With new ownership running the Tampa Bay Rays, there was hope that one thing would change: that the Rays would be willing to loosen the purse strings, spend some money to keep their free agents, and not trade their veteran players when they were about to earn a big payday. 

Sadly, that does not appear to be the case as the Rays traded pitcher Shane Baz and 10 year veteran Brandon Lowe in separate deals on Friday afternoon, all pointing to 2028 and being able to field a competitive ballclub as they start play in their new stadium.

The Rays first traded Baz to their division rival Baltimore Orioles. In exchange, the Rays acquired four of the Orioles’ top prospects and a draft pick. The Rays picked up outfielder Slater de Braun (No. 6), catcher Caden Bodine (No. 10), right-hander Michael Forret (No. 11), and outfielder Austin Overn (No. 30). 

Bodine played at Coastal Carolina last season, and de Braun was drafted from Summit High in Bend, Oregon. Forret started last season in Class A and finished in AA. He went 2-2 as a starter with a 1.58 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 74 innings. Overn hit a combined .249 between Class A and AA ball with 13 home runs and 64 stolen bases. 

Baz was a mainstay of the Rays’ rotation last season, going 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA. He had a career high in strikeouts with 176 and innings pitched at 166. 

All of the prospects the Rays picked up in the Orioles trade are expected to begin at various levels of the minor leagues. 

The Rays have struggled to find a quality catcher since Travis d’Arnaud in 2019. The Rays went through five catchers last season in Danny Jansen, Nick Fortes, Matt Thaiss, Ben Rortvedt, and Hunter Feduccia. Collectively, this group hit .187 with 14 homers and 56 runs batted in. Bodine will need more playing time in the minors before he is MLB-ready, but at least the Rays now have a top catching prospect they can develop. 

The Rays also announced a three-team deal involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros. The Rays sent second baseman Brandon Lowe, pitcher Mason Montgomery, and outfielder Jake Magum to the Pirates. The Pirates then sent pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston, and in return, the Rays received two of the Astros’ top ten prospects in outfielder Jacob Melton (No. 2) and pitcher Anderson Brito (No. 7).

Melton is the only prospect of the two who may be MLB-ready. Melton has good speed and a decent glove, but struggled in his 32-game tryout in Houston last season, hitting .157 with no homers and 7 RBI’s. Perhaps a change of scenery will do Melton some good. Rays GM Erik Neander said that they expect Melton to be part of the 2026 team. 

Anderson Brito has not pitched above the Class A level. Brito was 0-1 with a 3.28 ERA last season, but did have 65 strikeouts in 49 innings. 

Lowe was sent packing less than two months after the Rays picked up his option for 2026. Lowe has spent his entire career with the Rays after being drafted in 2015. He has been an integral part of the Rays lineup since he arrived in Tampa, and was their longest active tenured player. Lowe is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, hitting 31 home runs. He was named to the All-Star team for just the second time in his career. Lowe leaves the Rays No. 3 all-time on the home run list with 261, trailing only Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena. 

The Rays held on to Lowe at the trade deadline, but have now demonstrated that they are willing to part with some of their veteran players. Could Yandy Diaz be next?

With the Brandon Lowe trade, that means that we may see a platoon of Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls at second base, with Carson Williams handling the shortstop duties. A wildcard could be outfielder Chandler Simpson, who did play second base in college. 

With these moves, it would appear the Rays have thrown in the towel on the 2026 season and are going all in for 2028, the first season in the yet-to-be-built new stadium. 

However, Rays GM Erik Neander says that is not so. “That is not a white flag by any means,” he said. “But it means you have to be open-minded if an aggressive offer comes along that we believe strengthens us considerably for the years ahead and potentially in a new ballpark. We’ve got to weigh that against where we are. Those are difficult decisions to make.”

In other news, the Rays have claimed pitcher Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. Bido pitched for the Oakland A’s last season, going 2-5 with a 5.87 ERA.