Rays Wisely Seen as Potential Landing Spot for Twins Slugger

Which slugger from the Minnesota Twins could be a good option for the Tampa Bay Rays?

Jul 4, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Twins players wear commemorative hats as seen before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With the trade deadline about two months away, buzz is starting to generate about some potential options for teams. For the Tampa Bay Rays, they should be buyers, and the team has a few areas that they could look to address. 

The Rays have been easily one of the biggest surprises in baseball with the best record in the American League. Tampa Bay was at best expected to be a .500 club, and they have blown past those expectations. 

Recently, the Rays have hit their first rough patch of the season. Entering their series against the Miami Marlins, they have lost eight of their last 10 games and have been swept twice during that span. Due to the team blowing away expectations, there has been some concern about the team regressing. 

Even though they have been really good overall, there are a few spots that they could seek upgrades for. Tampa Bay has a loaded farm system and should be able to be in the mix for a lot of players at the deadline. However, one player could be a great option. 

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports recently wrote about the Rays being a potential landing spot for Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. 

Jeffers Would Help Improve Lineup

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Coming into the season, one of the positions that was a major concern for Tampa Bay was behind the plate. This figured to be a spot that the team was going to upgrade over the winter, but they elected not to. While adding an impact player at catcher is not easy, the Rays going into the campaign with the combination of Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia was surprising. 

It’s been a split in terms of playing time so far between the two, with Fortes getting more opportunities so far. However, Feduccia has been better offensively, which has resulted in some more playing time. Neither option has been good offensively, with each of them under a .700 OPS. 

As the Rays look to identify areas that they can improve, catcher is certainly one of them, and Jeffers would be a nice addition. So far this season, he has slashed 295/.408/.541 with seven home runs and 26 RBI. It has been a breakout campaign so far, and those offensive numbers would really help the Rays’ lineup. With Tampa Bay trying to improve, the talented catcher from the Twins would be a great player for them to pursue.