The Tampa Bay Rays have a few areas on their roster that could use upgrades this offseason. Arguably, the positional group needing the most help is the outfield.
In 2025, Rays outfielders finished last in home runs, combining for only 29. Normally, the group would make up for lackluster production at the plate in other areas, but it wasn’t the strongest group when it came to base running or defense either.
Upgrading across the board is a priority for the Tampa Bay front office this offseason, with an eye on power and run production. Despite not regularly being active in free agency, they were predicted to make a splash this winter by signing Trent Grisham away from the New York Yankees.
Trent Grisham predicted to cash in on multi-year deal in free agency
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However, contract predictions for him make it hard to believe that the Rays would seriously pursue him. Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) has predicted that Grisham will receive a three-year, $54 million deal.
The Yankees did make him a qualifying offer, which is set at $22.05 million for a one-year deal. There is certainly a chance that Grisham accepts that, given how massive a one-year lump sum raise that would be.
Should he decline, it would be yet another reason why it would be hard to believe Tampa Bay would make signing him a priority. If a team signs a player who declines a qualifying offer, draft pick compensation is surrendered.
Given how tight a budget the Rays operate on with the Major League roster, giving up draft picks isn’t something that seems likely.
Also, handing $54 million to a player who looks to have some flaws would be incredibly risky for a franchise that has very little wiggle room to operate with.
Trent Grisham would be risky addition for Rays
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Grisham would certainly address their need for power in the outfield. He recorded career-highs with 34 home runs and 74 RBI. Questions about whether that was an aberration are valid after he produced a .191/.298/.353 slash line with an OPS+ of 84, the previous three seasons combined.
Despite being only 29 years old, there are also legitimate concerns about his ability to make an impact defensively any longer, especially in center field. A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, his metrics plummeted this past season.
His Fielding Run Value of -3 was in the 29th percentile, and his Outs Above Average of -2 was in the 32nd percentile.
Committing $54 million to a player with such a short track record of success at the plate is something a team operating on a bigger budget might be able to take a risk on. Tampa Bay taking that kind of shot could set them back years, getting their payroll under control.
However, with a new ownership group in place, the Rays are viewed as a wild card franchise heading into the offseason.
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