The Rays have found a suitor for RHP Yoniel Curet after designating him for assignment on Saturday. The Phillies sent over relief prospect RHP Tommy McCollum following the completion of the Rule 5 Draft. McCollum does not need a 40-man roster spot and will likely report to AAA following Spring Training.
Curet was added to the 40-man roster back in 2023 to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft that year. He gained some prospect helium across the 2023 and 2024 seasons as he rose from low A to AA, posting a 2.95 ERA and 3.70 FIP in 223 IP. Curet’s 32.3 K% in those two years made him one of the higher-upside arms in the system, but his 14.2 BB% suggested he was destined for the bullpen.
After a shoulder injury delayed the start of his 2025 season, Curet eventually reached Durham where his walk rate exploded to 17.4% in just over 30 IP in AAA. The strike rate also backed up in 2025 – going from a roughly average 62.9% in 2024 to a well below average 57.7%. And because he was added to the 40-man roster in 2023, Curet will be on his final option year in 2026 – although the Phillies could petition to get him a 4th option year.
Standing at 6’2, Curet brings a plus fastball to Philly. It sits in the mid 90s and can touch the upper 90s when he needs it. While the shape on his fastball isn’t anything special, his low release point relative to his height and his plus extension help it miss bats. He also features an upper 80s cutter that looks like an above average offering. Curet has worked on an upper 80s offspeed pitch too, but he has not yet been able to locate consistently enough to throw it more than 10% of the time. The development of his command will determine whether or not he reaches the majors, and the emergence of a third pitch could allow him to take on a higher leverage role or potentially work in a rotation.
Tommy McCollum is a big-bodied, 6’5 righty with an above average mid 90s fastball. He has a high slot delivery and plus extension that makes his riding fastball get on hitters a bit quicker than expected. McCollum pairs his fastball with a potentially plus offspeed pitch that sits 85-86mph and has better than separation from his fastball in both movement and velocity – something the Rays have valued and found success with in the past. He rounds out his arsenal with an average looking cutter in the upper 80s.
Like Curet, McCollum has struggled with command but has seen his strike rate trend marginally in the opposite direction; going from 59.3% in 2023, to 60.4% in 2024, and finally to an above average 65.2% in 2025. He owns a 3.42 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 30.0 K%, and 13.1 BB% across 189.2 IP from low A to a couple innings in AAA last season. McCollum has pitched almost exclusively in relief all the way back to his collegiate days, but his fastball-offspeed separation and budding command could make him an intriguing bulk option. However, he’s most likely a reliever in the long run.
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