With the offseason starting to heat up, the Tampa Bay Rays will be actively trying to improve their team, whether it be for the short-term or long-term, this winter. 

Recently, one of the top free agents came off the board fairly quickly, with first baseman Josh Naylor signing with the Seattle Mariners. This could start to move the market for that position, and it will be interesting to see how quick things might move with the holidays coming up next week. 

For the Rays, they have been active so far with a couple of smaller moves to help shape the roster, but there are a few needs that they would likely want to address to improve the team. Furthermore, while the team might look to add, they could also elect to trade a veteran or two. 

Shockingly, the team elected not to pick up the team option on closer Pete Fairbanks, as the team figured to want to trade him and get something in return this winter. However, there is another player that they did pick up the option for, and it will be interesting to see what the plan is for him.

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently wrote that the Rays would listen to offers on All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe this winter. 

Lowe Would Bring Back a Strong ReturnTampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The All-Star slugger is coming off one of the best years of his career and was able to stay healthy for the most part. His offensive production was a key contributor for the team in 2025 and losing him would be a significant blow. 

However, with Lowe being in the last year of his contract, he is a prime trade candidate for the Rays. Even with new ownership coming in, Tampa Bay rarely looks to pay veteran players long-term, and Lowe will generate a plethora of interest as a free agent. 

While the Rays might see Lowe in their long-term plans, they do need him in 2026. There isn’t a clear-cut replacement for him and finding that type of offensive production would be extremely hard. If the team did elect to move him, there would undoubtedly be a number of suitors. He was one of the best offensive second basemen in the league last year and can also play a little bit of first as well. 

If Tampa Bay did trade him, it would be an early indication that they aren’t going to be serious about being a contender this year. That type of production would be impossible for them to replace, but long-term, it’s understandable. 

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