4 pitching trade targets for the Rays, including 1 big stretch goal

Rays pitching trade target: Alex Lange (Tigers)

It would not be a Tampa Bay Rays trade deadline without the team picking up a relief pitcher. Similar to several recent trade deadlines, it appears that many really good bullpen arms will be available, and one that could be on the Rays’ radar is Alex Lange of the Detroit Tigers.

Lange very much fits the typical Rays reliever mold. He has incredibly high potential due to his ability to strike batters out, but has not found consistent success due to spotty command. The main selling point on Lange is his whiff rate. According to Statcast, Lange is in the 99th percentile in the entire league in generating swings and misses. He does this with an elite curveball, which he uses around 58% of the time. 

Obviously Rays fans might be hoping for one of the more well-known relief pitchers such as Josh Hader or even Scott Barlow, that has never been the Rays’ way of getting help in the bullpen. Instead, they look at lower priced candidates that the organization can help improve, and Lange is a perfect example of one of these potentially on the market.