Last year’s Tampa Bay Rays finished just below .500, resulting in an 80-82 season and no playoff appearance. This year’s team is trending slightly ahead of last season’s, holding steady with a 50-43 record.
Yet, there’s also plenty of room for improvement, especially in a competitive American League East division that has the Rays sitting in third place. However, with the July 31 MLB trade deadline looming, the Rays have just enough time to hunt for upgrades, and teams can never have enough arms for the bullpen.
Recently, ESPN’s Jeff Passan found what he felt was the “best match” for the Rays ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Passan’s choice? Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Griffin Jax, who Passan called “one of the best relievers in baseball.”
“Remember, now, this is the best match, not necessarily the likeliest. Minnesota is notoriously value-conscious in its dealings, and the Twins will put an exceptionally high price on Jax, whom they regard as one of the best relievers in baseball — an opinion shared by most teams. With a fastball that sits at 97 mph and a dastardly slider, he is a setup man in name and a closer in stuff — precisely what the Rays, who are missing Manuel Rodriguez and Hunter Bigge, could use.”
ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Tampa Bay Rays
Yet, actually acquiring the 30-year-old reliever from the Twins may be closer to a dream than reality. The Twins are also hoping to stay competitive in what’s been a tight AL Wild Card race, where they sit just 3.5 games back of the final spot. That’s a deficit that could be erased in a matter of days if the cards fall their way.
Still, Jax is one of many relievers the Rays could be considering ahead of the deadline. If not Jax, Passan also mentions his Twins teammate Brock Stewart as another potential target for the Rays’ bullpen.
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