As the winter meetings get set to start in a couple of days, the hot stove is starting to heat up for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Coming into the offseason, the Rays were always going to be a team to watch with the potential to contend in 2026, but also a couple of veterans who could be traded. Surprisingly, despite being considered to be one of the best potential trade candidates available when it was assumed Pete Fairbanks’ option would be picked up.
Tampa Bay elected not to go that route and declined the team option on the right-hander, making him a free agent. Even though they might have let Fairbanks go to free agency, they do have a couple of other talented veterans nearing the ends of their contracts that they might look to trade.
While All-Star slugger Brandon Lowe has had his name start to pop up in rumors, he isn’t the only talented slugger that the team might look to move this winter.
Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently wrote about Rays slugger Yandy Diaz being a potential fit for the Cincinnati Reds to improve their offense.
Diaz Would Be a Strong Option