The Tampa Bay Rays have a glaring need in their lineup. Their No. 1 priority this winter needs to be finding upgrades for the outfield.
In 2025, their outfielders combined to hit only 29 home runs, which was by far the least in the MLB. It should come as no surprise that President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander mentioned power and run production as the two things the team is looking for when scouring the outfield market.
The Rays have reportedly been hitting the trade market already, seeking upgrades. It will be interesting to see what they come away with, or if they will turn their attention to free agency.
There, the crown jewel is right fielder Kyle Tucker. It would be an incredible story if the Tampa Bay native returned home, spurning big market clubs to help elevate and take his hometown team to another level.
Will Rays make a run at Kyle Tucker?
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With a new ownership group in place, the Rays have been mentioned as a potential dark horse for the four-time All-Star. Will they be willing to spend the kind of money it would take to bring in a player of his talent?
Optimism and excitement are on the rise, but this winter doesn’t seem like the time it will happen. As shared by one team source who spoke to The Athletic, don’t expect that major of a change this offseason in how they operate.
The source indicated in the piece written by Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal is that it is fair to assume that operations will be the same for now, with the usual amount of money to spend.
That almost certainly means not getting into the bidding for Tucker despite how perfect a fit he would be. Turning only 29 years old in January, he is in the prime of his career.
Talented enough to anchor a lineup, he would solve a lot of Tampa Bay’s offensive issues on his own. He provides an all-around impact at the plate, producing power numbers, driving in runs and stealing bases.
Kyle Tucker is everything the Rays need in an outfielder
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The cherry on top is that he is normally a very good defender in right field as well. Tucker won a Gold Glove Award in 2022 in addition to being a two-time Silver Slugger winner.
Pursuing a player of that caliber seems far-fetched given how the Rays have operated virtually their entire existence. Normally, they are in the bottom third of the MLB in payroll.
However, they did make a legitimate effort to pursue first baseman Freddie Freeman in free agency before he signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Tampa Bay doesn’t spend often, but if there is a special player available who fits the nucleus of what they already have in place, they will give it a shot. Case in point, when they reportedly made a 10-year, $300 million offer to New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.
Unfortunately for the Rays, they could still be seeing a lot of Tucker in the coming years even if he doesn’t sign with him.
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