The Rays announced that they have selected Aaron Brooks contract from Triple-A Durham. Outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Brooks, and right-hander Mason Englert was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move.
The Rays and veteran righty Nick Martinez are in agreement on a deal, per Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Boras Corporation client's deal is pending a physical. Martinez is the second free agent swingman whom the Rays have added this offseason. They signed lefty Steven Matz to a two-year, $15MM deal at the Winter Meetings.
Hudson began his pro career as a sixth-round pick for the Reds in the 2012 draft, and his MLB career consisted of 19 games over parts of four seasons. The catcher suited up for the Angels, Cardinals, and Mariners during the 2018-20 seasons, and after three full years in the minors, Hudson returned to the Show for a single appearance with the Mets during the 2024 campaign. Over Hudson's 33 plate appearances, he hit .167/.219/.200 with one double and one RBI.
Born in a Montréal suburb, Pitre attended Félix-Leclerc Secondary School and went undrafted in his first season of eligibility. Honouring his commitment to the University of Kentucky, the middle infielder appeared in just 11 games in his freshman season. He got more playing time in 2023, slashing .318/.440/.413 with a home run in 281 plate appearances for a 104 wRC+.
The Seattle Mariners are nearing a deal to acquire infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a three-way trade that also includes Tampa Bay Rays, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, the Phillies sent Waguespack to the Blue Jays in exchange for Aaron Loup, with Waguespack earning a look with the Jays the following season. Over 16 outings in the big leagues in 2019, Waguespack made 13 starts and posted a 4.38 ERA and 4.91 FIP in 78 innings pitched. Unfortunately, the right-handed pitcher struggled the following season in his 11 appearances, being DFA'ed. That was his last action in the big leagues with the Jays.
Fairbanks racked up 75 saves over the past three seasons. He's been Cash's go-to stopper when healthy. The right-hander ranks third in franchise history with 90 saves. He would have almost certainly passed Colome (95) and Roberto Hernandez (101) had he remained with the organization for another year. Instead, Tampa Bay declined Fairbanks' $11MM option and allowed him to hit free agency. He signed a one-year, $13MM deal with the Marlins on Christmas Eve.
The Rays rarely make major forays into the free agent market, and it was widely assumed that Realmuto would eventually return to Philadelphia. Beyond these two points, however, it makes plenty of sense why the Rays would've checked in Realmuto, given both their needs behind the plate and the fact that Realmuto lingered on the open market until mid-January. Had the Phillies successfully signed Bo Bichette, for instance, Realmuto's chances of a reunion might've gotten a lot slimmer, leaving the door open for the Rays (or another catcher-needy team) to swoop in with an offer.
The Tigers and Rays announced a trade that sends outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy to Tampa Bay for cash considerations. Detroit had designated him for assignment before the holiday DFA freeze when they officially re-signed reliever Kyle Finnegan.
It's hard to ever really know what the Rays are planning. Are they thinking two steps ahead, and this is all lining up for them to move three prospects to bring in an even better, more cost-controlled major leaguer than the ones they sent out? Did they look around the division and see the entire AL East* loading up, realize that they have absolutely no chance of competing in 2026, and therefore punt to 2027?
A longtime Baltimore Oriole, Mullins spent eight seasons with the club that drafted him in 2015 before he was dealt to the New York Mets at last year's trade deadline in exchange for three players. Between both squads, Mullins posted a .216/.299/.391 slash line with 23 doubles, 17 home runs, and 59 RBIs to the tune of a .690 OPS. Following the trade, Mullins struggled with the Mets, producing a .565 OPS with a .284 OBP down the stretch with New York, who eventually missed out on the playoffs.
The Rays are in agreement on a one-year, major league contract with outfielder Jake Fraley, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. They non-tendered him last week but were reported to be interested in bringing Fraley back at a lesser rate than his projected arbitration price tag (which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz pegged at $3.6MM). Fraley is represented by CAA. Fraley, 30, was originally drafted by the Rays with the No. 77 overall pick back in 2016.
Rooney elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Astros at the beginning of the offseason. The 28-year-old had a brief stint with Houston, who acquired him from the Marlins in a small trade in August. The Astros called him up for his big league debut three weeks later. Rooney struck out two of six batters faced while giving up a solo home run to Luis Vázquez in his only appearance.
Trade speculation on Lowe is an annual offseason tradition. His salaries have escalated over the course of the extension he signed in Spring Training 2019. They've remained below market value for one of the better offensive middle infielders in the sport. That surely has led to a lot of trade interest over the years, but the Rays have valued Lowe highly enough to not bite on anything they've been offered thus far.
