ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Taylor Walls is a Gold Glove winner.

The Rays shortstop was awarded his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award Sunday night as the postseason honors began.

Walls, 30, has been a finalist twice, in 2023 and 2025.

The last Tampa Bay players to earn the award were outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, who was honored in 2019 (his last of three) and third baseman Evan Longoria, who won in 2017 (who also won three times).

Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson was a finalist but lost out to the Yankee’s Cody Bellinger.   

Rays pick up Rasmussen option

 The AL champion Tampa Bay Rays exercised their $20 million option Saturday on ace pitcher Drew Rasmussen.

Tampa Bay picked up the 2027 club option on Rasmussen’s contract rather than pay him a $500,000 buyout. The two-time All-Star can become a free agent after next season.

Rasmussen earned a $5.5 million salary this year as part of an $8.5 million, two-year deal he and the Rays agreed to in January 2025 to avoid arbitration. But the 2027 option price increased from $8 million to $20 million because Rasmussen remained healthy throughout the 2026 season and made at least 28 starts, making the contract worth $28 million over three seasons.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen throws during the first inning of Game 5 of baseball’s World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

The 31-year-old Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 30 starts during the regular season, helping the Rays to an AL East title. He was 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA in five postseason starts as Tampa Bay won its third pennant.

Rasmussen threw a career-high 172 innings this season and 28 2/3 more in the postseason. He has had three major elbow operations in his career, including Tommy John surgeries in 2016 and 2017 and an internal brace procedure in 2023.

He is 46-22 with a 2.83 ERA in 160 major league games, including 111 starts, over seven seasons with Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.

On Friday, the Rays declined mutual options on starting pitcher Nick Martinez and outfielder Cedric Mullins.

Martinez, 36, had a $20 million mutual option with a $4 million buyout as part of a $13 million, one-year contract.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.