Rays Named Ideal Landing Spot for Reunion With Starting Pitcher

With pitchers and catchers set to report soon for the Tampa Bay Rays, their offseason is finally coming to a close. However, adding a little bit more could make some sense before the start of the year. 

It has been a very busy winter for the Rays, who have made a ton of moves trying to improve the team both for 2026 and in the future. Tampa Bay is a team that is hoping to contend this coming campaign, but it is going to be an uphill battle against the other teams in the American League East. 

Even though they have been active this offseason, it’s hard to say that the team is better coming into the season than they were last year. The decision to move on from Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz to restock the farm system could help in the long run, but Lowe was an All-Star player in 2025, and Baz was a solid pitcher in the starting rotation. 

While the team did trade for Gavin Lux to be the new second baseman, they could use another arm in the rotation following the loss of Baz. 

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Rays being an ideal landing spot for a reunion with starter Zack Littell in free agency. 

Rotation Depth Makes Sense

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Zack Littell | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A potential reunion with Littell, who the Tampa Bay traded at the trade deadline to the Cincinnati Reds, certainly makes sense. With the Rays last year, the right-hander totaled an 8-8 record and 3.58 ERA in 22 starts. There was undoubtedly some concern that with an FIP of 4.92, there would be some regression, and that ended up happening a bit with the Reds. 

Following the trade, he totaled a 2-0 record and 4.39 ERA in 10 starts with Cincinnati. Even though he might not have made the impact for the Reds that the team would have hoped, he logged a lot of innings in 2025 and performed well overall. 

For Tampa Bay, a reunion to bring him back does make sense with a veteran innings eater and a depth piece for the rotation being a need. Littell might not be a star pitcher, but he can pick up the ball every fifth game and give a team a chance to win. Furthermore, an affordable one-year deal likely would be enough to get the job done, and that aligns with the Rays’ plan.

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