The Winter Meetings have wrapped up, and the Rays are one of the busiest teams in baseball, having already signed three free agents to big league deals, and now they find themselves in trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks over star second baseman Ketel Marte. This doesn’t feel like a normal Rays offseason!
In the latest episode of Rays Your Voice, we discuss how Cedric Mullins and Steven Matz fit onto the roster, and why these signings make sense for a team looking to raise their floor after back-to-back poor seasons.
The attention now turns to the trade market, where Brandon Lowe’s name was mentioned by several outlets during the Winter Meetings as someone who could be moved. Teams that whiff on more sought after sluggers like Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber may turn to a cheaper and more easily attainable option like Lowe. The Rays would need to replace Lowe at second base, and surprisingly, Ketel Marte could be a candidate to do so. As much as we love Brandon Lowe, Marte is the better player now, and is on a team-friendly deal for the next five seasons, while Lowe will hit free agency after 2026.
This also means the price to acquire a player like Marte would be high and an uncomfortable pill for Erik Neander to swallow. We debate when the return becomes too hefty for the Rays to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade like this.
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