The 2025 season was an odd one for the Tampa Bay Rays. They were forced to play at the New York Yankees sprting training home, Steinbrenner Field, after Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field.  

It was a new environment for the team with new dimensions that they had to learn. On top of that, the starpower on their roster compared to the rest of the AL East was nearly incomparable. 

Ty finished the season with a 77-85 record, missing the postseason for the second year in a row. And with what the rest of the teams in the AL East have done so far this offseason, it will be an uphill battle for this team in 2026. 

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Rays pressed to reunite with this durable starting pitcher

One name that has started to pick up steam lately has been Zack Littell. He is one of the few starting pitchers still left on the open market. 

He is coming off a season split between the Rays and the Cincinnati Reds, where he posted a 10-8 record with a 3.81 ERA across 186.2 innings of work. 

Littell was a part of the three-team trade that sent him to Cincinnati. The Rays received Hunter Feduccia and Brian Van Belle, while the Los Angeles Dodgers received Adam Serwinowski, Paul Gervase, and Ben Rortvedt. 

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly believes a reunion here would be great.

“It’s fair to say Littell probably won’t be returning to the Reds, though a reunion with the Rays makes quite a bit of sense.”

The Rays do not have a lot of proven arms besides Shane McClanahan and Ryan Pepiot. Littell is a proven strike thrower and someone who can go deep into games. 

On top of that, he is already comfortable with the organization. So, don’t be surprised if you see these two coming to terms on a deal soon. 

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