The Tampa Bay Rays have the unfortunate circumstance of residing in the AL East and not the AL Central. If the Rays found themselves in the latter, they may find it easier to compete with teams that have similar financial outlooks and roster compositions.
Nevertheless, unless realignment seriously emerges in the future, the Rays are stuck competing with the big guys. They need to be careful not to fall too far behind.
The Rays Can’t Afford To Fall Too Far Behind In The AL East
Getting left behind
This winter has featured a bevy of player transactions in the American League East. The division featured three playoff teams, including one that reached Game 7 of the World Series. Early activity has only reinforced this division’s competitiveness.
The Baltimore Orioles have made the biggest splashes by bringing in two huge offensive weapons in Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. The O’s continue to remain active in the pitching free agent/trade markets. The Boston Red Sox responded to an ouster in the AL Wild Card series by acquiring Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in a separate trade to bolster the rotation. The Red Sox still want a power bat in the middle of their lineup. The Toronto Blue Jays have already added Dylan Cease to a stacked rotation. The New York Yankees have been unusually quiet but have plenty of needs to address in the lineup and bullpen.
Where do the Rays go from here?
There are plenty of teams that “win” the off-season and then fall flat once the games really matter. Maybe the Blue Jays become the latest club to realize that spending doesn’t always equate to winning. In any event, the Rays have done a solid enough job working around their financial limitations.
There is still plenty of off-season left, but the addition of Cedric Mullins can pay huge dividends. Mullins can mentor young players on how to be professionals. Steven Matz is another guy who can impart a ton of wisdom on the younger members of the pitching staff. Moreover, the Rays need to be careful about trading someone like Brandon Lowe or Yandy Diaz because they are key offensive contributors who protect someone like Junior Caminero. Without Lowe or Diaz, Caminero’s production could be affected, further burdening an already weak lineup.
Also, the Rays need to nail the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft that was gifted to them earlier this week. Even if team payroll eventually increases as new ownership and a stadium are put in place, they need to build from within as an organization. The Rays had the top selection in 2008 and chose Tim Beckham over talents like Buster Posey. Or you can land someone like Evan Longoria with the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft. Bottom line, the Rays need to take advantage of a prime opportunity to draft top amateur talent.
The Tampa Bay Rays have the 2nd overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft pic.twitter.com/11PD6cW26g
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) December 9, 2025
Light at the end of the tunnel
There are reasons to believe that the Rays will play better as they move back into a revamped Tropicana Field. The Trop has always been a house of horrors for the other teams in the division. The Rays are 24-15 against the Blue Jays at home since the 2021 season. There is no better way to beat your rivals than in a head-to-head setting.
As mentioned, the Rays don’t necessarily need to have a better win-loss record as long as they make the playoffs. Then, in a short series, the Rays can play their usual game, centered on pitching and defense. In a best-of-three series, maybe someone like Shane McClanahan can shut down another lineup.
The bottom line is that the Rays can use their pitching advantages to overcome questions about the lineup. However, it would be nice to feel better about the Rays than simply relying on other teams collapsing down the stretch.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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