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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-drew-rasmussens-heartfelt-reaction-2-year-contract-extension-rays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Drew Rasmussen’s heartfelt reaction to 2-year contract extension with Rays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Rays-news-Drew-Rasmussens-heartfelt-reaction-to-2-year-contract-extension.jpg"></figure><h1>Drew Rasmussen’s heartfelt reaction to 2-year contract extension with Rays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T08:27:37-08:00">January 9th, 8:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T08:27:37-08:00">January 9th, 8:27am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-nearing-extension-drew-rasmussen">Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen</a> signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract extension with the team. The deal offers him financial security and the emotional reassurance that he remains a key part of the Rays’ future plans. Speaking about the deal, Rasmussen <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2025/01/08/drew-rasmussen-new-deal-with-rays-means-more-than-money/" rel="noopener">expressed his gratitude</a> for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-drew-rasmussen-elbow-injury">organization’s faith in him after years of battling injuries.</a></p><p>“There’s definitely some peace of mind, and that’s going to be huge,” Rasmussen said during a press conference. “It’s not what I can do on the field that makes me all that nervous… But just the team to say, ‘Hey, we have faith in you, and we have faith in your health for the next couple of years,’ it’s a really cool feeling.”</p><p>The deal, which includes an <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/drew-rasmussen-rays-agree-2-162936324.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHjOsaBa_y7cQHf96QSQiM7WJmj_TiFJqTeXsGjvXlmvIxmP9CuHH0jBWLcPeMZQyGwADnU8CgUiGtfEYYpXzpqwYqSyPameNp9UVCFDqMiYpLArL-xwLvmFHXsKEXgm8yUTlCmyUjZOeeeQw1FgluoiJMo2pFdcWUFbeH7MkONd" rel="noopener">$8 million team option</a> for 2027 and incentives that could raise the total value to $28 million, underscores the Rays’ belief in Rasmussen’s abilities despite his history of elbow surgeries, including two Tommy John procedures and a third operation in 2023.</p><h2><b>Rays look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Drew-Rasmussen_9a5d64.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Rasmussen, 29, has navigated an injury-plagued career with unwavering determination. After undergoing his third elbow surgery in 2023, he returned to the Rays in August, impressing with a <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43324807/drew-rasmussen-tampa-bay-rays-agree-2-year-85m-deal" rel="noopener">2.82 ERA across 28⅔ innings</a> in a combination of starting and relief roles. His fastball averaged an electric 97.4 mph, showcasing his ability to remain effective despite past setbacks.</p><p>Rays President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander praised Rasmussen’s resilience and professionalism, saying, “This is someone that’s work ethic and commitment to the game have been greatly tested… You just know what you’re getting. You’re getting the consummate professional. You’re getting character to the highest degree.”</p><p>For the Rays, the extension offers a cost-controlled opportunity to keep a proven starter in their rotation while allowing Rasmussen to return to the role he prefers. Rasmussen expressed his enthusiasm for starting again, saying, “I think starting is a good natural fit for me and who I am and my personality.”</p><p>The contract includes incentives tied to health and performance, such as games started in 2026 and days spent off the injured list. These provisions mitigate the risk for the team while giving Rasmussen a chance to increase his earnings.</p><p>The Rays’ decision to retain Rasmussen reflects their confidence in his ability to contribute to their success in 2025 and beyond. For Rasmussen, the deal represents more than just financial stability—it is a testament to the team’s trust in his talent and resilience. “We couldn’t be happier to sign a contract extension with Tampa, with the Rays organization,” Rasmussen said. “Man, we love it here. We love the people. We love the place.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Drew Rasmussen’s heartfelt reaction to 2-year contract extension with Rays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-tampa-bay-nearing-extension-drew-rasmussen');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays nearing extension with Drew Rasmussen');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Tampa-Bay-nearing-extension-with-Drew-Rasmussen.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays nearing extension with Drew Rasmussen</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T13:05:21-08:00">January 7th, 1:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T13:05:21-08:00">January 7th, 1:05pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Bay Rays pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-devastating-drew-rasmussen-injury-update">Drew Rasmussen missed most of the 2024 season</a> as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn UCL, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-twitter-reacts-to-drew-rasmussen-losing-perfect-game-in-9th-inning">he’s been effective</a> when he’s been healthy, and his team is about to reward him for it.</p><p>The righty is closing in on an extension with Tampa Bay that will take him through his remaining two years of arbitration and include an option for 2027.</p><p>Beverly Hills Sports Council, which represents Rasmussen, <a href="https://x.com/BHSCouncil/status/1876725226077147153" rel="noopener">has already announced</a> the deal, while the Rays have yet to publish a release.</p><p>Rasmussen will get a <a href="https://x.com/tbtimes_rays/status/1876712269310013916?s=46" rel="noopener">$500,000 signing bonus</a>, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He also reported that the pitcher’s 2025 salary will be $2 million and it will increase to $5.5 million in 2026 with an $8 million option for 2027. Escalators based on Rasmussen’s health and innings pitched could bump his pay up to $20 million, while the last year of the contract has a $500,000 buyout.</p><p>Rasmussen pitched in 16 games for the Rays in 2024, primarily out of the bullpen. Over 28.2 innings pitched, he had a 2.83 ERA with 35 strikeouts and a 1.081 WHIP. He has not allowed a home run since April 30, 2023.</p><h2><b>The Rays plan to use Drew Rasmussen as a starter</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Drew-Rasmussen.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If all goes well, the contract the Rays and Rasmussen have agreed on could wind up being incredibly team-friendly. Tampa Bay plans to use Rasmussen as a starter going forward, according to Topkin, and if he stays effective, his value could increase astronomically.</p><p>Rasmsusen was a full-time starter for the Rays in 2022 before his injury. He started 28 games that season, throwing 146 innings and giving up 121 hits with a 2.84 ERA. Though he didn’t strike out a ton of batters (7.7 per nine innings), he also had a 5.3% walk rate and 47% ground ball rate.</p><p>As he’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/drew-rasmussen-returns-to-rays-after-three-elbow-procedures" rel="noopener">persevered through injury</a>, Rasmussen has earned the praise of his coaching staff.</p><p>“He’s about as self-motivated a player as I’ve ever been around and easily as hard a worker as I’ve been around,” Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder told MLB.com in August. “I think to a lot of people in this clubhouse, it’s not too much of a surprise, but still, it needs to be recognized how impressive it’s been.”</p><p>Tampa Bay went 80-82 last year but was without Rasmussen for a long stretch and Shane McLanahan for the entire year. With McLanahan also set to return from Tommy John surgery, the Rays could be adding two front-end-caliber starters to a rotation that already has an intriguing mix of talent and potential.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays nearing extension with Drew Rasmussen

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-eloy-jimenez-signs-tampa-bay-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Eloy Jimenez signs with Rays, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Eloy-Jimenez-signs-with-Tampa-Bay-but-theres-a-catch.jpg"></figure><h1>Eloy Jimenez signs with Rays, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T10:00:20-08:00">December 23rd, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T10:00:20-08:00">December 23rd, 10:00am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-guardians-rays-dylan-cease-trade">Tampa Bay Rays continue to make moves</a> to try to get back to the American League’s elite this offseason after a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. An <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-shane-mcclanahan-ready-2025">injury to Shane McClanahan</a> and the Wander Franco fiasco took two very important pieces away from the team, and the Rays didn’t have enough bats in the end to compete with the best of the best.</p><p>The Rays made a move to address that need on Monday morning. Tampa Bay <a href="https://x.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1871239600532025763" rel="noopener">made a move to sign</a> former Chicago White Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.</p><p>“News: DH Eloy Jimenez and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a minor league deal, sources tell ESPN,” Rogers reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Jimenez, 28, played for the White Sox and Orioles this year and hopes to rebuild his career with a Rays team that has high aspirations in the American League East.”</p><p>Jimenez won’t start the season in the Major Leagues most likely, but this is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-acquire-pitcher-from-phillies">smart flier for the Rays to take</a> on a player who was once recognized as a promising young hitter. If he is able to perform at the minor league level, Jimenez will get the chance to come up and prove it in Tampa Bay.</p><p>Jimenez’s career got off to a fast start with the White Sox in 2019 when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 79 runs in just 122 games, earning American League Rookie of the Year consideration. He followed that up with another solid year in 2020, where he hit .296 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI’s in the COVID-shortened season on his way to Silver Slugger honors.</p><p>Since then, however, Jimenez has seen his production fall off drastically. After a disappointing 2021, Jimenez put up decent numbers in 2022, but his season was held back by injuries. He then played poorly in 2023 before the White Sox traded him to the Baltimore Orioles during the 2024 season.</p><p>Both before and after the trade, Jimenez had the worst season of his career in 2024. In 98 games, he hit just .238 with six home runs and 23 RBI’s. He finished the year with a negative-0.7 WAR, his first negative WAR season of his career. He will now get a chance to turn things around with the Rays in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Eloy Jimenez signs with Rays, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-where-could-relocate-2029-stadium-plan-falls-through');   ga('set', 'title', 'Where Rays could relocate if 2029 stadium plan falls through');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Where-Tampa-Bay-could-relocate-if-2029-stadium-plan-falls-through.jpg"></figure><h1>Where Rays could relocate if 2029 stadium plan falls through</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T14:35:11-08:00">December 18th, 2:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T15:32:19-08:00">December 18th, 3:32pm</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-new-stadium-historic-6-5-billion-project">Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium project</a> remains in question. After the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners approved the bonds needed for the Rays to have a new stadium, postponed voting and delays have complicated the timeline.</p><p>It appears that <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43039285/mlb-2024-tampa-bay-rays-st-petersburg-new-stadium-future-tropicana-field-faq" rel="noopener">the stadium opening</a> won’t be until 2029, instead of the initial 2028 plan, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><p>The vote was <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43029658/pinellas-county-commission-votes-approve-financing-new-rays-ballpark" rel="noopener">5-2 in favor of funding 312.5 million</a> worth of bonds on Tuesday.</p><p>“I hope our vote today helps set the wheels in motion for a new owner and a new era of the Tampa Bay Rays,” said one of the county commissioners Chris Latvala on Wednesday.</p><p>Now begs the question of where the Rays will be playing in 2025. It was announced in November <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-play-2025-season-yankees-spring-training-home" rel="noopener">that the Rays’ home stadium</a> will be at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. But this short-term solution may come with its own detractors.</p><h2><b>Where will the Rays eventually move?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ryan-Pepiot.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The leading destinations include Nashville, Tennessee; Salt Lake City; Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina and Montreal.</p><p>While the Rays still hold the desire to remain in Tampa Bay long-term, the extended delays and financial debacle could force the hand of the franchise to migrate elsewhere.</p><p>“All eyes will now be watching to assure that the Rays uphold their part of this deal,” commissioner Rene Flowers said after the vote.</p><p>Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred would like to keep the Rays where they are, as the city has a valuable and successful market. That said, the league is open to exploring the potential relocation options if things don’t work out with the new stadium project.</p><p>It appears that, on the Rays side, they are working toward their goal and hope that whatever is to come will be the most impactful for their franchise and the fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Where Rays could relocate if 2029 stadium plan falls through

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/athletics-news-acquiring-left-hander-jeffrey-springs-from-rays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics pull off intriguing Jeffrey Springs trade with Rays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0-As-acquiring-left-hander-Jeffrey-Springs-from-Rays-0.jpg"></figure><h1>Athletics pull off intriguing Jeffrey Springs trade with Rays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T09:21:19-08:00">December 14th, 9:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T10:37:27-08:00">December 14th, 10:37am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Athletics do not just have a new home. They have a completely new mindset. The notoriously frugal organization is <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1867978655198273777" rel="noopener">finalizing a trade</a> with fellow small-market MLB franchise, the Tampa Bay Rays, that will net them left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs and a player to be named later, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><p>Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-rays-willing-to-trade-key-pitcher-after-stadium-disaster">staying true to his team’s brand</a>, flipping an impactful veteran arm for a group of young players who have yet to really leave a mark at the big-league level. The A’s are sending right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters along with outfielder Will Simpson and a compensation draft pick to Tampa.</p><p>Springs, a 30th-round draft pick out of Appalachian State University, is the embodiment of the Rays Way. He floundered with both the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox before morphing into a valuable starter in St. Petersburg. The 32-year-old quietly tallied a superb 2.46 ERA and 9-5 record in 33 total appearances in 2022, which he then followed up with a sweltering start to the 2023 campaign. Unfortunately, the Springs revival was abruptly put on hold due to Tommy John surgery.</p><p>The Belmont, North Carolina native missed most of the last two seasons recovering but did impress in a small sample size in 2024. Jeffrey Springs pitched to a 3.27 ERA while recording 37 strikeouts in 33 innings. He brings a devastating changeup with him to Sacramento, California, which suddenly gives the Athletics a formidable one-two punch in their rotation.</p><h2><b>Athletics and Rays are both moving with relative haste</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Luis-Severino.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Springs trade comes a little more than a week after ownership doled out a surprising <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/athletics-news-luis-severino-decision-sign-with-athletics">$67 million contract to Luis Severino</a>. Manager Mark Kotsay’s job should get a bit easier now that he has two starters with a proven track record of success. Neither newcomer is going to have people rushing to buy season tickets, but the proactive nature of the front office should optimally generate buzz for the ballclub.</p><p>It should also draw the ire of an Oakland fan base that waited almost 20 years for John Fisher to sign a free agent for more than $60 million. Baseball can be cruel sometimes. Tampa Bay understands the perils of finances all too well.</p><p>The Rays are choosing to reload rather than pay Springs $10.5 million in each of the next two years. That philosophy has worked well for them most of the time, but it requires a meticulous process of preparation and utilization.</p><p>While Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters each have hurdles to clear, they have the tools to become trusted options for longtime skipper Kevin Cash. And the Rays have the tools to make sure they reach their respective ceilings. Will Simpson is also promising, as he smashes his way up the ranks in the minor leagues.</p><p>For the good of the sport, hopefully both of these adversity-ridden franchises come out of this deal as winners.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics pull off intriguing Jeffrey Springs trade with Rays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-guardians-rays-dylan-cease-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Guardians, Rays floated as possible Dylan Cease trade spots');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Guardians-Rays-floated-as-possible-Dylan-Cease-trade-spots.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Guardians, Rays floated as possible Dylan Cease trade spots</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T13:59:12-08:00">December 12th, 1:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T14:31:39-08:00">December 12th, 2:31pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dylan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-framber-valdez-dylan-cease-possible-trade-candidates">Cease could be a trade candidate for the San Diego Padres</a>. Why would the competitive Padres consider moving a star hurler like Cease? Well, Cease is going to be a free agent soon and the Padres may look to capitalize on his current value. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAF85kvWl4Y" rel="noopener">potential landing spots</a> for the 28-year-old.</p><p>“I would think the Cleveland Guardians would be interested in a trade for Dylan Cease,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory. “I would think the Tampa Bay Rays would be interested for one year of Dylan Cease.”</p><p>A trade is not guaranteed to happen. He is only under contract for one more season, though. If the Padres decide to keep Cease for the 2025 campaign, they may risk losing him in MLB free agency.</p><p>The Padres could wait until the 2025 MLB trade deadline in the middle of the regular season. If they deal Cease away now, though, they will receive a better return package. Teams will be willing to surrender more for one full season of Cease as opposed to a few months.</p><p>As a result, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-orioles-eyeing-dylan-cease-trade-with-corbin-burnes-reunion-looking-unlikely">Dylan Cease trade rumors are beginning to pick up steam</a>.</p><h2><b>Why are Guardians, Rays possible Dylan Cease trade destinations?</b></h2><p>The Guardians and Rays are two ball clubs that have found ways to be successful in recent years despite playing in small markets. Neither ball club spends too much money in MLB free agency. Both teams want to compete in 2025, and they could both benefit from adding a star pitcher such as Cease.</p><p>The Guardians could especially use the extra pitching help. They dealt with starting pitching concerns in 2024, as ace Shane Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-cleveland-mlb-free-agency-reunion">Bieber re-signed with the Guardians this offseason</a>, but will not return until later in the year as he recovers from the aforementioned surgery.</p><p>Again, the Padres may end up holding onto Cease. If he is made available for a trade, however, the Guardians and Rays will be worth keeping an eye on as possible suitors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Guardians, Rays floated as possible Dylan Cease trade spots

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wander-franco-trial-receives-rescheduled-date');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wander Franco’s trial receives new rescheduled date');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Wander-Francos-trial-receives-new-rescheduled-date0.jpg"></figure><h1>Wander Franco’s trial receives new rescheduled date</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T11:49:25-08:00">December 12th, 11:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T11:49:25-08:00">December 12th, 11:49am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Bay Rays shortstop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-wander-franco-trail-forward-sufficient-evidence">Wander Franco was scheduled to stand trial for sexual abuse</a>, sexual exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking on Thursday. According to ESPN, only three of the 36 witnesses showed up in the courtroom in the Dominican Republic. Juan Recio <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/42931802/wander-franco-trial-reset-june-2-key-witnesses-missing" rel="noopener">reported that</a> the new trial date is June 2, 2025.</p><p>“Of the 36 witnesses scheduled to testify, only three were present in the courtroom in Puerto Plata on Thursday. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing at the request of prosecutors,” Recio wrote. “Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February.”</p><p>Franco went on indefinite administrative leave when the allegations arose in August 2023. He was moved to the restricted list in 2024 when the charges became official. The original allegations stemmed from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.</p><p>While waiting for this trial, Franco landed in more hot water. He was arrested for possession of a firearm and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-wander-franco-faces-weapons-charges-after-arrest">faces weapons charges for the incident</a>.</p><h2><b>Wander Franco not factoring into the Rays’ future plans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Wander-Franco-with-TB-Rays.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rays have a lot more issues than Wander Franco’s trial to worry about. The roof of their stadium was ripped off in Hurricane Milton and they are playing at Steinbrenner Field this season. Their new stadium has hit political issues after the storm as well. Their future in Tampa is up in the air, as is the future of their shortstop.</p><p>While the Rays may not be thinking about Franco right now, his contract situation is unavoidable. After just 70 games in the majors, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract. It is the largest contract in Rays’ history but he has hardly played any games on it. His contract is about to tick up in salary as well, going over $15 million in salary in 2026.</p><p>This chapter of the Wander Franco saga is on pause until at least June.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wander Franco’s trial receives new rescheduled date

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-acquire-pitcher-from-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays trade with Phillies to add pitching depth to bullpen');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Tampa-Bay-acquires-pitcher-from-Phillies.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays trade with Phillies to add pitching depth to bullpen</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T15:23:07-08:00">December 11th, 3:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T05:17:54-08:00">December 12th, 5:17am</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>RHP Mike Vasil is set for his next <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-potential-rays-trade-candidate-prediction">MLB opportunity for the Tampa Bay Rays</a>, as the team <a href="https://x.com/RaysPR/status/1866964975106859107" rel="noopener">traded for him</a> on Wednesday. Vasil was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mets-eyeing-ex-red-sox-hurler-rotation-rebuild">from the New York Mets</a>, who appear to be looking elsewhere for pitching talent. The deal includes cash considerations sent to the Phillies, according to Rays Communications on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Vasil was <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/mets-lose-pitching-prospects-mike-vasil-nate-lavender-rule-5-draft" rel="noopener">an eighth-round selection</a> in the 2021 MLB Draft and spent last season with Triple-A Syracuse – finishing with an 8-10 record and a 6.04 ERA. The Mets also won’t rule out pursuing Vasil in the future, as he was previously one of the franchise’s top pitching prospects.</p><p>“You never want to lose pitchers or any player in a Rule 5 draft,” said Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, per Alex Smith of SNY. “There’s a long way to go between having a player selected and actually losing the player. That’s the reality of this, but look, those are two good pitchers. We knew certainly because of the unique circumstance with Nate and because of Vasil’s pedigree that these were possibilities. That’s all part of the roster management puzzle that we try to fit through.”</p><p>“We simultaneously wish them well and also hope to get them back.”</p><p>While the Mets chose not to protect Vasil so they could shore up other parts of the roster, they seem content with letting him go and evaluating his progress from afar in 2025.</p><h2><b>Rays add Mike Vasil to growing bullpen</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mike-Vasil.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rays had one of the strongest pitching rotations last season with 619 strikeouts. They will likely get a lot of initial usage out of Vasil, who could soon become one of their better relievers.</p><p>They also selected left-hander Nate Lavender from the Mets in the first round of the Rule 5 Draft.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays trade with Phillies to add pitching depth to bullpen

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-tampa-bay-shane-mcclanahan-ready-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays expect Shane McClanahan to be ready for 2025 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Tampa-Bay-expects-Shane-McClanahan-to-be-ready-for-2025-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays expect Shane McClanahan to be ready for 2025 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T18:42:55-08:00">December 10th, 6:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T18:42:55-08:00">December 10th, 6:42pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-rob-manfred-sounds-off-tampa-bay-2025-ballpark-uncertainty">Tampa Bay Rays are looking for a bounce back season</a> after an uncharacteristically poor year in 2024. The Rays need to fill plenty of their holes on the roster in order to get back into the playoffs and in contention for the America League pennant, and one of those pieces will be back in star starting pitcher Shane McClanahan.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-shane-mcclanahan-injury-update-tampa-bay-2025">McClanahan missed all of last year</a> after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow injury in August of 2023 and the Rays desperately missed him in the starting rotation. McClanahan was in the running for American League Rookie of the Year in 2021 before making a late Cy Young push in 2022. He was also an All-Star in 2023 before his injury.</p><p>On Tuesday, Rays President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander went on MLB Network and confirmed that McClanahan is fully recovered and <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/1866638780075036950" rel="noopener">will be ready</a> for the start of next season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RaysBaseball</a> ace Shane McClanahan will be ready to go in 2025 according to President of Baseball Ops Erik Neander! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBTonight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBTonight</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SageUSAmerica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SageUSAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/rkZRsZqWP7">pic.twitter.com/rkZRsZqWP7</a></p><p>— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1866638780075036950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“We’ll take Shane and our path is a little bit different but we found a way,” Neander said. “Shane’s good to go. He exited last year with a clean bill of health, a healthy offseason and he’s gonna come into camp as a healthy pitcher. So, you’ll have your typical buildup and we’ll get him into the year. … Probably looking at 150ish innings to kind of land on the right spot but he’ll be ready to go from day one. Happy to have him back.”</p><p>McClanahan has a career record of 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA. He has struck out 456 batters in 404.2 innings for the Rays and was one of the best young starters in the MLB before he went down with the injury. If the Rays can get him back into his top form at some point during next season, they have a chance to have a very dangerous starting rotation in 2025 that could be similar to what they had when they were competing in the AL playoffs each year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays expect Shane McClanahan to be ready for 2025 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-ex-blue-jays-catcher-agrees-8-5-million-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays, ex-Blue Jays catcher agree to $8.5 million contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rays-news-Tampa-Bay-ex-Blue-Jays-catcher-agree-to-81.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays, ex-Blue Jays catcher agree to $8.5 million contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-06T10:37:53-08:00">December 6th, 10:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-06T11:38:07-08:00">December 6th, 11:38am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays pride themselves on making subtle roster moves that result in difference-making additions. Did they just strike again? Free agent catcher Danny Jansen and the organization have come to terms on a <a href="https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1865096268009329094" rel="noopener">one-year, $8.5 million contract</a>, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.</p><p>The 29-year-old spent six and a half seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-trade-blue-jays-danny-jansen">traded to the Boston Red Sox</a> in July. He is hoping the familiar confines of the American League East will give way to a solid 2025.</p><p>Jansen tallied a .205 batting average with nine home runs and 24 RBIs in 92 games. While his latest offensive campaign leaves a lot to be desired, he has proven himself to be a capable power hitter for the position in the past. Jansen blasted 32 home runs across a 158-game span from 2022-23, which probably explains why the Red Sox gave up three prospects for him.</p><p>Furthermore, he is excellent at blocking pitches behind the plate (MLB-best <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-blocking?game_type=Regular&amp;n=q&amp;season_end=2024&amp;season_start=2024&amp;split=no&amp;team=&amp;type=Cat&amp;with_team_only=1&amp;sortColumn=diff_runner_pbwp&amp;sortDirection=desc" rel="noopener">14 blocks above average</a> in 2024, per Baseball Savant. Former second-round draft pick Ben Rortvedt could continue to command playing time at catcher, but the Rays are clearly committed to giving Jansen considerable responsibilities based on this contract.</p><h2><b>The Rays will try to weather all the changes, as usual</b></h2><p>Tampa Bay president of baseball operations Erik Neander has made a plethora of trades over the last several months, perpetuating a trend of shipping out players before they enter free agency. Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri are all gone, ushering in a new era of Rays baseball.</p><p>The pitching staff, which should be much healthier next season, will continue to be a defining characteristic of the franchise. Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan aims to resume his status as club ace <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-shane-mcclanahan-injury-update-tampa-bay-2025">upon his return from Tommy John surgery</a>. If Tampa can figure out how to keep its starting rotation whole, it will have a chance to be competitive once again.</p><p>Newcomer Danny Jansen could play an important role in that process.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays, ex-Blue Jays catcher agree to $8.5 million contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-rays-willing-to-trade-key-pitcher-after-stadium-disaster');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Rays ‘willing’ to trade key pitcher after stadium disaster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-05-24-springs-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Rays ‘willing’ to trade key pitcher after stadium disaster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-05T10:57:41-08:00">December 5th, 10:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-05T10:57:41-08:00">December 5th, 10:57am</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The trade market for starting pitchers this offseason has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-white-sox-garrett-crochet-trade-drivers-seat-blake-snell">dominated by the Chicago White Sox and Garrett Crochet</a>. But, a surprise team, the Tampa Bay Rays, have been fielding calls about some of their starters.</p><p>The Rays <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/42755549/mlb-winter-meetings-2024-offseason-free-agency-intel-rumors-updates-buster-olney-jeff-passan-juan-soto" rel="noopener">are considering</a> trades for some of their starting pitchers according to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan on Thursday.</p><p>“Crochet isn’t the only impactful starting pitcher who could move,” Passan wrote. “Tampa Bay is willing to trade starting pitching, and with the Rays playing at Steinbrenner Field this season after Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field’s roof, their revenue questions have prompted teams to inquire about left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who will make $10.5 million each of the next two seasons and is widely considered a front-half-of-the-rotation starter.”</p><p>The Rays have one of the deepest starting rotations in baseball. Shane McClanahan, who missed the entire 2024 season, is expected to be healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery in Aug. 2023. When McClanahan is healthy, he is a perennial Cy Young candidate and one of the absolute best pitchers in baseball. Ryan Pepiot, the centerpiece of the Tyler Glasnow trade, showed that he has the potential to be a front-end starter last season. 25-year-old Shane Baz and 23-year-old Taj Bradley are both some of the most promising young pitchers in baseball. Zach Littel and Jeffrey Springs are the more veteran members of the Rays pitching.</p><h2><b>Will the Tampa Bay Rays trade Jeffrey Springs?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-05-24-springs-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Passan said that the Rays were “willing to trade starting pitching,” the only specific player he mentioned was Springs, citing his contract and the Rays trying to cut costs following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-rob-manfred-addresses-play-2025">damage to Tropicana Field that forced them to temporarily move</a> to Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ Spring Training facility in nearby Tampa.</p><p>After Springs underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2023 season, he returned last August and pitched great for the Rays. In seven starts, Springs went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA, showing that he was still a valuable rotation piece.</p><p>During 2022, his most recent full season, he appeared in 33 games, starting 24 of them, and had a 3.46 ERA in 135 1/3 innings.</p><p>Springs signed a four-year, $31 million contract with the Rays ahead of the 2023 season with a $15 million club option for 2027.</p><p>Given the current starting pitcher market in free agency, Springs could be a relatively affordable option. The Rays should be able to get a combination of Major League talent and prospects for Springs if they do decide to move him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Rays ‘willing’ to trade key pitcher after stadium disaster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rays-news-rob-manfred-sounds-off-tampa-bay-2025-ballpark-uncertainty');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rob Manfred sounds off on Rays’ 2025 ballpark uncertainty');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/0Rob-Manfred-sounds-off-on-Tampa-Bays-2025-ballpark-uncertainty0.jpg"></figure><h1>Rob Manfred sounds off on Rays’ 2025 ballpark uncertainty</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-21T07:47:41-08:00">November 21st, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-21T07:47:41-08:00">November 21st, 7:47am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays have a lot of stadium issues. Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field, which requires over $50 million in repairs. While those repairs begin, they will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-play-2025-season-yankees-spring-training-home">play at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa</a>, the Yankees’ spring training facility. They also have a stadium underway in St Petersburg, which is unlikely to be ready by 2028. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/commissioner-rob-manfred-on-rays-2025-ballpark-expansion-timeline?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share" rel="noopener">spoke about</a> the Rays stadium future.</p><p>“There’s a lot of uncertainty with respect to the situation in Tampa; much of that uncertainty, we just don’t control,” Manfred said at the league’s owners meetings, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. “We need to let the government officials in Tampa Bay sort out where they are on a variety of issues. I understand the delay given the kind of damage that they suffered down there. We’re just going to have to wait for some of that uncertainty to resolve itself.”</p><p>The 2025 Rays are set, as they will play their entire schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field. A Florida team playing outdoors could be a disaster, between the heat and rain that could cause delays. But they had very few options after Tropicana Field was destroyed. It is the long-term future of the Rays that should cause concerns.</p><h2><b>Rays facing murky stadium future</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ropicana-Field-before-and-after-Hurricane-Milton.jpg"><figcaption>Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While 2025 will be difficult for the Rays, it is a temporary solution to a temporary problem. Manfred insinuated that they may need a solution for 2026 as well, but many things have to happen before then. The longer-term issue is the stadium going up in St Petersburg. Reports are that it may not be ready for 2028.</p><p>The future of the Rays has been a conversation for many years. With Montreal rumors and Nashville dreams being thrown out every year, fans have hoped for this new stadium for years. They finally have it but the new city council could change that. The new <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-say-new-ballpark-cant-open-by-2028-suspend-work-on-development" rel="noopener">group delayed</a> a funding vote until December, which fans are panicked about.</p><p>Tropicana Field is the punchline of Major League Baseball stadiums. While they are not playing there this year, there needs to be a viable, long-term plan to keep the Rays in Tampa. The Gas Plant stadium is that plan but if it is delayed significantly, relocation rumors could start up again.</p><p>This all has taken somewhat of a back seat to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/athletics-sacramento-move-latest-distraction-teams-awful-start-2024">Athletics’ temporary home in Sacramento</a>. Without the wild card of a hurricane, the A’s will play in a minor-league stadium for three seasons. Regardless, Rob Manfred must get both teams into new stadiums to help his legacy as the commissioner.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
3	0.00	1	1.00	0

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
3	0.00	1	1.00	0

Mike
Vasil

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