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Rays Sign John Rooney To Minor League Deal

The Rays announced they’ve signed lefty reliever John Rooney and infielder Raynel Delgado to minor league contracts with invitations to big league Spring Training. Francys Romero first reported the Delgado signing last night.

Rooney elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Astros at the beginning of the offseason. The 28-year-old had a brief stint with Houston, who acquired him from the Marlins in a small trade in August. (Rooney could be traded after July 31 because he’d been on a minor league contract.) The Astros called him up for his big league debut three weeks later. Rooney struck out two of six batters faced while giving up a solo home run to Luis Vázquez in his only appearance.

The Astros placed him on the injured list after that game. Rooney underwent season-ending surgery to treat tennis elbow and remove bone spurs. He’ll try to work his way back to the big leagues with Tampa Bay next spring. Rooney sits just 90-91 MPH with his fastballs while leaning more often on a low-80s breaking ball. It missed a lot of bats in Triple-A, where he struck out 34% of opponents en route to a 2.56 ERA in 43 appearances between Miami’s and Houston’s affiliates. He held left-handed hitters to a .155/.282/.169 line with 37 strikeouts and nine walks in 85 Triple-A plate appearances this year.

Delgado, 26 in April, has not played in MLB. He’s a former sixth-round pick by Cleveland who spent last season with the Brewers top farm team. The left-handed hitter put together a solid .281/.363/.378 slash while stealing 40 bases in 48 attempts. Delgado is stretched at shortstop but can serve as a depth piece at either second or third base.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/rays-sign-john-rooney-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Rays Release Forrest Whitley To Pursue NPB Opportunity

The Rays announced that they’ve released former top prospect Forrest Whitley to pursue an opportunity in Japan. Tampa Bay had selected him onto the 40-man roster a couple weeks ago to avoid losing him to minor league free agency. When the former first-round pick evidently found a better job overseas, the Rays were willing to let him depart.

Tampa Bay’s release of Whitley and trade of infielder Tristan Gray to Boston clears a couple spots on the 40-man roster. That’s down to 38 as this evening’s deadline to keep eligible prospects out of the Rule 5 draft approaches. It’s likely there are a few more cuts on the horizon for a Tampa Bay team that tends to churn the back of the roster and relies heavily on its farm system.

Whitley was once arguably the most talented pitching prospect in the sport. The Astros viewed the 6’7″ righty as a potential ace as he dominated up through the Double-A level. A failed drug test for a banned stimulant in 2018 was the first setback, and Whitley then suffered through multiple seasons ruined by injuries and underwhelming performance. That included Tommy John surgery in 2021 and a significant lat strain in ’23. Whitley could never find much of a rhythm when he was healthy enough to pitch in Triple-A.

He eventually exhausted his minor league options (even with Houston granted a fourth year) before he’d had much of a look at the big league level. He began this past season on the injured list. The Astros carried him on the MLB roster once he returned but designated him for assignment when he pitched terribly over his first 7 1/3 innings. The Rays acquired him in a cash trade but placed him on waivers after five underwhelming appearances. He cleared and finished the season as a non-roster player in Triple-A.

The final few months of the ’25 season were Whitley’s most promising in years. He fired 55 1/3 innings of 2.60 ERA ball while striking out 30.4% of opponents out of Durham’s rotation. Whitley’s heater averaged around 95 MPH and he leaned more heavily on his cutter and changeup while pulling back the usage of his sinker and curveball. It was encouraging enough for the Rays to keep him out of minor league free agency, but his out-of-options status meant he still would have needed to impress the club in Spring Training or risk heading back into DFA limbo.

Whitley is headed into his age-28 season and presumably has a rotation opportunity lined up in Japan. He has the power stuff and prospect pedigree to be one of the highest-upside NPB returnees a couple seasons from now if he carries over the form he showed in Durham. Doing so would come with a far higher earning ceiling than he was likely to find domestically. He’ll not only lock in a guaranteed contract for 2026, but he’d be able to return to MLB with the benefit of open market bidding if things go well in Japan. Whitley has yet to reach one year of MLB service time and would not have qualified for MLB free agency until his age-34 season even if he’d finally clicked at the big league level.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/rays-release-forrest-whitley-to-pursue-npb-opportunity.html
 
American League Non-Tenders: 11/21/25

Every American League team has officially announced their non-tender decisions. It was a quiet evening in terms of subtractions, with only the Rangers parting with any marquee players. All players who were non-tendered are free agents without going on waivers. A few teams dropped pre-arbitration players from the back of the 40-man roster. It’s possible they preferred not to expose them to waivers and are hopeful of re-signing them to non-roster deals.

Here’s a full list of today’s activity in the AL, while the National League moves are available here. All projected salaries are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

  • The Angels announced they’ve non-tendered outfielder Gustavo Campero and catcher Sebastian Rivero. Campero is a depth outfielder who has hit .202/.272/.346 over the past two seasons. Rivero operated as the club’s third catcher for most of the season but spent the final few weeks on the active roster. Neither player had been eligible for arbitration. All their arb-eligible players were easy calls to retain.
  • The Astros technically made one non-tender, dropping infielder Ramón Urías after he was designated for assignment earlier in the week. He’d been projected at $4.4MM.
  • The Athletics officially non-tendered outfielder JJ Bleday, the club announced. He’d been designated for assignment on Tuesday, so this was inevitable unless they found a trade partner. Bleday had been projected at $2.2MM.
  • The only non-tenders for the Red Sox were first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and reliever Josh Winckowski, each of whom had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Lowe was projected at $13.5MM, while Winckowski was at $800K.
  • The Guardians non-tendered outfielder Will Brennan and relievers Sam Hentges and Nic Enright. The latter had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Hentges hasn’t pitched since undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2024. He underwent a right knee procedure a few months ago and will be delayed this offseason. Brennan only appeared in six MLB games this year and underwent Tommy John surgery while in the minors in June. He’d been projected at $900K.
  • The Mariners non-tendered reliever Gregory Santos, reports Francys Romero. He’d only been projected at $800K, narrowly above the MLB minimum, so the move was about dropping him from the 40-man roster. Seattle acquired the 26-year-old righty from the White Sox over the 2023-24 offseason. He has only made 16 MLB appearances with a 5.02 earned run average over the past two years because of lat and knee injuries. Seattle also non-tendered relievers Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo (the latter of whom was designated for assignment on Tuesday). Thornton had been projected at $2.5MM and is coming off a 4.68 ERA through 33 appearances. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in August.
  • The Orioles non-tendered swingman Albert Suárez, the team announced. Everyone else in their arbitration class was offered a contract, surprisingly including first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan). Suárez, 36, was a solid depth starter in 2024. He was limited to five MLB appearances this past season by a flexor strain but is not expected to require surgery.
  • The Rangers non-tendered each of Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Josh Sborz and Jacob Webb. MLBTR covered those moves in greater detail.
  • The Rays only non-tendered outfielders Christopher Morel and Jake Fraley, each of whom had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reported last night that the Rays were open to bringing back Fraley at a lower price than his $3.6MM arbitration projection.
  • The Royals non-tendered outfielder MJ Melendez and reliever Taylor Clarke, per a club announcement. Melendez, who’d been projected at $2.65MM, was an obvious decision. The former top prospect never developed as hoped and is a career .215/.297/.388 hitter over parts of four seasons. Clarke isn’t as big a name but comes as the more surprising cut. He’d been projected at just $1.9MM and is coming off a 3.25 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate over 55 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
  • The Tigers are non-tendering utility player Andy Ibáñez, according to Romero. He’d been projected at $1.8MM. The righty-hitting Ibáñez had been a solid short-side platoon bat for Detroit between 2023-24. His production against southpaws dropped this year (.258/.311/.403), limiting his value. The Tigers optioned the 32-year-old to Triple-A in early June and kept him in the minors until shortly before the trade deadline. Detroit also dropped the six pitchers they’d designated for assignment earlier in the week: Tanner Rainey, Dugan Darnell, Tyler Mattison, Jason Foley, Jack Little and Sean Guenther.
  • The only Twins non-tender was outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who’d been designated for assignment this morning to make room for the Alex Jackson trade. Everyone in the arbitration class was brought back.
  • The White Sox non-tendered outfielder Mike Tauchman, as first reported by Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The lefty hitter turned in a solid .263/.356/.400 line in 93 games this past season. Tauchman has gotten on base at plus rates in three straight years but was also non-tendered by the Cubs a year ago. The 34-year-old (35 next month) had been projected for a $3.4MM salary. The Sox also announced they’ve dropped lefty reliever Cam Booser and first baseman Tim Elko. Neither had been eligible for arbitration. The former posted a 5.52 ERA in 39 appearances after being acquired from the Red Sox last winter, while the latter hit .134 in his first 23 MLB games despite a 26-homer season in Triple-A.
  • The Yankees announced five non-tenders. Relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, Jake Cousins and Ian Hamilton were all cut loose, as was pre-arbitration righty Michael Arias. Leiter, who’d been projected at $3MM, never clicked in the Bronx after being acquired at the 2024 deadline. He posted a 4.89 ERA in 70 innings as a Yankee. Hamilton, Effross and Cousins were all projected just above the MLB minimum but are cut to clear roster space. Hamilton was on and off the active roster and posted a 4.28 ERA in 40 big league frames this year. Effross was limited to 11 appearances and has been plagued by various injuries for the past three and a half years, while Cousins is working back from Tommy John surgery. Arias has never pitched in the big leagues and could be brought back on a minor league deal.

The Blue Jays tendered contracts to all unsigned players on the 40-man roster.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/american-league-non-tenders-11-21-25.html
 
Players Avoiding Arbitration: 11/21/25

The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.

These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who were borderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.

Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.

All salary projections in this post come via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are from The Associated Press unless otherwise noted.


Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/players-avoiding-arbitration-11-21-25.html
 
Rays Sign Jake Woodford To Minor League Deal

The Rays have signed right-hander Jake Woodford to a minor league deal with an invite to MLB spring training, as reported by MLBTR’s Steve Adams.

Woodford, 29, was a first-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2015 draft but didn’t make his MLB debut until the abbreviated 2020 season. He struggled to a 5.57 ERA as a long relief arm in his rookie year, but enjoyed better results come 2021 and ’22 with a respectable 3.26 ERA and 3.93 FIP in 116 total innings of work across those two campaigns. With that being said, his peripheral numbers weren’t quite so impressive. He struck out just 15.4% of his opponents while walking 7.5%. He did manage to make up for the lack of strikeouts by serving up grounders at a steady 45.8% clip, but the magic disappeared in 2023 as he was crushed to the tune of a 6.23 ERA before being non-tendered by the Cardinals that offseason.

Since departing St. Louis, Woodford has become a journeyman and hopped from team to team without sticking in any one organization for very long. In 2024 he split his time at the big league level between the White Sox and Pirates organizations but was torched to a 7.97 ERA in 35 innings of work despite a more manageable 4.94 FIP. After being DFA’d by Pittsburgh, he joined the Rockies last offseason but failed to break camp with the club and found himself on the market once again come Opening Day. From there, he caught on with the Yankees and Cubs organizations but did not make the majors with either club.

Woodford’s return to the big leagues came with the Diamondbacks this year, but he didn’t make the most of the opportunity. The right-hander made 22 appearances in Arizona but struggled badly, with a 6.44 ERA in 36 1/3 innings and a strikeout rate of just 13.5%. Arizona ultimately designated Woodford for assignment in late September, and he elected free agency shortly after the end of the 2025 campaign.

Now, Woodford is headed to one of the top teams in the league for pitching development as he looks to turn his career around. The Rays are known for their constant roster churn and their ability to turn otherwise unheralded pitchers into valuable pieces. It would hardly be a shock if they were able to unlock something with Woodford and help the right-hander get back on track, although Tampa has typically had more success unlocking arms with big strikeout potential like Edwin Uceta and Robert Stephenson. Either way, Woodford will enter the spring with a shot to compete for a long relief job in the bullpen with arms like Yoendrys Gomez and Joe Boyle.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/rays-sign-jake-woodford-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Red Sox Trade Luis Guerrero To Rays

The Red Sox and Rays have swapped right-hander Luis Guerrero and infielder Tristan Gray, per announcements from both clubs. Boston recently designated Guerrero for assignment and passed him through waivers unclaimed. The Red Sox designated first baseman Nate Lowe for assignment to open a 40-man spot for Gray.

Tampa Bay could have just claimed Guerrero off waivers but seemingly didn’t want to commit a 40-man roster spot to the hard-throwing but command-challenged righty. The 25-year-old has posted a strong 2.63 ERA in 27 1/3 innings for the Red Sox over the past two seasons and averages a potent 96.9 mph on his heater. However, he ended the season on the injured list due to an elbow issue and has regularly displayed alarming command (or lack thereof) both in the majors and upper minors.

Guerrero has walked nearly 15% of his major league opponents against a tepid 17.6% strikeout rate. He carries a 3.89 ERA in three Triple-A seasons but has walked or plunked a colossal 17.4% of his Triple-A opponents. That includes a walk rate just under 19% in 2025.

At times, Guerrero has posted gaudy strikeout and swinging-strike rates. The velocity is impressive, and he has a pair of minor league options remaining. That makes him an intriguing roll of the dice for Tampa Bay, but his health and troubling lack of command make him more of a project than a sure thing — small-sample major league ERA notwithstanding.

Guerrero would hardly be the first live-armed prospect to land in Tampa Bay and flourish, of course, and there ought to be ample opportunity in Kevin Cash’s bullpen. The Rays declined their $11MM club option on longtime closer Pete Fairbanks, making him a free agent. Holdovers include Edwin Uceta, Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, Bryan Baker and Mason Montgomery, but there’s plenty of innings for Guerrero (and others) to claim if he can impress in spring training or in the early portion of the Triple-A season.

As for Gray, he’s a 29-year-old with limited MLB experience across parts of three seasons. He tallied 86 plate appearances with the Rays in 2025 and hit .231/.282/.410 with three homers and five doubles. Gray walked at a 7% clip and fanned at a 22.1% rate in his 30 games with Tampa Bay. He split the bulk of his season between the Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox, slashing .270/.333/.472 in 282 turns at the plate.

Gray is a left-handed hitter with considerable experience at all four infield positions. He’s played more second, short and third than first base but still has 938 innings even as a first baseman. He also has a minor league option remaining. He’ll go on Boston’s 40-man roster as a depth piece who can be stashed in Triple-A Worcester, though he’s not a lock to make it through the offseason on the 40-man roster. Guerrero will be in camp with the Rays as a non-roster invitee and head to Triple-A Durham if he doesn’t make the club next spring.

MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo first reported that Guerrero had been traded to Tampa Bay.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/red-sox-trade-luis-guerrero-rays.html
 
Rays Sign Jake Fraley

The Rays announced the signing of outfielder Jake Fraley to a one-year deal. It’s reportedly a $3MM guarantee for the CAA client, who can earn an additional $400K in bonuses — $100K apiece for 85, 115, 145 and 175 days on the active roster. The Rays non-tendered him last week but were reported to be interested in bringing Fraley back at a lesser rate than his projected arbitration price tag (which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz pegged at $3.6MM).

Fraley, 30, was originally drafted by the Rays with the No. 77 overall pick back in 2016. He wound up in Seattle, where he’d go on to make his MLB debut, after being included in the trade that brought catcher Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay. Fraley played parts of three seasons with the M’s before again being traded, this time to Cincinnati as part of the return for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker.

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In parts of four seasons with the Reds, Fraley hit .260/.336/.421 with 38 homers, 54 doubles and a pair of triples in 1202 plate appearances. Calf, shoulder and oblique injuries combined to limit him to just 76 games and 217 plate appearances this season, during which he batted .241/.332/.382. The Reds placed Fraley on waivers in August, at which point he was claimed by the Braves. Atlanta waived Fraley after the season, and the Rays claimed him — only to non-tender him last week. He’s now back on what are surely more favorable terms for the team.

Fraley doesn’t hit lefties whatsoever (.175/.271/.237 in 240 career plate appearances), but he’s a .261/.344/.432 hitter in more than 1300 attempts versus right-handed pitching. He runs well — this season’s average sprint speed of 28.4 ft/sec sat was a career-high and sat in the 77th percentile of big leaguers — and is a capable defender in either outfield corner. His arm strength checked into the 86th percentile of big league outfielders in 2025, per Statcast.

The addition of Fraley gives the Rays an even more crowded outfield mix. He’s a third pure lefty swinger joining Chandler Simpson and Josh Lowe, as well as the right-handed-hitting Jonny DeLuca and switch-hitting Jake Mangum in the mix for playing time. Lefties Tristan Peters and Richie Palacios are also on the 40-man roster. The exact manner in which playing time shakes out will hinge on subsequent moves and spring performance, but Fraley should see time in both corners and at designated hitter against right-handed pitching. He’s a good enough fielder and runner to profile as a late-game substitute, whether that’s as a defensive replacement, a pinch-runner or a pinch-hitter against a tough righty.

Tampa Bay currently projects for a $94MM payroll, per RosterResource. Fraley will obviously push that number north a bit. That’s already higher than the payroll in 2025, a season spent in a minor league park wherein the Rays ranked second-to-last in the majors in attendance. The Rays already made the somewhat surprising option to decline their $11MM club option on closer Pete Fairbanks, and it stands to reason that further veteran pieces could be moved. Brandon Lowe and his $11.5MM salary are available on the trade market, and speculatively speaking, Josh Lowe (projected $2.9MM salary) could be easier to part with now that Fraley is on board.

Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times first reported the agreement and the $3MM salary with $400K in bonuses. The Associated Press reported the bonus specifics.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/rays-sign-jake-fraley.html
 
Rays, Brandon Hyde Discussing Advisor Role

Former Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde is in talks with the Rays about taking a position within the organization, reports Robert Murray of Fansided. The two parties have been discussing a senior advisor role that would see Hyde work with both the major league club and various minor league affiliates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times adds. Murray indicates that while an agreement has not yet been finalized, Hyde is expected to end up working for the Rays for the upcoming season.

Hyde, 52, managed the Orioles from 2019-25. In his seven seasons with Baltimore, his clubs produced a 421-491 record. Judging any manager based on wins and losses alone is a frivolous endeavor, though, and that’s especially true of Hyde, whose first season in Baltimore coincided with a complete teardown and rebuild of the organization. Following the 2018 season, the Orioles dismissed general manager Dan Duquette, hiring current president of baseball operations Mike Elias in his place. Elias installed Hyde as his new skipper but also gutted the roster and spent several seasons tanking while working to rebuild the farm system and modernize the infrastructure of the organization.

Hyde oversaw winning teams each season from 2022-24 and was named 2023 AL Manager of the Year after the O’s won the American League East and piled up 101 victories. The Orioles went to the postseason in both 2023 and 2024 but were swept out of the playoffs both times — first in the ALDS by the eventual World Series champion Rangers and next by the Royals in the 2024 Wild Card round of play.

The Orioles entered 2025 with big expectations but floundered out of the gates thanks to a clear lack of starting pitching and a lineup that wasn’t performing as expected. By mid-May, the 15-28 Orioles had seen their season already slip away. Hyde was dismissed from his managerial post and replaced by third base coach Tony Mansolino on an interim basis.

Prior to his time at the helm in Baltimore, Hyde was a bench coach and first base coach with the Cubs. Before that, he spent two seasons as the Marlins’ bench coach plus several years as a manager, hitting coach and field coordinator in Miami’s minor league ranks. A catcher and first baseman in his playing days, Hyde also spent four years playing in the White Sox’ system before moving onto the coaching and managerial phase of his career.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...de-former-orioles-manager-senior-advisor.html
 
Rays Prospect Xavier Isaac “Fully Recovered” After Brain Surgery

Rays outfield prospect Xavier Isaac was limited to 41 Double-A games in 2025, and he didn’t play after June 25 due to what was thought to be a continuation of the wrist and elbow injuries that hampered him earlier in the season. However, Isaac revealed in an Instagram post that he actually underwent a “life saving” brain surgery on July 3, following a routine brain scan for what seemed to be just a dehydration issue. The specific nature of the surgery wasn’t detailed, and Isaac asked the Rays to keep news of the procedure private.

Fortunately, Isaac said he has “fully recovered” and is ready to resume his career. MLB.com’s Adam Berry writes that Isaac “is expected to be ready for Spring Training,” and that some on-field work has already begun since Isaac took part in a hitting camp along with other Tampa Bay prospects.

Selected with the 29th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Isaac has hit .262/.378/.489 with 46 home runs over 1064 plate appearances in pro baseball. Isaac cracked the Double-A level for the first time in 2024 and was still had an .812 OPS over 175 PA with the Montgomery affiliate in 2025 before his season was abruptly ended, even though he struck out in 52 of those 175 trips to the plate.

Isaac has drawn top-100 attention from multiple outlets over the last two seasons, with MLB Pipeline the most bullish by ranking Isaac as the 51st-best prospect in baseball heading into the 2025 season. While his 2025 numbers are hard to really evaluate due to both his injuries and lack of playing time, Isaac’s ability to make consistent contact was a question mark for pundits even prior to this year. Isaac has plenty of power and exit velocity when he’s able to make contact and get the ball into the air, but he’ll need to do this on a more consistent basis in order to keep making his way up the minor league ladder.

Of course, the higher priority right now is just that Isaac (who turns 22 in December) is healthy following what he described as “the scariest moment of my life.” Isaac gave thanks to his loved ones, the Rays, and the Duke University Medical team for helping him through the ordeal, and said that he now has “a new purpose, a new fire, and a heart full of gratitude” as he returns to action.

“This comeback isn’t just about baseball — it’s about life. Every day. Every breath. Every swing. Here’s to recovery, resilience, and the next chapter,” Isaac wrote.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...saac-fully-recovered-after-brain-surgery.html
 
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