The fanbase has clamored for it, and now they will get their wish, as the Tampa Bay Rays will place pitcher Shane Baz on the taxi squad Sunday in preparation for making his Major League debut Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Baz, the third piece of the trade that sent Chris Archer to Pittsburgh and also netted Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Austin Meadows, is currently ranked as the #1 prospect in the organization by MLB.com and 20th in all of major league baseball.
The 22-year-old started 2021 in Double-A Montgomery, going 2-4 with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts with the Biscuits before being promoted to Triple-A Durham. With the Bulls, Baz went 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA in 10 starts. He also represented Team USA at the 2021 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo.
The Rays will need to make both an active roster and a 40-man roster in order to add Baz Monday.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
