The Tampa Bay Rays have already been making some changes to their roster this offseason.
A myriad of moves were made to clean things up on the 40-man roster to open up spots for players needing to be activated off the 60-day injured list. Two of the players, right-handed pitchers Cole Wilcox and Joey Gerber, were traded to the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, respectively.
In a shocking turn of events, the Rays decided to decline the club option they had on closer Pete Fairbanks. Instead of locking him into a $12.5 million contract for 2026, they paid a $1 million buyout, and he is now a free agent.
Had that move been announced prior to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports putting together his way-too-early MLB power rankings, Tampa Bay may have landed even lower than they were already placed.
Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
The Rays came in at No. 22, being jumped by the Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, who moved up three spots apiece to Nos. 20 and 21.
“This is overall a similar but lesser operation to the Guardians and even Brewers. They’ll punch above their weight, but they just aren’t very good right now,” Snyder wrote.
The Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers, who both qualified for the postseason this year, were ranked Nos. 13 and 2, respectively, to emphasize just how much of a gap the MLB writer believes there is between those two teams and Tampa Bay.
The Rays have missed the postseason two years in a row, but that is an overly harsh assessment of where they stand heading into the offseason. There is a strong core developing for the front office to start building around.
Third baseman Junior Caminero is a star in the making. An All-Star in his first full Major League campaign, he became one of the youngest players in MLB history to reach the 45-home run and 110 RBI plateaus.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
On the opposite end of the diamond, first baseman Jonathan Aranda looks like a keeper as well. The Rays certainly need more offense to make a move up the standings. If they can find it in the form of a catcher, shortstop or outfielder, they are going to be in business.
There is a major void now to address at the back end of their bullpen, with Fairbanks’s option being declined. It also takes away a golden trade chip for the team to use to upgrade weaknesses on the roster.
Griffin Jax and Edwin Uceta should have the first crack at replacing him as the team’s closer.
In the starting rotation, things look great with two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan healthy heading into the offseason. Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen all made 31 starts in 2025, providing a strong core. Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour are two younger arms that could factor into the mix as well.
If Tampa Bay can find an affordable veteran to slide into the backend of the rotation, they will not hesitate to pull the trigger.
With a few tweaks, mainly in a lineup lacking some pop, the Rays can be right back in the mix for a playoff spot in the American League.