The Tampa Bay Rays are a team that many people are expecting to be active on the trade market this offseason.
Multiple veterans on the Major League roster are viewed as excellent trade chips this winter. Second baseman Brandon Lowe is going to receive a lot of interest, as will designated hitter Yandy Diaz.
Had the team not opted to decline the club option on closer Pete Fairbanks, he would have generated a good amount of interest on the trade market as well.
While there hasn’t been much movement on those fronts yet, the Rays did recently complete a trade with the Minnesota Twins, continuing their early offseason roster shake-up.
Rays trade Eric Orze to Twins for Jacob Kisting
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Relief pitcher Eric Orze is heading to the Twins in exchange for minor league pitcher Jacob Kisting. It is a deal that makes sense for both teams, given where they are each currently at.
Minnesota gets a flyer on a 28-year-old who had some success in 2025. He produced 0.6 bWAR across 33 appearances and 41.2 innings pitched, recording a 3.02 ERA with 40 strikeouts.
There are going to be jobs available in the Twins’ bullpen in 2026 after the teardown fire sale that occurred ahead of the trade deadline in July. He should have an opportunity to seize a role after a strong campaign.
Tampa Bay actually got in on the team’s fire sale, acquiring Griffin Jax in exchange for Taj Bradley.
As for Kisting, this is a worthwhile gamble for the Rays to take. A 14th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Bradley, he performed well in his first full season as a professional in 2025.
Jacob Kisting has real upside for Rays to work with
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He made 30 total appearances between Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, throwing 73.2 innings with a 3.79 ERA. 77 strikeouts were registered, recording a punchout on 25.7% of his batters faced.
That kind of strikeout potential, mixed with his stellar 7.7% walk rate, gives the Tampa Bay developmental staff a strong base to work with.
Another important piece of the puzzle for a team that operates in the fashion in which the Rays do is that Kisting won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for two years. By flipping Orze in exchange for him, a spot was opened on the 40-man roster to continue adding talent in the coming weeks.
It will be interesting to see what level the organization decides to start him out at in 2026. Will they want to evaluate him themselves and start him in High-A Bowling Green, or send him right to Double-A Montgomery?
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