The Rays’ Biggest Offseason Decision

The Rays haven’t shown any signs of slowing down. They’ve played .500 or better ball in every month and have a 27-17 record since the All-Star Break. Tampa Bay has been atop the AL East since the beginning of July and hold a 4.5 game cushion on the Yankees for the #1 seed in the American League. Their immediate focus, of course, is on making a deep postseason run. They’ll have a quick turnaround once the offseason gets underway when other teams inquire about the availability of their ace. Drew Rasmussen should quickly emerge as one of the offseason’s top trade candidates. Rasmussen is in the second season of the two-year, $8.5MM deal he signed in January 2025. That bought out his remaining arbitration window and gave the Rays one extra season of control in the form of a 2027 club option. The option came with an $8MM base salary but included a massive package of escalators — up to an additional $12MM — depending on Rasmussen’s health for the 2026 campaign. It was a sensible structure for an incredibly talented pitcher whose career up to that point had been too frequently interrupted by injuries. The Rays picked up what would start out as a potential bargain option. Rasmussen could earn his way to a mid-rotation starter’s salary with good health. The 31-year-old righty has done just that. Rasmussen hasn’t spent any time on the injured list in either of the past two seasons. His 2025 workload didn’t have a significant direct impact on his earning power, but reaching 150 innings last year meant the Rays didn’t need to concern themselves with his ’26 workload. He has made 26 starts and tallied 146 1/3 innings through the end of August. Rasmussen has already increased the option price by $4.5MM for reaching 24 starts. He’s two appearances away from tacking on another $1.5MM for his 28th outing. Rasmussen could also earn another $6MM based on the amount of time he spent this season on the injured list. He has already tacked on $4.5MM for not suffering an arm injury that cost him at least 45 days. He’d make another $1.5MM if he avoids the IL related to any arm issues in September. Next year’s option price has therefore already climbed to $17MM. He’s a few more weeks of health away from pushing it to $20MM. (He would also need to pass a postseason physical.) Rasmussen bet on himself to stay healthy and it’ll pay off handsomely. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker View Comments (4)