The Tampa Bay Rays sit atop the American League at 34-19, trailing only the Dodgers and Braves in overall record. That’s the kind of position that makes you think big at the trade deadline.
The question isn’t whether Tampa Bay will buy or sell this July. It’s how aggressive they’re willing to get.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks the Rays will emerge as a legitimate threat for Tarik Skubal, the Tigers’ $32 million Cy Young-winning ace who’s been dominating trade deadline speculation.
“The Rays will be ‘in’ on Skubal, and they’ll do it in stealth fashion as they normally do. They have the farm system to make a deal work here, and if they can put Skubal with Drew Rasmussen and Shane McClanahan at the top of the rotation, they’ll be well equipped to do damage in October. They’ll be a threat in the Skubal sweepstakes.”
That’s vintage Tampa Bay. While the Dodgers and Cubs grab headlines in the Skubal rumors, the Rays are quietly building their case.
Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan, and Nick Martinez have been solid for Tampa Bay this season. But there’s room for an ace at the front of that rotation, and Skubal’s 2.70 ERA and two Cy Young awards make him exactly what contenders dream about.
The way I see it, Tampa Bay’s farm system gives them the pieces to make this work. They’ve always been creative with trades, finding ways to compete without the payroll flexibility of bigger markets.
Now, Skubal’s currently on the IL after surgery, which complicates the timeline. But he’ll be back, and once he’s healthy and pitching well again, his price tag is only going up.
What makes this interesting is Tampa Bay’s position. They’re not just hoping to sneak into the playoffs – they’re actually good enough to make a real run. Adding Skubal to that rotation would give them arguably the best starting staff in baseball.
It won’t be cheap. Detroit’s going to want premium prospects for their ace, especially with multiple teams involved. But if the Rays believe this is their window, Skubal’s the kind of move that could put them over the top in October.
