal.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.