Tampa Bay Rays Trade Options Seem Obvious

The Tampa Bay Rays would seem to be active players in this year’s trade action with several veterans sure to draw interest.

I think most Tampa Bay Rays fans would agree that the Rays are turning some heads early this season.  Many would have said this is a 100-loss team.  Instead, they are 23-25 and have been flirting with .500 for a few weeks.  Soon, some will wonder if they have 80 wins in them.

But, as we head into the summer months, I expect that the Rays will start to turn over their roster. As this week’s glimpse of top prospect Willy Adames would suggest, some of these moves will be out of necessity to open lineup spots for the future.

First, Alex Colome would seem to be one to keep his bags packed and ready to go.  Unfortunately, he has started the season somewhat inconsistent, which will not help his value.  His 2-5 record will not excite many and the 4.22 ERA will make teams nervous.  But, May has been going better than April. And, as teams set themselves up for the playoffs, bullpen arms always draw attention.  He may not end up on a team as a closer.  But, with every passing year, that seems to be less important.

Next, who needs catching?  Quite frankly, I think Wilson Ramos will draw a lot of interest in the coming weeks. Teams like the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals have suffered major injuries behind the plate.  And, Ramos appears to be fully healed from his ACL team that cost him half of last season.  So far, he is slashing .288/.331/.453 with six home runs, so teams will be watching.  Obviously this is not a position of strength for the Rays. But, Ramos becomes a free agent at the end of the season and the Rays will want to get something in return for him as the season wears on.

Finally, how could I go through the first round of trade options without mentioning Chris Archer? Clearly, he is the biggest name that the Rays could trade.  Teams will be interested.  The only question will be whether the Rays will find a return that they deem appropriate.

Next: The Tampa Bay Rays will be active this trading season. Who stays? Who goes?

Like Colome, Archer is off to a shaky start this season.  His 3-3 record and 4.68 ERA is not turning heads.  But, he’s an above average starter with a friendly contract, so a lot of the trade talk will center around him.

In the end, these will not be the only three Tampa Bay Rays ties to trade talks.  There certainly will be others.  Over the coming days, we will look at others who will go.  Personally, I’m not getting tied up in the notion of trading Kevin Kiermaier.