FAQ: What to know about Rays’ offseason

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ST. PETERSBURG -- When the Rays recorded their final out of the season at Fenway Park a month ago, it seemed like the biggest challenge facing them this winter would be upgrading their ineffective offense. Then Hurricane Milton ripped through Florida, significantly damaging Tropicana Field and leaving the club with more pressing issues.

With the Dodgers firmly in control of the World Series and the GM Meetings set for next week in San Antonio, Texas, let’s look at some key questions that will shape Tampa Bay’s offseason.

Where will they play next season?
That hasn’t been determined, and no decision will be made until the Rays and the City of St. Petersburg receive a full assessment of the damage done to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton. That process should provide an estimate of the cost and timetable for repairs -- and whether fixing the Trop with only three seasons standing between the Rays and their new ballpark is considered worthwhile.

Commissioner Rob Manfred recently said he was “hopeful” the Rays could figure out something in the Tampa Bay area. There are plenty of potential alternatives within the region, including a handful of nearby Spring Training and Minor League ballparks, although they would likely require upgrades to host an MLB team for an extended period.

Speaking to reporters at the World Series, Manfred said the league hopes to have a plan in place for the Rays by Christmas. Manfred also noted that MLB could adjust the Major League and Minor League schedules to make a Spring Training/Minor League ballpark work as an interim home.

Which players are free agents? Which players have contract options?
The Rays don’t have any pending free agents. Infielder Brandon Lowe has a $10.5 million club option for next season with a $1 million buyout. During his end-of-season press conference, president of baseball operations Erik Neander made it sound like it would be an easy decision to pick up Lowe’s option within five days of the World Series ending.

Who needs to be reinstated to the 40-man roster?
The Rays ended the season in relatively good health, so they only have to reinstate two players from the 60-day injured list by the fifth day after the World Series: ace Shane McClanahan, who finished his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and right-hander Jacob Waguespack, who was also fully recovered by the end of September.

The Rays do not need to put shortstop Wander Franco (restricted list) back on their 40-man roster, even though a similar procedural move took place during the 2023-24 offseason when he was on administrative leave. Franco hasn’t played for Tampa Bay since August 2023, when MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic began investigating allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He was shifted back to the restricted list in July, when he was formally charged, and in September, he was ordered to stand trial.

Who is arbitration-eligible?
The Rays have 12 players eligible for salary arbitration: reliever Colin Poche, starter Zack Littell, lefty Tyler Alexander, right-hander Drew Rasmussen, outfielder Dylan Carlson, reliever Cole Sulser, shortstop Taylor Walls, reliever Garrett Cleavinger, catcher Ben Rortvedt, center fielder Jose Siri, reliever Richard Lovelady and starter Shane Baz.

The deadline for eligible players and their clubs to exchange arbitration figures is Jan. 10.

Are there any non-tender candidates?
By 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 22, teams must formally tender contracts for 2025 to their players without guaranteed deals, including those eligible for arbitration. Any non-tendered players become free agents.

The Rays could remove some arb-eligible non-tender candidates from their roster before that point through trades or other moves. Carlson didn’t benefit as expected from his Trade Deadline change of scenery, Alexander had an up and down year, Sulser pitched sparingly (albeit well) in the Majors, and they seem to have more lefty relievers than they can carry with Poche, Cleavinger and Lovelady all arb-eligible.

Who needs to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft?
The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft is Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. ET. The Rays handled some of this business during the season, but there are still three players to strongly consider: left-handers Ian Seymour (their No. 17 prospect) and Joe Rock (No. 22) and outfielder Jake Mangum, who hit .317/.358/.442 in 104 games for Triple-A Durham this past season.

The Rule 5 Draft will take place on the final day of the Winter Meetings, which will be held from Dec. 9-11 in Dallas.

When is the MLB Draft Lottery?
This is the third year that a lottery during the Winter Meetings will determine the order of the top of the MLB Draft. This year’s drawing will take place on Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET, broadcast live on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com.

The Rays have a 1.5% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick. But hey, the Guardians had 2% odds last year and wound up with the top pick.

What kind of help do they need?
Neander made it clear that addressing the catcher position will be a “priority,” and it would make sense to acquire a right-handed-hitting starter to pair with Rortvedt. Their biggest need is offense, and their position player group is versatile enough to accommodate a bat wherever they can add one (or more).

Who might they be willing to trade?
The Rays will consider everything, as usual, so anything’s on the table. But they seem well-positioned to deal from their rotation depth. They could deal a solid mid-rotation arm like Littell, for instance, and still run back a rotation with some combination of McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs, Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Baz and Rasmussen (if he moves back to the rotation).

Their young relievers stepped up and shined after a series of injuries in the second half, so they could part with a proven reliever or two, particularly a lefty. They also have depth in the infield, especially if they decide to keep Christopher Morel on the dirt, although it’d be risky to trade a veteran hitter when they’re looking to upgrade their lineup.