The Tampa Bay Rays are going again to the postseason. A 98-win common season – put up towards the expectations of actually all people, particularly at CBS – noticed them win the American League East pennant, bypass the wild card altogether, and have ample time to organize to face the winner of the New York Yankees–Boston Pink Sox Wild Card Sequence.
Sadly, although, a standard by-product of success is a glut. The not-entirely-bad downside the Rays now face is the restrict on variety of credible pitching choices competing for restricted locations. They’ve rather a lot – greater than they are going to want for a five-game collection over eight days. Somebody good should be dropped.
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Might the Rays Truly Win it All This Time?
Rays Have A Lot Of Choices By Design
A postseason roster comprises 26 gamers, with a most of 13 pitchers. In anticipation of a Drew Rasmussen/Nick Martinez/Freddy Peralta three-man rotation – which must be all that’s required, even when the collection goes 5 video games, as a result of quantity of off-days within the collection – this leaves ten bullpen slots for about twelve arms.
All-Star nearer Bryan Baker, the consistently-deceptive Kevin Kelly and the out-of-nowhere breakout reduction star Cam Booser type a really robust excessive leverage basis on the again finish of the reduction group. Tyler Wells, if wholesome, was added from the Baltimore Orioles on the commerce deadline to be the fourth, and though Wells was injured for the ultimate stretch of the common season, he’s anticipated to return in time.
Elsewhere, whereas they aren’t ever going to be the high-leverage choices, veterans Cole Sulser and Steven Matz made their bids to be candidates for added locations with their late-season enhancements. Sulser allowed one earned run in seven innings after coming back from damage in August and had a superb final two months after a sluggish first half, whereas Matz had a 1.59 ERA over an 11-inning stretch following an August absence. Casey Legumina, Ty Johnson and Brody Hopkins additionally supplied additional alternate options, and though the latter two are items for the longer term given temporary September airings not anticipated or wanted within the current, Legumina’s career-best marketing campaign places him on the radar.
There’s additionally competitors from pitchers who’ve labored as starters. Past Rasmussen, Peralta and Martinez – and in anticipation that oft-injured workers ace Shane McClanahan is unavailable, which has but to be confirmed – Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour shall be obtainable for bulk innings or shorter reduction assignments. Preserving each would give Tampa Bay safety towards an early exit by a starter, whereas consuming locations that would in any other case go to traditional relievers.
That’s twelve, not together with McClanahan, Hopkins and Johnson. And if that’s the case, the ultimate spot could also be a battle between two of their finest arms in 2025, who haven’t had the most effective 2026 seasons.
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Rays Made Two Unhealthy Trades With the Identical Participant
Two Veterans Missing Momentum
Each Manuel Rodríguez and Garrett Cleavinger have struggled with accidents and injury-related management in 2026 which have seen then fall a way in need of their glorious finest over the earlier two seasons.
Their conditions differ considerably. Rodríguez’s current return to the roster follows an prolonged restoration from elbow surgical procedure and one other interruption attributable to a lower-back pressure. Cleavinger in the meantime has been coping with left forearm tightness after a season by which his outcomes deteriorated from his robust 2025 efficiency, and makes an attempt to pitch by way of it failed.
Each have already demonstrated that he will be an efficient member of Tampa Bay’s bullpen. In 2025, Rodriguez posted a 2.08 ERA throughout 31 appearances, hanging out 25 batters and strolling six in 30.1 innings, whereas Cleavinger was Pete Fairbanks’s set-up man for 3 years, recording a 2.35 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 61.1 innings in 2025. This 12 months, nonetheless, his ERA rose to 4.79 throughout 41.1 innings, with 54 strikeouts and 22 walks.
A postseason choice has to account for what a pitcher can present instantly. Previous success is related in that analysis, actually, however the Rays additionally want confidence {that a} returning reliever can keep his command, get well between appearances and deal with the workload required throughout an vital playoff collection. Cleavinger’s quirky and misleading left-handed supply presents a possible benefit when establishing the bullpen, but handedness alone doesn’t assure a spot, significantly when different pitchers can cowl comparable conditions or present extra innings.
Rodríguez and Cleavinger due to this fact stay believable alternatives, in addition to believable omissions. When wholesome, each are clearly in over Sulser and Matz (and sure others), however each may not be. Tampa Bay’s depth offers it a number of methods to assemble the workers, and certainly their whole roster – they won’t need 13 place gamers, or may even go to 14 with Kenny Piper as a 3rd catching choice. All of it stays to be decided. Whichever mixture they select, although, will depart not less than one extremely succesful Rays pitcher on the skin wanting in.
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