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Baseball season is quickly approaching, and this is where I'll share tidbits about my favorite team.
Rays Team Notes
- Thread starter Tampa Bay Rays
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Baseball season is quickly approaching, and this is where I'll share tidbits about my favorite team.
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Tigers, Rays Agreed To Trade On Monday
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/tigers-rays-agreed-to-trade-on-monday/
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Major League Baseball offseason has been filled with excitement as many star players have changed teams either via trade or free agency.
With big names such as Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried and Kyle Tucker all joining new clubs, many teams will have a completely new look in 2025.
While the excitement surrounds all of the big trades and free agency signings, there are multiple transactions that don’t get as much attention.
A reported trade between the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays falls into this category.
Faedo is a 29-year-old pitcher who played all three seasons of his MLB career with the Tigers.
In 2024, he appeared in 37 games and was 5-3 with a 3.61 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched.
Passan mentioned that Faedo had a solid season with the Tigers in 2024 and could be a contributor to the Rays in 2025.
Delgado is a 20-year-old prospect who has yet to make his MLB debut.
In 2024 with two minor league teams, he played in 65 games and batted .259 with four home runs, 30 RBIs and a .782 OPS.
Many trades of this nature fall under the radar to most fans, but they can make a big impact as the season moves forward.
The post Tigers, Rays Agreed To Trade On Monday appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/tigers-rays-agreed-to-trade-on-monday/
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Analyst Says 1 MLB Team Could Be Surprisingly Competitive This Season
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-says-1-mlb-team-could-be-surprisingly-competitive-this-season/
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays missed the postseason for the first time in six seasons after finishing with a record of 80-82 and coming in fourth in the American League East.
Although the Rays missed the postseason in 2024, the five straight appearances before that are impressive due to the level of teams in their division, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.
This offseason, the Rays have made a couple of notable acquisitions, including Eloy Jimenez on a minor league deal, catcher Danny Jansen and utility player Ha-Seong Kim.
MLB analyst Robert Flores recently revealed what he expects from the Rays this season.
The Rays play in arguably the best division in Major League Baseball yet they made five straight postseason appearances from 2019 to 2023, including a World Series appearance in 2020.
Kim is the newest addition, and he has the ability to play multiple positions on the infield, which could be useful for the Rays when he is able to return from shoulder surgery.
In 2024 with the San Diego Padres, Kim played in 121 games and batted .233 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .700 OPS.
Flores said he believes the Rays will be competitive again in 2025, and it will be interesting to see how they fare against those strong divisional opponents.
The post Analyst Says 1 MLB Team Could Be Surprisingly Competitive This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-says-1-mlb-team-could-be-surprisingly-competitive-this-season/
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City Provides Update On Repairs To Tropicana Field
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/city-provides-update-on-repairs-to-tropicana-field/
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays missed the postseason for the first time in six seasons as they finished with a record of 80-82 in 2024.
It was the Rays’ first losing season since 2017, when they also finished 80-82.
After a disappointing end to the season, the team took another hit as Hurricane Milton hit the St. Petersburg, Florida area and damaged their home ballpark Tropicana Field.
The roof of the stadium was ripped apart by the hurricane, and the Rays are going to play their 2025 home games at a nearby spring training ballpark.
Although the damage to the ballpark was devastating, the Rays recently received some good news on the repair of their stadium.
Tropicana Field has been the home of the Rays since their inaugural season in 1998.
With the repairs expected to take some time, the Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ spring training ballpark.
The Rays will look to win their first World Series title in franchise history after losing previous appearances in 2008 and 2020.
The hope is that Tropicana Field will be ready for the 2026 season.
The post City Provides Update On Repairs To Tropicana Field appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/city-provides-update-on-repairs-to-tropicana-field/
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Yankees, Dodgers Reportedly In A Bidding War For Rays Player
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/yankees-dodgers-reportedly-in-a-bidding-war-for-rays-player/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are consistently the two biggest spenders in MLB, and while many believed they were destined to collide in this year’s World Series, both teams have gone through prolonged slumps over the past few months and are in the market for upgrades at the trade deadline.
The two juggernauts are now reportedly butting heads as each is attempting to acquire one of the market’s most accomplished bats.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees and Dodgers are engaged in a “bidding war” over Tampa Bay Rays star third baseman Isaac Paredes.
Both teams are in need of corner infield help and some added thump from the right side of the plate, and Paredes would fill both needs as he has 16 homers, 55 RBIs, and a .793 OPS this season.
The Dodgers have gone through the past few months without Max Muncy, who has been out since May 15th with an oblique injury, while the Yankees have been without Anthony Rizzo for most of the year, though DJ LeMahieu recently returned.
Rizzo and LeMahieu both look like they might be declining as Rizzo turns 35 in a few weeks and DJ recently turned 36.
Paredes is just 25 and is fresh off his first All-Star appearance while having three more years of team control after 2024, so his asking price can’t be cheap.
It’s hard to envision why the Rays would trade such a young and talented bat with years of team control while once again being in contention to make the playoffs, but after dealing Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, and Jason Adam, it’s clear the Rays are once again looking to tear things down.
The post Yankees, Dodgers Reportedly In A Bidding War For Rays Player appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/yankees-dodgers-reportedly-in-a-bidding-war-for-rays-player/
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Padres, Tampa Bay Rays Announce Trade
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/padres-tampa-bay-rays-announce-trade/
This year’s MLB hot stove has gotten hot early as teams have been making trades well ahead of the July 30th trade deadline.
Another trade has been announced between the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres as the Rays continue to sell some of their biggest assets despite being in the hunt for the AL Wild Card.
FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first to break the news that the Padres are acquiring reliever Jason Adam from the Rays, with other sources confirming that prospects Dylan Lesko, Homer Bush Jr., and J.D. Gonzalez will be heading to Tampa in the return package.
Adam bounced around the league before coming into his own with the Rays and he has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the past three years with the team.
He has made 170 relief appearances in those three years and posted a combined 2.30 ERA in 164.2 innings during that span.
The 32-year-old currently sports a 2.49 ERA this season and will surely tighten up the back end of a bullpen that has struggled at times to bridge the gap to closer Robert Suarez.
Even more beneficial for the Padres is the fact that Adam has two more arbitration seasons and will be under team control for very little money through 2026.
Adam could step in immediately as Suarez’s setup man and he’ll form a formidable back end of the bullpen alongside Yuki Matsui and Jeremiah Estrada.
San Diego is currently on a 7-game winning streak and is beginning to put a little pressure on the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the NL West.
The post Padres, Tampa Bay Rays Announce Trade appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/padres-tampa-bay-rays-announce-trade/
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MLB Team Gets Deal For New Stadium
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-team-gets-deal-for-new-stadium/
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
If Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is not the worst venue in Major League Baseball, it occupies a spot near the bottom of the list.
For many years, fans and players complained about the substandard structure even as showcases sprang up in other cities across the MLB landscape.
And there’s always the unspoken threat of the city’s professional franchise uprooting and moving on to greener pastures.
But that possibility for the Tampa Bay Rays appears over after a historic decision by local political leaders.
Tampa Bay Times reporter Colleen Wright revealed that the St. Petersburg City Council voted 5-3 in favor of a new stadium and redevelopment project to keep the team on the Gulf Coast.
According to current plans, Tropicana Field will be replaced by a 30,000-seat domed stadium that would be accompanied by a massive rebuilding project to benefit the historic neighborhood.
The proposal calls for new apartments, stores, bars and other businesses, a Black history museum and more.
The plan is for St. Petersburg taxpayers to cough up $287.5 million, another $312.5 million would come from tourist taxes paid to Pinellas County, and the Rays would put up $600 million to counter cost overruns.
There is still one vote remaining, and that will come later this month from the Pinellas County Commission.
The Rays have long sought a new stadium in an effort that nearly coincided with their first season in 1998.
The latest council meeting featured speakers both for and against the new deal, but ultimately it was the city’s baseball fans who carried the day.
The post MLB Team Gets Deal For New Stadium appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-team-gets-deal-for-new-stadium/
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MLB Insider Reveals Rays Stars Potentially On The Trade Block
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-insider-reveals-rays-stars-potentially-on-the-trade-block/
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the most disappointing teams of the season, with a 48-48 record and a -63 run differential.
We are talking about one of the best and most consistent organizations of the last decade, with numerous postseason berths and even a World Series appearance in 2020.
The Rays, however, are very smart and will be able to recognize if they are truly out of the race.
This appears to be the case: they are 10 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead and 5.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot.
With a half to play, it’s not an insurmountable deficit, but it’s really tough with so many teams ahead of them.
Perhaps they should sell some of their really valuable assets.
With that in mind, MLB insider Jon Morosi is reporting a couple of players that the team would be open to negotiating ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
“The Rays will listen to offers on Randy Arozarena, Yandy Diaz, and Isaac Paredes, per @jonmorosi,” B/R Walk-Off tweeted.
Arozarena, Diaz, and Paredes are arguably the best offensive players on the Rays roster.
If they flip them all, they could enter a brief “retooling” process for one or two years, but they would probably add lots of interesting prospects to feed their already solid farm.
Arozarena is having a subpar season with a .671 OPS, but he is capable of taking over a playoff series.
Paredes has 15 home runs and 50 RBI, and Diaz is sporting a .726 OPS with 21 doubles.
Rumors also have second baseman Brandon Lowe as a potential trade piece.
Could we be witnessing a fire sale by Tampa Bay?
The post MLB Insider Reveals Rays Stars Potentially On The Trade Block appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-insider-reveals-rays-stars-potentially-on-the-trade-block/
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Rays Pitcher Has All-Time Quote After Losing Game
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/rays-pitcher-has-all-time-quote-after-losing-game/
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks entered Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels with a 4-3 lead, looking for a save.
When all was said and done, however, he left the inning having relinquished the lead: the game was now 5-4 in favor of the Angels as the teams headed to the bottom of the ninth.
It’s not common to watch Fairbanks struggle: he had a 2.58 ERA in 2023 and a 1.13 mark the year before.
This year, however, he is still trying to find the best version of himself.
His ERA after the outing, in which he allowed three hits and two earned runs in an inning of work, is now 9.00.
If you want to learn how badly Fairbanks struggled on Wednesday, hear it from the pitcher himself.
He was both harsh and hilarious, if that’s possible.
“Pete Fairbanks on his outing tonight: ‘I thought it generally sucked. I didn’t think it was a specific suck, I thought it was like an all-encompassing type of suck,'” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted, with a clip of the interview.
An all-encompassing type of suck: that’s definitely an all-time line.
It pretty much sums up what the game felt like for Fairbanks, who also walked two hitters in addition to the three hits conceded.
He also failed to strike out anyone, which is extremely uncommon for a hurler with 239 career strikeouts in just 166.2 frames.
Perhaps he isn’t 100 percent physically, or maybe he is just trying to get into a groove with arm or his mechanics.
In any case, you should expect him to correct the course if he is fully healthy.
He is too good not to.
The post Rays Pitcher Has All-Time Quote After Losing Game appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/rays-pitcher-has-all-time-quote-after-losing-game/
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MLB Insider Shares Update On Wander Franco
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-insider-shares-update-on-wander-franco/
(Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays have been without shortstop Wander Franco, arguably their best player, since mid-August 2023.
The infielder was placed on administrative leave after allegations about his involvement in underage relationships surfaced.
Dominican Republic authorities started an investigation on the matter, which still hasn’t finished.
On Thursday, MLB insider Jeff Passan revealed that the league has extended his administrative leave until June 1.
“News: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been placed on administrative leave through June 1 per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, a source tells ESPN. Franco’s status could change before then depending on proceedings in the criminal case in the Dominican Republic,” he tweeted.
In theory, he won’t be eligible to play until June 1, but that is subject to change and will entirely depend on what the Dominican authorities and then MLB and the Players’ Association determine.
Franco hasn’t been charged in his native country, but the accusations are disturbing.
Dominican authorities have required him to check in once per month with court officials until the end of June, unless his case comes to a resolution before then.
Franco was having an excellent season last year until he was placed on administrative leave.
He was hitting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and a .819 OPS when the news came.
His absence has affected the Rays’ ceiling, and they have been forced to alter their plans to get replacements.
All of that, however, is now secondary: the well-being of the alleged victims and a fair resolution are now the most important things in this case.
The post MLB Insider Shares Update On Wander Franco appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-insider-shares-update-on-wander-franco/
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Rays Decide To Take A Chance On Veteran Pitcher
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/rays-decide-to-take-a-chance-on-veteran-pitcher/
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays are always looking in the bargain bin in free agency.
We rarely see them spend big on any player as they consistently have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
Even with that, the Rays have been one of the best teams in baseball over the past six seasons.
Not including the shortened 2020 season, the Rays have won at least 86 games in each of the past six seasons.
They have done so with the aforementioned low payroll and no superstar players.
According to Joel Sherman, pitcher Jake Odorizzi is the most recent signing of the Rays.
He has agreed to a minor-league deal but with incentives if he makes the major-league roster.
We have seen the Rays make these smaller signings in the past and have them pay major dividends.
The Rays do a great job of getting the best out of each of their players.
They have been resurrecting players’ careers for many years.
Most recently, we saw what they were able to do with Zach Eflin last year.
He was an average pitcher for the first seven years of his career.
But, he took a massive leap forward in his first year with the Rays.
Eflin won 16 games last year and had a career-low 3.50 ERA.
The Rays must be hoping to do something similar with Odorizzi this year.
Playing in the AL East will not be an easy task.
That division is loaded and the Rays will have their work cut out for them.
But, if they can continue to get the best out of their players the Rays have a chance to compete in the AL.
The post Rays Decide To Take A Chance On Veteran Pitcher appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/rays-decide-to-take-a-chance-on-veteran-pitcher/