The Tampa Bay Rays were in the World Series five years ago. However, the franchise has been sitting on the sidelines of the postseason for the last two autumns. They will need more star power to compete with the elite clubs. What if I told you that the Rays once employed two such starting pitchers in their rotation? The Rays sometimes make bad trades, and these maneuvers highlight that they, too, are mortal.
Two Former Rays Starting Pitchers Enjoying Stardom with Dodgers
Snell Gets The Early Hook
Five years ago, Blake Snell was pulled in a dominant World Series Game 6 outing of 5 1/3 innings of work with two hits allowed and only 73 pitches thrown. Snell was pitching the game of his life in a spot where the Rays nearly toppled the mighty Dodgers. Instead, manager Kevin Cash trotted out to the mound at Globe Life Field and called on a bullpen that was running on fumes. Cash defended his decision, even though baseball fans are still in disbelief over the situation, which ultimately led to the Dodgers winning 3-1 to clinch the series.
“I guess I regret [the Snell move] because it didn’t work out,” Cash said. “But I feel like the thought process was right. Every decision that’s made, that end result has a pretty weighing factor in how you feel about it.”
Snell is a competitor, and even though he didn’t outright broadcast his frustration, the native of Washington state must have felt like he had more in the tank on that fateful October evening. The situation evidently became too uncomfortable for either side. Snell was traded to the San Diego Padres a few months later.
Snell Shipped Out West
Obviously, the Rays would be able to get something valuable back in return for a pitcher like Snell. Not so fast!
The Rays received RHP Luis Patiño, RHP Cole Wilcox, C Blake Hunt, and C Francisco Mejia in exchange for Snell. Where exactly are all of these players? Patiño posted a 5.24 ERA, 5.37 FIP, 1.496 WHIP, and an 82 ERA+ over 101 1/3 innings with the Rays. He was then traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2023 before the Padres ironically brought him back to their organization. Patiño has been toiling around in the minors since that point. Mejia and Hunt are so disappointing that the catching-starved Rays couldn’t justify keeping either of these two backstops. Wilcox, meanwhile, has been slowed by a Tommy John surgery and disappointing results on the field.
Blake Snell is so good. Why would any team ever trade him.
— 24/7 Rays (@247Rays) October 14, 2025
This was a bad trade. The Rays front office deserves plenty of plaudits for constructing an annual contender on a budget. However, when they make a trade this lopsided in the other direction, the facts need to speak loudly and clearly. Snell maneuvered his way around the National League West and eventually signed with the Dodgers on a 5-year, $182 million deal.
It’s Not Just Snell Who is Dominating
Snell is proving to be the pitcher that every Rays fan grew accustomed to. Snell joins fellow ex-Ray Tyler Glasnow in a rotation that is poised to make some noise in the upcoming World Series. Glasnow was traded by the Rays after it became clear he would cost a pretty penny in free agency. He is coming off an injury-riddled regular season in which he posted a 3.19 ERA, 29% strikeout rate, and a slightly elevated 11.7% walk rate over 90.1 innings. Still, he is turning it on in the playoffs with a 0.68 ERA through three starts.
Congrats to former Rays players Tyler Glasnow, Ben Rortvedt and Blake Snell on winning the NL pennant
Hopefully soon, we won’t have to be cheering on former Rays making it to the World Series
— Rays The Roof (@RaysTheRoofTB) October 18, 2025
Glasnow and Snell are the type of starting pitchers that the Rays will eventually need again. All playoff teams need stars to get them to the promised land. Platoons and openers are great for a marathon regular season, but playoff baseball is determined by the contributions of multiple stars. Snell is a special case because the Rays literally saw this guy dominate on the biggest stage and somehow found a way to screw up the relationship. The team still has the makings of a good rotation. Having a clear-cut ace on your roster is never a bad idea.
Main Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
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