All articles tagged with #tampa bay rays
The White Sox acquired outfielder Jake Cave from the Rays for cash, adding veteran depth as postseason eligibility looms and the roster expands; Cave, 33, has spent time in the minors and overseas, and would mostly serve as depth behind Braden Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi, with Tommy Pham joining the Sox earlier in the day.
Pete Crow-Armstrong stayed hot with two homers and an 8-for-16, 8-RBI weekend for the Cubs as they chase an NL Wild Card; Max Scherzer struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings to move into ninth on the all-time strikeout list and continue a strong stretch since returning from the IL; the Rays won their fourth straight, aided by a game-tying homer off a Samad Taylor misplay and a blown save, extending Tampa Bay’s AL East lead to 4.5 games.
The Hillsborough County Commission approved the Rays’ $2.3 billion stadium deal by a 5-2 vote, securing roughly $800 million from the county, about $80 million from the city, and $1.4 billion in private funding to build a new ballpark and surrounding mixed-use development near Hillsborough College with a planned 2029 opening. The deal includes a 35-year non-relocation agreement, keeping the Rays in the Tampa Bay area through the 2060s, and follows an ownership change to a Zalupski-led group; the Tropicana Field lease runs through 2028.
The Orioles survived a late-inning collapse and beat the Rays 4-3 in extras, aided by the first-at-bat zombie runner and a Cam Sanders save, keeping them in a crowded AL wild-card scramble where all four teams are three games below .500 with 39 games left. The piece notes Sunday’s game on Peacock/NBC Sports, plus Orioles updates on Basallo and Blaze Alexander rehab, Bautista bullpen progress, and other roster/prospect items.
The Miami Marlins agreed to trade catcher Liam Hicks to the Tampa Bay Rays for three prospects, including Brayden Taylor (a 2023 first-round pick). Hicks, 27, has 14 home runs and a .795 OPS this season, and the Rays hope to bolster their lineup as they push their lead in the AL East; the deal is not yet official.
The New York Mets traded Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays, ending his rough stint in New York. The deal continues a blockbuster chain: the Mets had earlier acquired Peralta and Tobias Myers from Milwaukee in exchange for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, and as part of the new arrangement will receive three Rays prospects — Aidan Smith, Gary Gill Hill, and Emilien Pitre — while the Rays stack their rotation with Peralta. Peralta spoke about his struggles after an 8-2 loss to the Brewers, stressing his belief in himself as New York retools ahead of the deadline.
The Rays placed left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list with lower-back discomfort, targeting a return after about two starts. 25-year-old Alex Cook will be recalled for his MLB debut in a corresponding move, and Tampa Bay will roll with a rotation featuring Rasmussen, Martinez, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour while exploring further rotation help on the trade market (including Tarik Skubal).
The Rays used the No. 2 overall pick to draft Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson, a left-handed hitter from Fort Worth Christian High School, renowned for a premium hit tool and strong amateur pedigree, after Roch Cholowsky went No. 1 to the White Sox. Emerson joins a Rays draft haul that includes Taj Marchand (No. 33) and Ben Blair (No. 49) on Day 1 as Tampa Bay builds its young, high-ceiling core.
Jac Caglianone led Kansas City with three hits, including two homers, as the Royals blew past the Rays 12-5. Loftin added a four-hit night with a homer, Avila worked five innings despite infield miscues by Salvador Perez, and the bullpen closed it out. The win showcased heavy offense across the lineup, but Kansas City remains near the bottom of the AL standings in a strangely competitive season where even the wild-card leaders aren’t thriving.
Hillsborough County will assess how Gov. DeSantis’ property-tax plan—boosting the homestead exemption and capping commercial property at 5%—could affect finances as the county negotiates a Rays stadium deal; Commissioner Chris Boles pushes for questions on long-term exposure, reserves, taxpayer protections, and the enforceability of private commitments, noting a $103 million rainy-day fund within a proposed $976 million public contribution and the potential need to revisit financial templates.
The Rays moved left-hander Steven Matz to the bullpen after a rough return from the IL, with 12 runs allowed in 8 2/3 innings; manager Kevin Cash said the move isn’t permanent as the club reshapes its rotation, with Mason Englert likely stepping into Matz’s spot and a potential six-man rotation being considered to limit innings for McClanahan and Rasmussen.
Franco was found guilty in a Dominican Republic retrial of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor but will not serve prison time because a three-judge panel granted him a judicial pardon; the conviction remains, and the minor’s mother was given a ten-year sentence for money laundering and threats. The verdict echoes last year’s outcome, with a full reading planned for June 16, while MLB and the Rays said they will cooperate with the league’s policy review; visa issues and possible MLB suspension could impede his return to the U.S. or active play.
The Tampa Bay Rays signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to a major league contract after he was designated for assignment by the Mets, adding a veteran arm as Jesse Scholtens lands on the 15-day IL with a right wrist strain. Kimbrel, 37, has 440 career saves across 11 teams and could be in the Rays’ bullpen for tonight’s game against the Orioles. The move aims to bolster a bullpen dealing with injuries and late-season usage, with Kimbrel’s turbulent recent stretch contrasted by the Rays’ history of reviving veteran arms.
The Orioles beat the Rays 9-7 in 13 innings, with Colton Cowser delivering a walk-off home run for his second straight game (following Sunday's winner vs. Detroit) as Baltimore weathered early Rays punches and earned a gritty, momentum-shifting victory praised by manager Craig Albernaz for not wavering.
The Athletic revisits a seriously discussed 2023 deadline scenario in which Shohei Ohtani could have been traded from the Angels to the Rays for top Rays prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams. Angels owner Arte Moreno balked at the deal, and Ohtani later signed with the Dodgers as a free agent. The piece uses the “what if” to illustrate how one decision might have reshaped both clubs, highlighting Caminero’s emerging star power and the Angels’ missed opportunity.