<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-josh-lowe-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ 20-home run slugger provides pivotal injury update');   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/2025/03/Rays-news-Tampa-Bay-20-home-run-slugger-provides-pivotal-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays’ 20-home run slugger provides pivotal injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T09:59:46-07:00">March 29th, 9:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T10:01:28-07:00">March 29th, 10:01am</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">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays <a href="https://x.com/RaysPR/status/1906014172430688339" rel="noopener">announced on Saturday</a> that outfielder Josh Lowe was placed on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. Lowe later revealed that he suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain. There is currently no injury timeline for his return.</p><p>“It is a little worse than what happened last year,” Lowe <a href="https://x.com/Ry_Bass/status/1906020185900806232" rel="noopener">said Saturday</a>, via Rays TV reporter Ryan Bass. “Been through it. You know, maybe that’s a blessing in disguise, knowing what it takes to get better, and kind of what to expect from the rehab standpoint. I’m going to do what I can every single day to make sure that I’m getting one step better.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-history-walk-off-home-run-vs-rockies">Rays earned an Opening Day 3-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies</a> in dramatic fashion, as Kameron Misner crushed a walk-off home run. It was a tremendous way to begin the season. Although the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/fatal-flaw-tampa-bay-rays-must-address-for-2025-mlb-season">Rays have some uncertainty</a>, they are looking to compete in 2025. Lowe’s injury is far from ideal, however.</p><h2><b>Rays’ Josh Lowe to miss time with injury</b></h2><p>Lowe, 27, has displayed signs of potential in the past. The left-handed slugger, who made his MLB debut in 2021, hit .292 and recorded an .835 OPS and 20 home runs in 2023. He added 32 stolen bases in what was a promising campaign.</p><p>In 2024, though, Lowe was limited to only 106 games played. His production saw a massive decrease while he was on the field as well. The Rays were hoping that Josh Lowe could stay healthy and bounce back in 2025, but this latest update won’t help that goal.</p><p>We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Josh Lowe’s injury status as they are made available. As mentioned, there is no timeline for his return at the moment.</p><p>Tampa Bay will attempt to move on without Josh Lowe. The Rays will host the Rockies once again on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ 20-home run slugger provides pivotal injury update

<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-history-walk-off-home-run-vs-rockies');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Rays made history with walk-off home run vs. Rockies');   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/2025/03/Rays-news-How-Tampa-Bay-made-history-with-walk-off-home-run-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>How Rays made history with walk-off home run vs. Rockies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T18:31:43-07:00">March 28th, 6:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T18:32:23-07:00">March 28th, 6:32pm</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 long-term residence of the Tampa Bay Rays is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-1-3-billion-plan-goes-up-in-smoke">very much up in the air</a>, but they are wasting no time in getting acclimated to their temporary home. In their first game in George M. Steinbrenner Field, which serves as the New York Yankees’ spring training facility, the scrappy small-market ball club delivered the crowd a thrilling conclusion.</p><p>Rookie left fielder Kameron Misner willed the Rays to a <a href="https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1905750130537767136" rel="noopener">3-2 walk-off victory</a> over the Colorado Rockies on Friday, leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with a 351-foot home run, via Jomboy Media. It was the 2019 first-round draft pick’s first big-league dinger, and the first MLB regular season homer ever in Steinbrenner Field.</p><p>Amid all the uncertainty surrounding the organization, both on and off the field, Kevin Cash’s squad is starting this new era of Tampa Bay baseball in style.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The first ever MLB game at Steinbrenner Field ends with a walk-off home run! <a href="https://t.co/8dJ5CZFAdW">pic.twitter.com/8dJ5CZFAdW</a></p><p>— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1905750130537767136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Rays and Rockies combined for only 14 hits, as right-hander Ryan Pepiot and lefty Kyle Freeland engaged in an Opening Day pitching battle. The former only allowed one earned run in six innings and struck out eight batters, but he left the game trailing 2-0. Tampa then rallied in the seventh, tying the score after a Jonathan Aranda sacrifice fly and Jose Caballero base-hit. The bullpen shut out Colorado, leaving the door open for some Misner heroics in the final frame.</p><p>Although it may be stressful for fans, these are the type of gritty victories Tampa Bay might have to get if it is going to surpass expectations in a potentially stacked American League East. Good pitching and smart baseball has long served as the identity of this club, and that will probably need to continue in 2025.</p><p>The roster has undergone some changes, and the ballpark is different, but the Rays can still swoop in and steal a win at any given moment. They will try to make it 2-0 when Zack Littell takes the mound on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET. What fun awaits the fans at George M. Steinbrenner Field in that one? We shall see.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Rays made history with walk-off home run vs. Rockies

<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-shane-mcclanahan-injury-scare-frighten-tampa-fans');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shane McClanahan’s injury scare will frighten Rays fans');   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/2025/03/Shane-McClanahans-injury-scare-will-frighten-Rays-fans.jpg"></figure><h1>Shane McClanahan’s injury scare will frighten Rays fans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-22T11:57:21-07:00">March 22nd, 11:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-22T11:57:21-07:00">March 22nd, 11:57am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays have their work cut out for them in a competitive American League East in 2025. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-tampa-bay-shane-mcclanahan-ready-2025">Getting Shane McClanahan back from Tommy John surgery</a> will certainly be of help, but he’s already suffered a concerning injury in spring training.</p><p>During Saturday’s outing, the two-time All-Star threw a pitch and immediately looked to be in pain, signaling to the trainers in the dugout. It does appear he was dealing with discomfort in his throwing arm.</p><p>Via Ryan Bass:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rays</a> ace Shane McClanahan just left this game accompanied by head trainer Joe Benge. Here’s video of his final pitch, showing some serious discomfort. He immediately signaled toward the dugout. Will update when I know more. <a href="https://t.co/dnhY8KPBTV">pic.twitter.com/dnhY8KPBTV</a></p><p>— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ry_Bass/status/1903505981637603400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That’s a very concerning sight for the Rays. When healthy, McClanahan is one of the most dominant starters in the big leagues. He didn’t pitch at all in 2024 due to TJ. Across three seasons, the southpaw has a 3.02 ERA and has struck out 10.1 hitters per nine innings. Tampa Bay needs him at full strength very badly.</p><p>Kevin Cash said<a href="https://x.com/andybfreed/status/1903516449529831528" rel="noopener"> it’s a triceps issue</a> for McClanahan and he’ll have imaging on Sunday, per Andrew Freed.</p><p>In 2023, McClanahan posted a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts, but his season ended prematurely in August due to the elbow injury, undergoing surgery later that month. It’s been a long road of recovery for the lefty and it would be truly gut-wrenching if he does miss any substantial amount of time.</p><p>McClanahan had looked like his usual self pre-injury, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, striking out five hitters in the process. He threw 41 pitches against the Red Sox on Saturday before his departure. He is set to be the Rays’ Opening Day starter and although they do have six starters in camp, losing their best one is a nightmare scenario.</p><p>Tampa finished second-last in the AL East in 2024 with an 80-82 record. They had a respectable 3.77 ERA as a pitching staff, but offensively, the Rays were inconsistent.</p><p>Stay tuned for updates on McClanahan’s health. While it didn’t look good, Tampa Bay will be holding their breath when it comes to his status, with Opening Day right around the corner.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shane McClanahan’s injury scare will frighten Rays fans

<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-eloy-jimenez-fails-opening-day-roster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Eloy Jimenez fails to make Rays’ Opening Day roster');   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/2025/03/Rays-news-Eloy-Jimenez-fails-to-make-Tampa-Bays-Opening-Day-roster.jpg"></figure><h1>Eloy Jimenez fails to make Rays’ Opening Day roster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-21T10:57:18-07:00">March 21st, 10:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-21T10:57:18-07:00">March 21st, 10:57am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/tampa-bay-rays-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">Rays have finalized their roster</a> with Opening Day kicking off the season on March 27. However, the organization turned heads on Friday after announcing that designated hitter and outfielder, Eloy Jimenez will begin the season playing for the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls.</p><p>Instead, infielder Curtis Mead <a href="https://x.com/Ry_Bass/status/1903110558825525568" rel="noopener">made the final roster</a>, which led to manager Kevin Cash demoting Jimenez to Triple-A, according to Rays reporter Ryan Bass. In a statement, Cash does admit that Jimenez could be promoted at some point in the season and help the team out later on.</p><p>“(Eloy’s) not going to make our club as it stands right now,” Kevin Cash said. “He is going to go to Durham. Couldn’t be more pleased with the way Eloy carried himself, and the bat started to come to life here a little bit later, which we were confident that it would. I think if you look at everybody that was coming in on the roster, you got to really appreciate what Curtis Mead has done, so it made some difficult decisions, but for Eloy to go down there, continue the progress and the work that he put in this offseason, for our Durham club, I mean, he could be huge for us at any point during the season.”</p><p>The 28-year-old DH played in 98 games last season for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. Once the season concluded, Jimenez signed a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-eloy-jimenez-signs-tampa-bay-catch">one-year, $2 million contract with the Rays</a>. It was believed he’d serve as Tampa Bay’s go-to designated hitter, but Curtis Mead has seemingly impressed the coaching staff enough to go a different route.</p><p>Jimenez finished the 2024 campaign with a .238 batting average while recording six home runs, and 23 RBIs. All of which are career lows for him, as he struggled much throughout last season.</p><p>As for Mead, the 24-year-old infielder is primed for a bigger role on the Rays’ roster. He’s been considered one of the club’s top prospects for a few years now and is finally being rewarded for his efforts. He’s been on and off the MLB roster in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but this is the first time in his career that he’ll be on the Opening Day roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Eloy Jimenez fails to make Rays’ Opening Day roster

<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-1-3-billion-plan-goes-up-in-smoke');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ $1.3 billion plan goes up in smoke');   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/2025/03/Tampa-Bays-1.3-billion-plan-goes-up-in-smoke.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays’ $1.3 billion plan goes up in smoke</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-13T11:06:07-07:00">March 13th, 11:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-13T11:06:43-07:00">March 13th, 11:06am</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 will play in Tampa for the first time ever this season. Since their inception in 1998, they have played in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. But after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-tampa-bay-play-2025-season-yankees-spring-training-home">Hurricane Milton destroyed the Trop’s roof, they moved into Steinbrenner Field</a>, the Yankees’ spring training facility, for the season. Milton did more damage than just that to the Rays, as the hurricane and other factors <a href="https://x.com/RaysBaseball/status/1900209966897590401" rel="noopener">have led to the end</a> of their new stadium project in St Petersburg.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">In gratitude for the continued support from our fans and community. <a href="https://t.co/vVGHn6nrAA">pic.twitter.com/vVGHn6nrAA</a></p><p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1900209966897590401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”</p><p>“We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interests of our region, Major League Baseball, and our organization.”</p><p>This is a brutal blow for the Rays and their fans, who may be losing their baseball team because of this update. It took a long time to get this far with the St Petersburg project and now it is dead. The hurricanes are not the only obstacle for the stadium, as new government officials elected in November are not fans of the deal.</p><h2><b>What is next for the Rays?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Tropicana-Field-after-Hurricane-Milton-1.jpg"><figcaption>Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the Rays and Yankees arrangement was announced, New York owner Hal Steinbrenner said it was a one-year agreement. Sternberg says the restoration of Tropicana Field is underway and should be ready for 2026, which makes that a non-issue. But anything can happen, as was just proven by the new construction.</p><p>There is a very slim chance that this could be good news for Rays fans moving forward. Their attendance has been brutal in St Petersburg, even when they are good, and Tampa could be a better place. With the new construction shut down, a long-term solution in St Pete feels unlikely.</p><p>Relocation rumors have followed the Rays around for over a decade. Maybe a restoration of the Trop can save them but continued poor attendance could cost them the team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-where-could-relocate-2029-stadium-plan-falls-through">Montreal, Nashville, Charlotte, and Salt Lake City have all been discussed</a> but that could be a long way away.</p><p>This is another stadium deal on Rob Manfred’s desk, as the Athletics look to move to Las Vegas soon. Two American League teams will play in minor-league facilities this year. That could be a black mark on the commissioner’s legacy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ $1.3 billion plan goes up in smoke

<!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/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-rays-owner-facing-mlb-pressure-to-sell-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays owner facing MLB pressure to sell team');   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/2025/03/Rays-news-Tampa-owner-facing-MLB-pressure-to-sell-team.jpg"><figcaption>3/9/25</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays owner facing MLB pressure to sell team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-09T19:15:55-07:00">March 9th, 7:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-09T19:15:55-07:00">March 9th, 7:15pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/tampa-bay-rays-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick"> Tampa Bay Rays have been</a> a team that has been able to compete with some of the most powerful teams in the American League East. At times, they have been able to get the best of the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. They have been to the World Series twice in their history and lost both times. Despite their surprising on-field success, the Rays has struggled to draw fans and their Tropicana Field was seriously damaged last year during Hurricane Milton and is no longer able to host games.</p><p>While the Rays have hopes of building a new home stadium, team owner Stu Sternberg is reportedly being pressured to sell the team by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and several MLB owners.</p><p>MLB’s decision to urge Sternberg to sell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6189456/2025/03/09/commissioner-owners-pressure-rays-sale-mlb/">is detailed in a report</a> by Evan Drellich of <i>The Athletic</i>. The team is not up for sale at this point, but there are multiple prominent business people in the Tampa area who may have an interest in the team, including the family of San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-easy-choice-with-shane-mcclanahan-opening-day-nod">The Rays are planning</a> to play their upcoming home schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Steinbrenner Field is the spring training facility of the New York Yankees.</p><p>However, the Rays have been seeking a new permanent home stadium for 17 years. They are facing a critical date by the end of the month to firm up plan for the new facility. If Sternberg is unable to secure the deal, Major League Baseball may attempt to take away some of the team’s revenue sharing money.</p><h2><b>Rays facing difficult season in 2025 for multiple reasons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Rays-manager-Kevin-Cash-may-eventually-have-new-ownership-paying-his-salary.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rays have never had anything close to the fan support of any of their American League East rivals. Tropicana Field often had less than 15,000 fans in attendance for the majority of its games. Steinbrenner Field has a capacity of approximately 11,000, and that means that tiny crowds will be the rule for the Rays until they get a new permanent facility.</p><p>The Rays are coming off an 80-82 season last year, and it may be difficult for manager Kevin Cash to come close to matching that figure in 2025. Several of the Rays primary opponents have upgraded their roster in the offseason, while the Rays do not appear to have a more talented team than they did last year.</p><p>The Rays were able to sign a couple of minor free agents in shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Danny Jansen, but those moves are not likely to keep the Rays competitive in the upcoming season.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays owner facing MLB pressure to sell team

<!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/rays-news-junior-caminero-hitting-crap-out-ball-wows-tampa-bay-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Junior Caminero ‘hitting crap out of ball’ wows Rays in spring training');   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/2025/03/Rays-news-Junior-Caminero-hitting-crap-out-of-ball-wows-Tampa-Bay-in-spring-training.jpg"></figure><h1>Junior Caminero ‘hitting crap out of ball’ wows Rays in spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T11:53:07-08:00">March 3rd, 11:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T11:53:07-08:00">March 3rd, 11:53am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays are not expected to be a top contender by many in the American League this season, but the franchise has had a knack for exceeding expectations, and the recipe for them to do that in 2025 starts with infielder Junior Caminero, who has come into spring training and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/junior-caminero-hits-two-home-runs-in-spring-training-game" rel="noopener">impressed his teammates</a>, including starting pitcher Shane Baz.</p><p>“He just hits the [crap] out of the ball. I don’t know what else to say,” Shane Baz said, via Adam Berry of MLB.com. “It’s just like every swing has intent behind it. He’s not trying to flip a single anywhere. It’s that he’s trying to drive the ball, and he’s very good at it.”</p><p>Caminero has seen brief time in MLB in 2023 and 2024, but he is expected to play his first full season in 2025, and the expectations are hit for the Rays. Manager Kevin Cash raved about his offensive potential when speaking on his performance in winter ball and so far in spring training.</p><p>“Special pop. We’ve seen it,” Kevin Cash said, via Berry. “He’s been on quite the run from the winter ball to now, even in live BPs and all those things, and we’re seeing it in the game. But he’s got a chance to really impact our lineup.”</p><p>Caminero and Baz will be big parts of the Rays’ potential success in 2025. Last season, Tampa Bay disappointed offensively and is looking for a middle-of-the-order bat to emerge in 2025. Caminero has the spotlight on him, and there is hope that Cristopher Morel could have a big year in his first full season with the Rays. Baz is part of a Rays pitching staff that is finally healthy, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-shane-mcclanahan-ready-2025">with Shane McClanahan’s return</a> headlining that group. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-easy-choice-with-shane-mcclanahan-opening-day-nod">McClanahan was named the Opening Day starter</a> for Tampa Bay.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how Caminero fares this season, as the expectations within the Rays organization are high.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Junior Caminero ‘hitting crap out of ball’ wows Rays in spring training

<!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', '/blake-snell-net-worth');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025');   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/Blake-Snells-net-worth-in-2024.jpg"></figure><h1>Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-17T13:10:57-08:00">February 17th, 1:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-17T13:13:02-08:00">February 17th, 1:13pm</time><address><a>Nate Duffett</a>Nate Duffett is a writer for ClutchPoints and a sports junkie at heart, especially for the Boston sports scene. In his spare time, he coaches hockey and is also a Hockey Scout at FCHockey and NeutralZone. Whether it's covering the NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, or College Football and Basketball, there is not a sport Nate isn't able to discuss.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025 is $47.5 million. The newest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-blake-snells-182-million-dodgers-contract">Los Angeles Dodgers signing will see his net worth rise significantly</a> thanks to a five-year, $182 million deal. The contract includes a $52 million signing bonus. Here is a look at Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025.</p><h2><b>What is Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025?: $47.5 million (estimate)</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blake-Snell.jpg"><figcaption>© Katie Stratman / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025 <a href="https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrity-net-worth/2024/11/27/67474ab5e2704e7fbd8b4584.html" rel="noopener">sits at about $47.5 million</a>, according to marca.com.</p><p>Snell was born on December 4, 1992, in Seattle, Washington. He played high school baseball at Shorewood High School and trained at a local facility owned by his father, a minor-league baseball player. Snell had an unbelievable senior season in high school with a 9-0 record, a 1.00 ERA, and 128 strikeouts in 63 innings.</p><p>Snell went straight to professional baseball instead of attending college, as the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. The parties agreed on a contract that gave Snell a $684,000 signing bonus, and he played the rest of the season with the Gulf Coast Rays.</p><p>Snell took five years to join the Rays, but he had some success in the minor leagues. The 2014 season started his ascent, as he pitched with several different teams but was the Rays’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Then Snell had a 15-4 record with a 1.41 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP between three teams in 2015, which gave him the USA Today Minor League Pitcher of the Year award.</p><p>Tampa Bay named him to the 40-man roster at the end of the season, but he still made 12 starts with the Durham Bulls to begin 2016.</p><h2><b>Blake Snell’s MLB debut</b></h2><p>Snell made his MLB debut on April 23, 2016, at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t experience immediate success, as he didn’t pick up his first win until June 27.</p><p>Snell made 19 starts in his first season, finishing with a 6-8 record, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml" rel="noopener">3.54 ERA</a>, and 98 strikeouts over 89 innings. He posted a 4.71 ERA through his first eight starts of 2017, which led to his demotion to Durham for a month and a half. Snell returned and finished the year with a 5-1 record and a 3.31 ERA.</p><p>The 2018 season was Snell’s breakout campaign. He had a controversial midseason moment, leading the American League with a 12-4 record and a 2.09 ERA but not being chosen for the All-Star Game. After Corey Kluber opted out of the game, Snell was the replacement, which gave him his first appearance.</p><p>Snell broke a franchise record by recording his 21st win on September 23 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He led the majors in wins, adjusted ERA, and batting average against. He also led the American League in ERA and WAR.</p><p>Snell received the Cy Young Award with 17 of 30 first-place votes to beat Justin Verlander. He was the second Rays pitcher to win the award, joining David Price in 2012.</p><p>After his award-winning season, the Rays signed Snell to a five-year, $50 million deal. However, Snell struggled in 2019 with a 6-8 record and some trips to the injured list.</p><p>He bounced back in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and was in the middle of an epic postseason run that led the Rays to the World Series. However, it ended with Kevin Cash’s controversial decision to pull Snell in Game 6 with a 1-0 lead and nine strikeouts. The Dodgers rallied in that inning and beat the Rays in the series.</p><h2><b>Blake Snell is traded to the Padres</b></h2><p>Prior to the 2021 season, the Rays traded Snell to the Padres for Luis Patino, Blake Hunt, Cole Wilcox, and Francisco Mejia. He didn’t have an immediate payoff for the Padres, as he started 7-6 with a 4.20 ERA. However, he recovered with a 1.83 ERA over his final eight starts. He had another above-average season in 2022, but his 2023 season was what the Padres paid for.</p><p>Snell made 32 starts with a 14-9 record, 2.25 ERA, and 234 strikeouts. Despite the success, Snell declined a qualifying offer in the offseason and elected to become a free agent.</p><p>It was the right move for his long-term finances, as the MLB <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-blake-snell-wins-nl-cy-young-and-mlb-world-is-hyped">named Snell the National League Cy Young Award winner</a> the following day. He was the seventh pitcher in MLB history to receive the award in both leagues.</p><h2><b>Snell’s lone Giants season</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/giants-news-blake-snells-san-francisco-deal-fans-going-bonkers">San Francisco Giants signed Snell</a> to a two-year, $62 million contract with an opt-out after the first year. It was an injury-filled season. He had two trips to the injury list and a paternity leave. Snell finished the year with 20 starts, owning a 5-3 record with a 3.12 ERA. On November 1, 2024, Snell opted out of the second year of his contract and became a free agent.</p><p>After Snell opted out, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-blake-snell-contract-serious-problem-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers found a way to fit Snell into their budget</a>. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-blake-snell-stacked-admission-signing-la">Snell will now be part of a stacked rotation</a> that will include a healthy Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.</p><p>Nevertheless, did Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025 surprise you?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blake Snell’s net worth in 2025

<!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-makes-easy-choice-with-shane-mcclanahan-opening-day-nod');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays makes ‘easy choice’ with Shane McClanahan Opening Day nod');   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/2025/02/Tampa-Bay-makes-easy-choice-with-Shane-McClanahan-Opening-Day-nod.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays makes ‘easy choice’ with Shane McClanahan Opening Day nod</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-15T15:37:25-08:00">February 15th, 3:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-15T15:37:25-08:00">February 15th, 3:37pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-giants-agree-trade-spring-training">Tampa Bay Rays are making moves with Spring Training</a> right around the corner, there is one thing for certain regarding the ballclub and it’s that Shane McClanahan will be making his return hugely. With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-trading-dfa-tigers-reliever">Rays always improving their pitching,</a> McClanahan will make his return from Tommy John recovery on Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies as confirmed by manager Kevin Cash.</p><p>While some people could be worried that McClanahan needs more time to recover, Cash and the team don’t think so as he would say the decision for the pitcher to be the Opening Day started was<a href="https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1890864164219793799" rel="noopener"> “A pretty easy choice”</a> according to Marc Topkin. This is no doubt great news for Tampa Bay fans as McClanahan spoke to the media about how he’s “glad to be back” and how much he missed playing baseball.</p><p>“Last year sucked. It was tough, in all seriousness. It was tough mentally, tough physically. I’m glad to be back,” McClanahan said via The Tampa Bay Times.</p><p>“I missed it a lot, man,” McClanahan continued. “I missed being out there, the good and the bad, I just missed competing alongside these guys. It’s cool to be back. It sucks, but I learned a lot last year, so I’m excited to go out and show what I learned.”</p><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/one-perfect-trade-rays-must-make-before-2025-spring-training">Rays look to improve further in Spring Training</a>, McClanahan will use the time to polish the finishing touches on his return as before the major injury, he was a productive pitcher.</p><h2><b>Rays’ Shane McClanahan ready to make an impact upon return</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Shane-McClanahan-on-April-11-2023.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In 2023, he pitched a 3.29 ERA to go along with an 11-2 record and 121 strikeouts as the 27-year-old said he has “evolved as a pitcher.”</p><p>“I’ve evolved as a pitcher, as a person, and so I’m going to embrace the guy I am today,” McClanahan said. “There’s a little bit of a little different feel and kind of appreciation I have for the game as opposed to just winning. Obviously, I want to win. I don’t like losing. But I can appreciate what it takes to just be here and be present in the moment, as opposed to always looking forward to what’s next.”</p><p>As he looks to pitch in his first game in around two years, he puts his full trust in not only Cash but team pitching coach Kyle Snyder.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/shane-mcclanahan-rays-spring-training-2025" rel="noopener">I’ve got a really good pitching coach</a> and manager that are going to take the ball from me when they know to take the ball from me,” McClanahan said via MLB.com. “As a competitor, I’m going to make it hard for them, but at the end of the day, I know they’re looking out for me and my career.”</p><p>In 2022, McClanahan even had Cy Young votes as Tampa Bay hopes to get the same pitcher from before the injury.</p><p>“We know how talented he is. You put him in a very small category of starting pitchers over the last three or four years,” Cash said. “We’re fortunate that he’s healthy, he’s back, and he certainly set the tone for this first day.”</p><p>At any rate, the Rays are looking to improve after having an 80-82 record which put them fourth in the NL East. Opening Day against the Rockies is on March 28.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays makes ‘easy choice’ with Shane McClanahan Opening Day nod

<!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-giants-agree-trade-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays, Giants agree to trade before spring training');   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/2025/02/Tampa-Bay-Giants-agree-to-trade-before-spring-training.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays, Giants agree to trade before spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T13:29:49-08:00">February 6th, 1:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T13:29:49-08:00">February 6th, 1:29pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB Stories</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/giants-news-justin-verlander-move-reminiscent-signing-helped-spark-2010s-dynasty">Giants are both trying to get back into the postseason</a> in 2025. As they continue tweaking their roster, the Rays and Giants have agreed to an under-the-radar trade.</p><p>San Francisco <a href="https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1887577669996257555" rel="noopener">has acquired</a> infielder Osleivis Basabe for cash considerations, via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Basabe had previously been designated for assignment.</p><p>The 24-year old’s only major league experience came over 31 games with the Rays in 2023. In that time, Basabe hit .218 with a home run and 12 stolen bases. His 2024 season saw quite the peak and valley as he started in rookie ball and ended up in Triple-A. Over 78 games, Basabe hit .251 with seven home runs, 37 RBI and six stolen bases.</p><p>He carried that production into the Venezuelan Winter League, where Basabe hit .293 with five home runs, 24 RBI and four stolen bases. While the Rays no longer had room for him on their roster, the right-hander is hoping to breathe a second MLB life with the Giants.</p><p>Alongside his work at the dish, Basabe provides San Francisco with some extra versatility. In his brief major league career, he spent time at every infield position except first base and both corner outfield positions. Basabe has played a single game at first base in the minors and 20 games in center field in the Winter League. So while middle infield is the righty’s bread and butter, the Giants can theoretically use him all over the diamond.</p><p>The first step will be actually cracking the roster. It’s not like the Giants gave up an arm and a leg for Osleivis Basabe. San Francisco is buying a lottery ticket and hopes it cashes in. But as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/giants-news-buster-posey-breaks-silence-giants-gm-hire">Buster Posey crafts his version of the Giants</a>, he’ll be looking for any edge possible.</p><p>To this point in his career, Basabe’s most well known MLB interaction was his involvement in the Nathaniel Lowe trade to the Texas Rangers. He – and the Giants – are hoping this lowkey trade ends up leading to an even greater legacy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays, Giants agree to trade before spring training

<!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-trading-dfa-tigers-reliever');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays trading for recently DFA’d Tigers reliever');   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/2025/02/Rays-news-Tampa-Bay-trading-for-recently-DFAd-Tigers-reliever.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays trading for recently DFA’d Tigers reliever</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-03T11:32:29-08:00">February 3rd, 11:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-03T11:32:29-08:00">February 3rd, 11:32am</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">Detroit Tigers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays made a move to bolster their pitching staff on Monday, acquiring <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-bob-melvin-disappointed-reaction-san-diego-loss-vs-tigers">right-handed pitcher Alex Faedo</a> from the Detroit Tigers for minor league catcher Enderson Delgado and cash, ESPN’s Jeff Passan <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1886483561626395119" rel="noopener">first reported</a>.</p><p>Faedo appeared in 37 games for the Tigers last season, starting six. He had a 3.61 ERA and 4.91 FIP, but allowed only 49 hits in 57.1 innings pitched. Detroit designated him for assignment when it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tigers-news-detroit-nearing-contract-key-ex-yankees-pitcher">signed reliever Tommy Kahnle</a> last week.</p><p>The Rays have officially announced the trade, adding that they have <a href="https://x.com/RaysPR/status/1886490620321046756" rel="noopener">designated infielder Osleivis Basabe</a> for assignment as a corresponding move.</p><p>Faedo has pitched parts of three seasons with the Tigers after Detroit took him 18th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. He’s never really found his footing as a consistent MLB contributor, pitching a career high 64.2 innings for the big league club in 2023.</p><p>There’s reason to believe he can find his stride in Tampa. His four-seamer came in at 94 miles per hour last year, a career best, and he generated swings and misses at a 14.4% clip. Faedo’s slider has potential, as hitters batted only .171 against it in 2024 with a 43% whiff rate.</p><p>With Faedo out of minor league options, the Tigers had little choice but to DFA him when they signed Kahnle. As Detroit looks to make a playoff run in 2025, there wasn’t really a spot for him on this year’s team. Now, Detroit at least gets something in return for him.</p><h2><b>Alex Faedo joins a Rays staff with potential and question marks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Shane-McClanahan.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Faedo can be a starter or reliever as the Rays look to piece together a pitching staff in 2025. As of now, Faedo will likely come out of the bullpen as Tampa already has <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/rays" rel="noopener">six-man rotation potential</a>: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-shane-mcclanahan-ready-2025">Shane McClanahan</a>, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen, per FanGraphs.</p><p>With Faedo in a bullpen that includes returnees Pete Fairbanks, Garrett Cleavinger and Manuel Rodríguez, Tampa Bay has the opportunity for a major payoff. Faedo has up to five years of team control remaining and is a former top 100 prospect. The key will be to tap into whatever potential scouts once thought he had.</p><p>This comes at a time when the Rays are set to play their 2025 regular season games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Spring Training home of the New York Yankees, while Tropicana Field undergoes repairs from Hurricane Milton. As a low-spending team with no true home, low-risk, high-reward options are probably the smart way to go.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays trading for recently DFA’d Tigers reliever

<!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', '/one-perfect-trade-rays-must-make-before-2025-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'One perfect trade Rays must make before 2025 Spring Training');   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/2025/02/Perfect-trade-Rays-must-make-before-2025-Spring-Training.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>One perfect trade Rays must make before 2025 Spring Training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-02T13:19:34-08:00">February 2nd, 1:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-03T13:40:39-08:00">February 3rd, 1:40pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With spring training quickly approaching, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-rays-agree-29-million-deal-former-padres-infielder-ha-seong-kim">the Tampa Bay Rays’ focus</a> on the 2025 season has come into full view. The team’s latest move, in which they signed infielder Ha-Seong Kim for a two-year contract, should improve the lineup. It’s also the biggest acquisition that the Rays’ brass, led by GM Erik Neander, has made this offseason. In the next few days, pitchers and catchers will report. Then, the rest of the team will follow.</p><p>Even though the season is on the verge of starting, there are still avenues <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-drew-rasmussens-heartfelt-reaction-2-year-contract-extension-rays">where Neander can improve</a> the roster. The free agent market does have some options, but turning their focus towards trade discussions would be a better choice. If that does happen, then reaching to the Colorado Rockies once more wouldn’t be a bad idea.</p><p>Rockies GM Bill Stewart and Neander have made a few deals in the past. Colorado has pieces that could help the Rays’ bullpen, and one position player stands out above all else: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockies-news-bud-black-reveals-manager-text-threads-1-word-response-every-dodgers-signing">center fielder Brenton Doyle.</a> The Rockies’ center fielder has continued to grow into one of the best in the majors at his position. He’s an excellent defender and strong table setter. Those are two things that Tampa Bay strongly values to this day. In order to acquire him and a bullpen arm (let’s say Justin Lawrence in this case), what would it take? Let’s see just how expensive this bill could get for Tampa Bay.</p><h2><b>Brenton Doyle, Justin Lawrence address openings in Rays’ roster</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rockies-OF-Brenton-Doyle.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At the moment, it appears as if the trio of Josh Lowe (right field), Jonny DeLuca (center field) and Christopher Morel (left field) will be the starters for manager Kevin Cash. Not a bad threesome, but it shows the lack of star power in the outfield. DeLuca and Morel were very hot and cold last season, and Lowe battled injuries. The team can also play Jose Caballero and Richie Palacios <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/rays" rel="noopener">in the outfield,</a> and it is possible that non-roster invitee Eloy Jimenez snags some time out there as well if he makes the team.</p><p>Doyle would likely become the best position player on the roster at the moment, depending on how fast third baseman Junior Caminero continues his adjustment to the majors. He’d be a great fit in Tampa Bay and would help the roster compete for a postseason spot. Adding an arm like Lawrence would be great too, especially if he returns to his previous form. If not, no problem for the Rays. Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder seemingly find bullpen contributors out of thin air each year, so Lawrence getting back to his 2023 peak would only benefit Cash’s squad.</p><p>Doyle should fetch a big package and adding Lawrence to that would likely add at least one more mid-tier prospect. Headlining the return package should be someone like third basemen Brayden Taylor, who has quickly risen through <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-major-decision-on-top-prospect-after-loss-to-astros">the Rays’ minor-league system.</a> He could be Ryan McMahon’s long-term replacement. Pitchers Mason Montgomery and Gary Gill Hill would strengthen a perennially suspect pitching rotation, especially if Montgomery can carve a spot out in the rotation. A fourth piece, maybe someone like infielder Osleivis Basabe, would put this package over the edge.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockies-news-bringing-charlie-blackmon-back-for-front-office-role">Rockies have a long way</a> to go, and they would benefit from keeping Doyle. However, trading him for a ransom could help them rebuild even faster. It could also backfire. If they decide to do so, then Neander and the Rays need to get on the phone ASAP. Landing an impact bat like Doyle will only help in the quest to make an October return.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

One perfect trade Rays must make before 2025 Spring Training

<!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-rays-agree-29-million-deal-former-padres-infielder-ha-seong-kim');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays agree to $29 million deal with former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim');   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-Tampa-Bay-agrees-to-29-million-deal-with-Ha-Seong-Kim.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays agree to $29 million deal with former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-29T12:48:54-08:00">January 29th, 12:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-29T12:48:54-08:00">January 29th, 12:48pm</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>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-ex-blue-jays-catcher-agrees-8-5-million-contract">Tampa Bay Rays have added a versatile infielder</a> to their roster, agreeing to a two-year, $29 million contract with former Padres standout Ha-Seong Kim. The deal, <a href="https://x.com/jeffpassan/status/1884684729670041984?s=46&amp;t=95WTD_E3Gb45ZExxvE_Gmw" rel="noopener">first reported</a> by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, includes an opt-out after the first season, allowing Kim the flexibility to re-enter free agency if he proves his health and performance.</p><p>“Infielder Ha-Seong Kim and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a two-year, $29 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources tell ESPN. Kim is coming off shoulder surgery but is expected to return in May and slated to take over at shortstop,” Passan posted on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-ha-seong-kim-dealt-crushing-injury-update-before-playoffs">Kim, 29, is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder</a> after injuring it during a pickoff attempt in August. While his agent, Scott Boras, has suggested he could be back as early as April, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller provided a more cautious estimate, saying his return could come “May, June, or July.”</p><h2><b>Ha-Seong Kim looks to bolster the Rays lineup, infield depth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ha-Seong-Kim.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before the injury, Kim had established himself as a valuable asset with his elite defense and solid offensive production. Over the past three seasons, he posted a <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kimha01.shtml" rel="noopener">.250/.336/.385</a> slash line with 39 home runs and 72 stolen bases. Though not a major power threat, his above-average walk rate (11%) and low strikeout rate (17.9%) make him a <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/rays-to-sign-ha-seong-kim.html" rel="noopener">dependable presence at the plate.</a></p><p>Defensively, Kim’s ability to play multiple infield positions at a high level makes him an ideal fit for the Rays, who value versatility. He has spent time at shortstop, second base, and third base, with strong defensive metrics at each. His defensive prowess, combined with his speed on the bases, has made him a roughly four-win player in recent seasons, as measured by FanGraphs WAR (fWAR). In 2022, he posted 3.6 fWAR, followed by 4.2 in 2023. Despite missing time in 2024, he still managed 2.6 fWAR in 121 games.</p><p>For the Rays, the signing represents a calculated risk. If Kim fully recovers and performs well, he could opt out and test the market again next offseason, potentially netting Tampa Bay a compensatory draft pick if they extend a qualifying offer. If he struggles or remains injured for an extended period, he would likely remain with the team for 2026 at a higher salary.</p><p>Kim’s free agency had been difficult to predict due to his injury status. Initially, he was expected to secure a four- or five-year deal, potentially approaching $100 million. However, teams were hesitant to commit long-term, leading to a shorter-term deal with an opt-out—similar to contracts signed by Rhys Hoskins and Michael Conforto in recent years.</p><p>With this move, the Rays add a proven infielder while mitigating long-term risk. If Kim can regain his form, Tampa Bay will have landed a valuable contributor at a relatively modest price.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays agree to $29 million deal with former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim

<!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-agrees-contract-ex-angels-reliever');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays agree to contract with ex-Angels reliever');   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-Tampa-Bay-agrees-to-contract-with-ex-Angels-reliever.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays agree to contract with ex-Angels reliever</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-17T08:40:13-08:00">January 17th, 8:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-17T08:40:13-08:00">January 17th, 8:40am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays are gearing up for a peculiar 2025 campaign, where they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-tropicana-field-unfortunate-2025-update">won’t be playing their home games at Tropicana Field</a>. Still, the Rays are always trying to find shrewd deals that propels the team to success.</p><p>Tampa Bay <a href="https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1880279834896764965" rel="noopener">has signed</a> right-handed relief pitcher Andrew Wantz to a two-year minor league contract, via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It does not come with an invite to spring training, as Wantz is still making his way back from elbow surgery. However, there’s a chance he could be available by the end of the year.</p><p>But even if he doesn’t make it back in time for 2025, the Rays played the long game with Wantz. The fact it’s a two-year minor league pact makes it low-risk, high-reward. Wantz won’t cost much, and if he could be a difference maker in the pen come 2026, then Tampa Bay will have found a diamond in the rough.</p><p>The right-hander was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels. By 2021, he was ready for his major league debut and has been with the Angels ever since. Over 91 career games, Wantz has put up a 3.88 ERA and a 126/48 K/BB ratio.</p><p>His elbow injury limited him to just one appearance in 2024; although he did strike out three in 1.1 innings. But in 2023, Wantz put up a 3.89 ERA and a 33/15 K/BB ratio over 27 games. A year prior, he had a career-best 3.22 ERA and a 52/21 K/BB ratio over a career-high 42 games.</p><p>The Rays know they won’t get that production for the majority of 2025. Even if he returns late, it’s fair to wonder if Andrew Wantz would immediate return to form. However, it’s a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rays-news-eloy-jimenez-signs-tampa-bay-catch">gamble the Rays are keen to take</a>. Even if they have to be patient, they’ll accept the wait if Wantz becomes a valued member of their bullpen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays agree to contract with ex-Angels reliever

<!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>

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