The trade deadline is less than 24 hours away, and while the Rays have already made one big splash in the market, grabbing DH Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins, it shouldn’t surprise you that general manager Erik Neander and the baseball operations department are hard at work seeing if there are any more moves that can help Tampa Bay make another deep run into the postseason and perhaps finish with the franchise’s first World Series championship.
Here are four names that you’re going to hear a lot about before the 4:00 pm Friday deadline.
3B/OF Kris Bryant, Cubs
Bryant is the player that many national pundits believe is most closely connected to the Rays. A free agent at the end of the season, the former National League Rookie of the Year in 2015 and NL Most Valuable Player in 2017 has demonstrated that his down season in 2020 was an aberration. He’s hit 18 home runs and driven in 51 with an OPS+ of 133. He’s been dealing with sore and fatigue in his hamstrings, and had a horrendous month of June, with a slash line of .114/.205/.241, but had rebounded nicely here in July. Bryant would certainly help the Rays beef up against left-handed pitch, which they came into Thursday with just a .675 OPS against this season, though it remains to be seem just how much the Cubs would want to rent Bryant.
What it could take to land him: I’d be willing to part with a pair of mid to upper prospects. I’d start with 3B Kevin Padlo and SS Pedro Martinez, and see where things go.
RHP Jon Gray, Rockies
As my friend (and Rays Radio broadcaster) Dave Wills is apt to say around the deadline: when you think you’ve gotten enough pitching, go out and get more pitching. Gray is one of those pitchers in the second tier — behind Max Scherzer, Charlie Morton and Jose Berrios — that it appears the Rockies are ready to move. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and overall his numbers look pretty strong (3.67 ERA, 91 strikeouts in 98 innings, and a career low WH/IP of 1.224), but below the numbers are concerns. His numbers away from Coors Field are surprisingly…not good. He is 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA, a 1.047 WH/IP and a .592 OPS-against in ten home starts, but just 1-4 with a 4.43 ERA, a 1.475 WH/IP, and an .805 OPS-against.
What it could take: Colorado has said that German Marquez won’t be traded, and seems to be more than willing to hold on to Gray as well. Would they be willing to go with someone like possibly Tommy Romero and/or a PTBNL? Who knows.
RHP Kyle Gibson, Rangers
Gibson has gone from a middle of the rotation guy in Minnesota to the top of the rotation in Texas, and capped it with a selection to the All-Star Game this season, with a 6-3 record, and 2.87 ERA and a career-low 1.177 WH/IP. He’s done a great job getting ground balls this year, and won’t blow you away with velocity, but has five different pitches he can throw in almost any count to keep a hitter off balance.
What it could take: Gibson is signed through 2022, so the price for the 33-year-old will be much higher than similar pitchers who would be free agents at the end of the year. In addition, with Tampa Bay dealing Diego Castillo to Seattle Thursday evening, a package deal that included both Gibson and Rangers closer Ian Kennedy (who is a free agent at the end of the year) could mean a large number of prospects going to the Lone Star State.
2B/OF Whit Merrifield, Royals
You want to talk about another position player that checks all the boxes, it’s Merrifield. A right-handed hitter that would solidify the top of the batting order, Merrifield knows how to get on base (he’s reached safely already over 140 times this year), and when he gets on, he knows how to get into scoring position. The 32-year-old leads all of MLB in stolen bases this year with 25, and has been caught just once. He wouldn’t give you the power numbers of Bryant (he has an OPS this year of just .719, compared to Bryant’s .861), but he could be a big piece of a potential deep postseason run.
What it could take: Merrifield is also signed through next season, and has a team option for 2023, so I would think this is the least likely of the scenarios. My guess is it would take someone big-league ready and a couple of nice pieces to pry Merrifield away from the Royals. Think of a package like Joey Wendle and Xavier Edwards.
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.
