NEWSLETTER
Although the Rays are not traditional sellers this year – at 49-51, they’re just 4.0 games out of the Wild Card, with only two teams separating them from the second spot – they are considering moving a pricey bullpen arm while the time is right.
According to Marc Topkin, the Rays are considering dealing Brad Boxberger, Kevin Jepsen or Jake McGee at the Trade Deadline because they can afford to do so, and because the Trade Deadline is the time to be opportunistic (especially for the cost-sensitive Rays with respect to arbitration-ready relievers).
Of particular note here, Topkin mentions that the Cubs, specifically, could match up well with the Rays in a deal for a reliever. Idle speculation? It’s possible. But when a writer specifically mentions a team name like that, there’s often a little more lurking beneath the surface than bald guesswork. We do know that the Cubs are considering their bullpen options (see, e.g., Jonathan Papelbon), and, with Joe Maddon intimately familiar with some of the Rays’ relievers, the Cubs might feel they have a slight information advantage over other possible Rays trade partners.
The other interesting thing about these particular relievers as Cubs targets? They aren’t just rentals for August and September. Each is under control through at least 2016.
We’ll see if this winds up going anywhere, but a bit on each of the three:
Topkin’s article also mentions some starting pitchers and bench bats the Rays might consider moving, so it’s worth a read.
