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Tampa Bay Rays: Assessing the starting pitching market

By Austin Reimann
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the thirteenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the thirteenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 16: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros reacts in the third inning as a play is reviewed against the Boston Red Sox during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 16: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros reacts in the third inning as a play is reviewed against the Boston Red Sox during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Top Tier (Too Expensive)

#1 Dallas Keuchel

  • The former Cy Young award winner will command a substantial sum of money this offseason. Whether he will return to Houston is unknown and with a career record of 76-63 and ERA of 3.66 look for a contender to sign Keuchel to a contract that is too long and expensive for the Rays to stomach. In reality though, Dallas Keuchel was never going to end up in Tampa.

#2 Cole Hamels

  • The former World Series MVP who is approaching 35 could very likely return to the Cubs this offseason and even if he doesn’t look for a contender with a hefty budget sing Hamels to an expensive 1 or 2 year deal. The Rays would love to sign a pitcher like Hamels to a 2 year deal, just not at his price.

#3 Patrick Corbin

Corbin will command too much money and too long of a contract in the market this offseason. I don’t expect the Rays to even consider Corbin an option in free agency. We may see our fair share of him though, as the Yankees could swoop in and offer him a nice chunk of change.

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