The three biggest names on the open market have now all signed deals with teams, and unfortunately none of them will be in a Tampa Bay Rays jersey. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki goes to the Cubs on a five-year, $85 million deal (which doesn’t include a nearly $14.5 million postine fee to Suzuki’s NPB team, the Hiroshima Carp). First baseman Freddie Freeman heads to southern California thanks to a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers, and third baseman Kris Bryant will collect over $180 million for the next eight years from the Rockies.
So with the free agency whales (all of whom the Rays went after at some point) all now locked up, who might be left for the team to add before the April 8 opener against Baltimore? I’ll give you three names of position players that could contribute, and you could sign them all combined at a fraction of the cost of what one of the above players will make this year.
Tommy Pham
Pham quickly became a Trop favorite after coming to the Rays at the trade deadline in 2018, and went on to set the franchise record for most consecutive games reaching base safely at 48, and his trade to San Diego after the 2019 campaign led to one of the most candid responses to a trade ever by Blake Snell (who about 12 months later, would find himself heading to the Padres).
Pham appeared in a career-high 155 games with the Padres last year, but his numbers in San Diego dropped considerably from what we saw with the Rays. The now 34-year-old has tried to lift his market value by saying he would be willing to play other positions. His right-handed bat, his willingness to play other spots, and his familiarity with the front office and coaching staff would make Tampa Bay the perfect rebound spot for Pham.
Jorge Soler
Soler’s free agent market rose on the heels of being named the World Series MVP last year in the Braves win over Houston. The 30-year-old is just a couple of years removed from a nearly 50 homer campaign, but he has been a feast-or-famine performer over the course of his career (in his 48 homer season in 2019, he also struck out 178 times). In addition, he is limited as to where you could play him in the field, as he has only played right field since 2018.
Asdrubal Cabrera
Cabrera is certainly getting long in the tooth as a big leaguer (bear in mind that his only season in a Rays uniform was 2015), but he’s got experience playing all across the infield, can switch hit, and like Pham, has experience with the coaching staff and the front office. Plus, he would likely be good with providing a support role in exchange for a chance to perhaps another World Series title.
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.
