Tampa Bay Rays Must Be Aggressive at MLB Trade Deadline After Post-All-Star Skid

Has this recent skid by the Tampa Bay Rays added more pressure to the front office to make an aggressive move at the MLB Trade Deadline?

How about multiple?

It's clear this team too often has moments where nothing seems to be working. If that happens in a postseason series, the Rays will be swept right out of the postseason just like they were in 2023. 

Having the lead in the division heading into the All-Star Break was definitely a huge advantage, but for how much longer after losing the first three out of the gate to a division rival in the Boston Red Sox. Earlier this week, Rays general manager Eric Neander spoke on MLB Network Radio. He said, "We got wins; that always helps, and from there it seems like the group really has just bought into a very unselfish style of baseball." That unselfishness might really come in handy over the next few weeks if it means some fringe players take other roles on the squad once Neander upgrades the position. 

So where should he start? 

I think the obvious direction would be more offense. Although your starting rotation has struggled in a big way to begin the second half of the season, they have shown to be one of the best inside baseball so far this year. The offense needs more star power. 

A middle infielder with a good presence at the plate makes the most sense, and San Francisco Giants Luis Arraez continues to make the most sense for the Rays in that position. He may not provide more power at the plate, but he can act as a table setter for players such as Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and, of course, Junior Caminero, who is nearing a pace of 50 home runs this season.

"It starts with us, right? It starts with the players, how we're playing. We're going to be the tone-setter of what the front office does," Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez said. "If we're playing hard and we're playing for that playoff spot, it should be motivation for the front office to be buyers." 

This obviously hasn't happened since the All-Star Break, as the team has lost all 3 games thus far against Boston, mostly due to poor performance from the rotation. Griffin, Jax, and Ian Seymour have been great for most of the first half of the year and have shown a strong resurgence in their careers, making the transition from the bullpen to the rotation seem easy, but as we have seen this past week, there are still moments of concern. 

Which is why Neander should also consider going after another top end rotational piece. If Seymour and Jax transitioned to the rotation easily, moving one back into a long reliever role would likely work as well. There have been reports that the Rays are actively in the conversation along with other teams regarding Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal. Moves like that would certainly move the needle.

Regardless, by the time August 3rd rolls in, the Rays front office needs to have multiple trades approved to improve this roster. A perfect world would have at least 4 new impactful players. Let's see if it happens.