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Its almost a foregone conclusion that the Tampa Bay Rays will be making some noise at the trade deadline this coming week.
Their position as the American Leagues best has been fueled by superstar performances that could use some extra help.
The shopping list is long, and its connected the Rays to several names.
Ryan Jeffers and Hunter Goodman are logical options to address the offensive void at the catching position.
The up-and-down nature of Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour, along with the Detroit Tigers' middling season, has kept Tampa Bay invariably linked to Tarik Skubal.
A team-wide production that ranks bottom five in baseball at the second base position has also made them an obvious suitor for Luis Arraez and his incredible resurgence with the San Francisco Giants.
The positional needs can keep going, but the fact of the matter is that the Rays are keen to reinforce their roster to claim the number one seed in the AL and forgo the wild card series.
Rays are in position to pull off blockbuster if they want Some current players are pushing back on that notion.
Aware of the precarious position several Tampa Bay starters find themselves in, the past weeks have seen them hit hot streaks to make the front office think twice about moving on.
Cedric Mullins and Chandler Simpson were generating discourse for much of the first half for all the wrong reasons.
Mullins and his offensive drop-off left the team wanting more from the defensively gifted center fielder, while Simpson ran into a stolen base dry spell.
The bright side with Mullins is that just one month dragged down his stats so much.
Since his abysmal March/April, hes posted a 108 wRC+ and looks much like his old self.
The same could be said of Simpson, putting his sorry month of June behind him to become one of the most productive bats in the lineup in July.
His 149 wRC+ and 7 stolen bases over 18 games this month give no reason to think about potential upgrades.
Nick Fortes, too, was never seen as a permanent option.
It was assumed Tampa Bay would move on from him as more glamorous names started percolating in the trade market.
Now, thats not the case.
Scrapping his early-season struggles, Fortes has quietly been a .326 and 141 wRC+ hitter across June and July.
Suddenly, moving on from him hasnt become so obvious.
Rays receiving great production from role players Even Victor Mesa Jr.
has gone from a minor league depth piece to a must-start against righties.
Stellar defense in the corners and near top 75th percentile bat speed have made him a welcome contributor in Jake Fraleys absence.
Fridays matchup with the Cleveland Guardians was the real showcase to Tampa Bays front office of what talent they already had at home.
In an 11-3 statement win, it was the role players who stepped up and did the damage.
Fortes collected four hits, Richie Palacios slammed a deciding three-run home run, and Simpson collected key RBIs and made spectacular catches.
This is all to say that the trade deadline is not as simple as some think for the Rays.
The fun around creating mock trades to dream about what big names could don a Tampa Bay jersey has overshadowed the outstanding play from smaller role players.
While it wouldnt be the popular option to stand pat at the deadline, key starters have earned the chance to keep on proving themselves.
Sam Hougham is an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara, who earned his degree in Communication.
He is a passionate baseball writer and researcher who began his career at Diamond Digest, a platform for up-and-coming voices in baseball writing.
Since then, he has launched his own website, The Daily Lineup Card, where he publishes long-form analytical pieces focused on scouting, drafting, and team analysis.
A lifelong Tampa Bay Rays fan, Sams other sports interests include Aston Villa FC and the English Premier League, the NHL, and the NFL.
You can follow him on X, @samuelhougham, or reach him via email at [email protected].