The Rays Are Showing Their Hand as Aggressive Sellers

When the Tampa Bay Rays stepped onto the field on Thursday night in Toronto, no one quite knew what direction they’d take with the trade deadline just days away.

Sure, they had traded starter Aaron Civale earlier in the month, as well as right-handed reliever Phil Maton a few days later, but considering Civale’s 5.07 ERA in 2024 and Maton’s -0.6 fWAR out of the bullpen, those moves didn’t give off an all-in seller vibe.

It seemed as though the Rays were trimming a bit of fat while still leaving the door open to contend in 2024.

So, after a dominant 13-0 win over the Blue Jays moved the Rays to just four games out of the final American League Wild Card spot, the door to contention was certainly still open.

But then came the Randy Arozarena trade.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the Rays sent one of their franchise cornerstones and a postseason legend off to Seattle in exchange for prospects Aidan Smith, Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later.

Then, they wasted no time doubling down, sending one of their top starting options, Zach Eflin, to Baltimore on Friday afternoon in exchange for prospects Mac Horvath, Jackson Baumeister and Matthew Etzel.

The Rays are now firmly in the sellers category, leaving baseball fans to question who might be on the move next.

Here are some other names that could be dealt before July 30 if the Rays continue their aggressive selling strategy.

All stats used in this article were taken prior to games on July 26.

Rays Trade Chip: 3B Isaac Paredes

Isaac Paredes has been no stranger to trade rumors of late, as conversations about a potential move have consistently floated around since the offseason.

As the Rays’ lone All-Star in 2024 with the three and a half years of team control still remaining, trade talk surrounding Paredes only stands to increase now that the Rays have begun selling some of their key pieces.

There are numerous teams in need of help at third base, and Paredes certainly has a well-rounded game that would be a welcome addition to many contenders.

Paredes has been one of the league’s better hitters since joining the Rays back in 2022.

He is currently sporting a 2.9 fWAR and 131 wRC+ through 416 plate appearances in 2024.

He also continues to provide consistent power, as he’s well on his way to his third straight 20-plus home run season.

Paredes would also provide any contending team with a top-notch disciplined approach at the plate, as he currently ranks in the 91st percentile in walk rate, the 89th percentile in whiff rate and the 81st percentile in strikeout rate in 2024, according to Baseball Savant.

He is also a decent defender; he’s managed to post positive defensive ratings (per FanGraphs DEF) in his last four big-league seasons.

What adds to Paredes’ intrigue on the trade market is the fact that he’s also able to slot in at first base if necessary, having appeared in 15 games at the position this season, 12 of which were starts.

Big-time contenders like the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and New York Yankees are among those that could use a corner infielder with a robust offensive profile like Paredes.

So, with his strong hitting profile to pair with several years of team control, the potential return for Paredes may be too good for the Rays’ front office to pass up.

Rays Trade Chip: 1B Yandy Díaz

Yandy Díaz has been one the biggest contributors to Tampa Bay’s success in recent seasons.

Díaz finished sixth in AL MVP voting in 2023 after slashing .330/.410/.522 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI in 600 plate appearances.

And while 2024 hasn’t featured the same kind of production, Díaz has by no means been having an unproductive year. He is still sporting an above-average 111 wRC+ while hitting .273 and getting on base at a .329 clip in 416 plate appearances.

Considering he’s still under contract for just $10 million in 2025 with a $12 million club option for 2026, there should be plenty of teams interested in potentially picking up a very affordable first baseman who’s shown MVP-caliber upside in the recent past.

As mentioned when discussing Paredes, with big-time contenders like the Mariners, Yankees and Astros possibly in the market for an impactful first baseman, the Rays may look to capitalize on the almost 33-year-old Díaz while his value is still high.

Rays Trade Chip: RP Pete Fairbanks

If Tampa Bay is embracing the role of an aggressive seller, then one of the league’s better closing pitchers should almost certainly be on the block.

Pete Fairbanks certainly had his issues early on in the season, sporting a 9.00 ERA at the end of April.

But since then, after a strong month of May where he didn’t allow a single earned run, and a great month of June where he posted a 2.13 ERA across 12.1 innings, Fairbanks finds himself back on track. That once-9.00 ERA now sits at a comfortable 3.28.

And Fairbanks has an electric arm with an average fastball velocity of 97.2 mph, putting him in the top 3% of major league pitchers.

He also pairs his fastball with an excellent slider that opponents are hitting just .159 against so far this season.

So, with his pair of such strong pitches and extensive experience closing out ball games, there should be no shortage of teams calling Erik Neander to inquire about Fairbanks’ services, especially considering he’s under team control through 2026.

And that list has surely grown in recent days now that Oakland Athletics rookie closer Mason Miller is likely off the trade market after he landed on the IL with a hand fracture on July 25.

What’s more, with the Rays’ ability to consistently develop top relief arms seemingly out of nowhere, Fairbanks is that much more expendable knowing there could very well be an unknown name that their pitching development team makes into the next big bullpen piece in Tampa Bay.

Rays Trade Chip: SP Zack Littell

With one starter already off the books, the Rays may look to continue shedding valuable arms by dealing Zack Littell.

Littell has been a decent contributor for the Rays, who’ve faced extensive injury issues within their rotation the past two seasons.

He’s put up a 4.46 ERA so far in 2024 after posting a respectable 4.10 ERA in 2023.

Littell is also one of the better starters in the league at preventing the free pass, as his walk rate sits in the 94th percentile among major league pitchers.

While Littell is certainly not the flashiest name available on the trade market, there are always plenty of contending teams looking to add affordable arms to fill innings down the regular season stretch.

A couple of teams that will likely be hunting for such an arm this deadline are the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cleveland Guardians, whose starting rotations rank 24th and 29th, respectively, in combined rotation fWAR in 2024. They can use all the help they can get to eat innings for the rest of regular season.

And Littell holds value beyond this season, as he’s under team control through 2025.

So, the Rays could very well look to capitalize on a guy who likely won’t be in their starting pitching plans for 2025, when Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs return to join the likes of Taj Bradley, Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiot.

Rays Trade Chip: UTIL Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario has reached new heights with the Rays after signing a one-year deal with them this offseason.

After posting a below-league-average wRC+ of 88 in 2023, Rosario is currently on pace for a career-high in the same department just a year later. He has a 116 wRC+ in 264 plate appearances in 2024.

Rosario is also putting up career-high totals in batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.333), and BABIP (.372), while also posting his highest slugging percentage since 2019. He’s currently slugging at a .417 clip.

Having made appearances at shortstop, second base, third base and right field this season, Rosario has defensive versatility to pair with his productive bat – the exact combination several contending teams might be looking for.

And the Rays would be able to get a decent return for someone they seemingly took a flier on in free agency this offseason.