The Tampa Bay Rays have started up their offseason, with the direction of the team and what the plan will be is starting to take shape.
It has already been a fairly active winter for the Rays, who are seeking to make some improvements and get back into playoff contention. With a good chunk of their roster returning, there is reason to believe that they will be able to improve in 2026. Furthermore, early indications are that they will be a contender.
While that might be the case, the team still has a couple of areas that it would behoove them to upgrade. Some places might be more important than others, but there are needs on this team to address.
After declining the team option on closer Pete Fairbanks, that will free up some money that the team can look to allocate to other areas. Tampa Bay generally does a good job getting the most out of their payroll and the team. This winter will be no different, and it will be interesting to see what positions the teams look to prioritize.
Erik Neander recently spoke with Mark Feinsand of MLB and highlighted the catcher position as one that he didn’t seem overly intent on improving.
“If we can find a way to be better at that position, we will, but those are two guys we appreciate.”
Not Improving at Catcher Would Be Surprising
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Even though Neander might have said that the team likes what they have with Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia, that doesn’t mean that they can’t also seek an upgrade. While the organization might believe in both of them, the stats don’t lie, and neither was really suitable to be a starting catcher.
Of the two, there is some hope that Feduccia could develop into an everyday starter after being stuck behind Will Smith on the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the minors, his offensive numbers were really strong, but that didn’t translate with Tampa Bay in 2025 when he got a chance in the Majors.
Upgrading at the catcher spot is never easy, and options are usually limited. There might be a couple of options on the trade market, but free agency likely presents them with the best chance to make an upgrade. It will be interesting to see how Neander and the organization attack the winter and if catcher is indeed a spot they look to upgrade.
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