"They trade from and reshape their roster aggressively at virtually every opportunity in order to keep the team from ever needing to rebuild, and it's a system that's worked for quite some time at this point. From Willy Adames to Tyler Glasnow to Randy Arozarena, most players don't stay in Tampa for long and get traded before they'd actually have a chance to sniff free agency and walk away for nothing."
"The conventional wisdom for quite some time has been that as a Rays star nears free agency, a trade is inevitable. That would seemingly spell the end of Brandon Lowe's time with the team. He can be retained via a $11.5MM club option in 2026 but is set to reach free agency after that. Tampa is coming off an 85-loss season in 2025, a worrying sign for a team that hasn't lost more games than that since 2007."
The Rays prioritize continuous competitiveness by trading and reshaping their roster aggressively to avoid formal rebuilds. The organization routinely trades long-tenured contributors before free agency, reducing chances players walk away for nothing. Brandon Lowe, 31, can be retained via a $11.5 million club option in 2026 but will reach free agency thereafter. Lowe hit .256/.307/.477 with 31 homers and 19 doubles in 2025, producing a 114 wRC+. He has generally produced 15–25% better offense than league average. Lowe was one of only four above-average hitters on the 2025 roster as the team posted a 98 wRC+ and 85 losses.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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