Tampa Bay Rays: 5 Players Deserving of an Extension

5. RHP Tyler Glasnow

Now this take could be a little wild given Glasnow's season-ending TJ surgey last year and the fact that he hasn't thrown a single pitch in game action yet in 2022. However, I think there's good reason to keep Tyler as an integral part of this rotation moving forward. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder said a few weeks ago that the chances were "not zero" regarding a return to the Rays this year, and since then he's thrown 2 successful bullpen sessions before getting ready to face live hitters on August 20th, per MLB.com.

This is huge because having a dominant arm like Glasnow back with the Rays opens the doors to quite a few possibilities. Since he started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016, he has a career WHIP of 1.25, opponent batting average of .221, and an 11.3 K/9 ratio. Similar to Sugar Shane, he pitches with so much power that he can blow pitches right by hitters just as much as he makes them look goofy on his breaking ball. Everybody knows by know that the Rays fleeced the Pirates years ago, acquiring Glasnow along with Shane Baz and Austin Meadows for just Chris Archer. They knew both Glasnow and Baz would be special additions to this rotation, especially given how young they are.

Again, I understand how it can be tough to see through the injury stint, but think about this as an opportunity to shape the Rays' rotation for years to come. Extend Glasnow, who's been a top arm for the club and an infectious personality, and then think about the names you could be pairing him with. Shane McClanahan, who just broke out as the Rays' ace. Shane Baz, also acquired in the trade and working back from injury. How about Patiño, Rasmussen, even McKay and Chirinos? Let's not also forget about the Rays' top prospect Taj Bradley, who's been promoted to AAA.

There's a ton of potential here to bring Glasnow back for a couple of years, putting him with some elite arms and fantastic young talent. This rotation could certainly be talked about as one of the best in baseball.