Tampa Bay Rays: Three players who will not be traded

With the Tampa Bay Rays sure to play an important part in this season’s trade activities, there are three players that will not go anywhere.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be playing in front of baseball scouts everywhere in the coming weeks.  The Rays will tell you that nobody is off-limits.  But, I’d like to take a few off the block early.

Blake Snell, for example, isn’t going anywhere.  This seems like an obvious choice, as it should be.  Since last season’s demotion to Durham after a slow start, Snell has come back with the promise that everyone was expecting. This season, he is 5-3 with an impressive 3.07 ERA.  Many would think he has overtaken Chris Archer as the staff ace.

With another year of team control, followed by three years of arbitration, he’s not going anywhere.  And, if history repeats itself, perhaps the Rays can negotiate a long-term contract with Snell, as he’s represented by the same agency that represented Matt Moore when he signed his five-year contract with the Rays in 2011.

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Next, I wouldn’t think that Jose Alvarado is someone the Rays would part with.  In the end, I think he ends up the closer when prime trade candidate Alex Colome finds a new home.

At 23, he would seem to be the irreplaceable type of lefty that the Rays bullpen wouldn’t part with.  As he throws more high-leverage innings in a setup role, he will be setting himself up for a bigger role with the Rays.

Finally, I have been impressed with Ryan Yarbrough in his pseudo-starting role.  He continues to give the Rays quality innings typically being used as the first reliever on bullpen day.  In doing so, he has a 4-2 record, following a 6 1/3 inning appearance in Anaheim over the weekend where he allowed just one run on four hits after replacing Sergio Romo’s first start of his career.

Tampa Bay Rays Pitching Future

Sooner rather than later, he should find himself in a more normal rotation situation with the Rays.  Ultimately, when the Rays add Nathan Eovaldi and Yarbrough to a rotation along with Chris Archer, Jake Faria and Blake Snell, the Rays will have a formidable starting rotation.

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Couple this with Alvarado at the back end of games, the Rays will be setting themselves up for years to come.