Rays sign former Nationals prospect to minor league deal with invitation to camp

The Rays have signed homegrown Florida product Chase Solesky to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Solesky is originally from Fort Pierce, FL and attended John Carroll High School where the right-hander finished his career with a 1.27 ERA and 131 strikeouts. After high school, the 6'3 hurler attended Tulane University in Louisiana. Aside from a bumpy sophomore campaign where he produced a 9.82 ERA, Solesky had a solid college career. After his junior season, the White Sox selected him in the 21st round of the 2019 draft.

The Tulane alumni struggled mightily in his first few seasons in the Chicago organization as he compiled a gaudy 1-11 record over 31 minor league starts. The bumpy start left much to be desired from Solesky, but he was able to turn his career around, winning five games in 2023. Regardless, the White Sox decided to release Solesky prior to the 2024 season.

The Washington Nationals saw the potential in this young pitcher as they signed him to a minor league deal in June of 2024. His numbers improved immediately with the new organization as he went 3-5 over his eight starts, striking out 49 hitters in only 46.1 innings of work. Solesky also chose to perform in the Arizona Fall League during the postseason and this is where he revealed his true potential. In 13 innings of work, the righty punched out 20 opposing hitters and recorded a career-best 4.85 ERA. The AFL is not known to be a confidence booster by any means as many of the games' top prospects attend the renowned league.

With an uplifting postseason behind him, Solesky pitched to the tune of a winning record for the first time in his career with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. Due to this successful campaign, he chose to elect free agency where the Rays were able to snag him. Tampa Bay has assigned the 28-year-old to the Triple-A Durham Bulls, one of the most notorious minor league teams in the country. If the trends continue in the right direction, Solesky will blossom with the Bulls and hopefully make his long-awaited MLB debut soon.