The Tampa Bay Rays may not be taking the field until next year, but there is plenty to pay attention to as 2025 winds down.
While the Tampa Bay Rays will not take the field for several months, the offseason is still a very busy and significant period of time with many dates of note. Below are some of those dates and what may come of them.
Nov. 13 — MLB Awards and All-MLB Teams Revealed: November is a time for recognition in baseball, and that is exactly what will be taking place in Las Vegas on Nov. 13. The Most Valuable Player Awards will be distributed, as well as Reliver of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and the All-MLB Teams.
The last category is the one Rays fans should circle, as the club has five nominees on the roster to make either the first or second team: first baseman Jonathan Aranda, second baseman Brandon Lowe, third baseman Junior Caminero, designated hitter Yandy Diaz and starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen. Four of the five were named All-Stars last season, and everyone except Lowe has a chance to make their first All-MLB team.
Aranda had a career year despite a two-month stint on the IL for a fractured wrist, Lowe had the second-best season of his career, Caminero produced record-breaking numbers before entering his prime and Diaz is still productive as ever at 34 years old. Not to mention the season that Drew Rasmussen produced, leading him to his first All-Star selection. If Rasmussen makes the cut, he will become the first Rays pitcher to earn the honor since Charlie Morton in 2019, the inaugural season for the All-MLB Teams.
Nov. 18-20 — Quarterly Owners Meetings in New York: The Tampa Bay Rays are amid a massive organizational pivot after former principal owner Stuart Sternberg finalized the sale of the team to a group led by Jacksonville, Fla. based homebuilder Patrick Zalupski. The Rays are also slated to move back into Tropicana Field, which has undergone repairs and renovations after Hurricane Milton caused extreme damage to the stadium last October and forced the Rays to play their 2025 season in Tampa.
Moreover, Zalupski and his group are pursuing the ambitious goal of having the club in a new home by 2029 following the conclusion of the 30-year lease in Tropicana Field with the city of St. Petersburg. The quarterly meetings may provide more insight into the progress of the group’s next moves ahead of the Winter Meetings.
Dec. 7-10 — Winter Meetings in Orlando: The Winter Meetings are historically the climactic point of the offseason as an abundance of trades and free agency moves happen. During the introductory press conference for the new Rays ownership, Zalupski said the economics of the team remain the same, so fans should not expect the organization to spend big this offseason.
Critical moves have already taken place, such as picking up the $11.5 million option for Brandon Lowe and letting longtime closer Pete Fairbanks enter free agency. Additional activity is going to occur, and it will be worth monitoring what president of baseball operations Erik Neander decides to do in terms of the roster.
