The Tampa Bay Rays have not had an offseason to remember. Their biggest move this winter came in signing free-agent pitcher Zach Eflin. It’s been an offseason where the Rays have lost more than what they brought in.
The host of “The JP Peterson Show” and Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, JP Peterson, spoke in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda. He mentioned that he believes the Rays could make a move before the season starts. The move includes dealing right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
He stated:
“They’re very pitching-heavy. Some team will lose a big-time pitcher, and they’ll come knocking on the Rays’ door, and they’ll make a deal. And I don’t think Tyler Glasnow is out of the question. He’s one of the top five pitchers in my mind in the American League.”
Peterson commented on how heavy the Tampa Bay Rays are on the starting pitcher front. Every year, they seem to develop the next greatest pitcher in the league that no one has heard of. Their pitching development in Tampa Bay is incredible.
He added:
“They have one of the cheapest owners in baseball. So I think Tyler Glasnow is on the table, they could get a lot for him. And that’s their MO, they trade their best players and get a lot of good young prospects in and that’s how they stay competitive. So there could be a major trade before the season starts.”
Peterson comments on how the shift ban will affect the Tampa Bay Rays
JP Peterson went on to explain how the Tampa Bay Rays might be affected by the new rule banning defensive shifts in 2023. He believes this might hurt the team.
“Joe (Maddon) was, you know, he was the innovator when it came to the shift. And they did it more than anybody. So I think it will affect them. But I also think, you know, the rules are the same for everybody. Right?”
He later added:
The Rays seem to always figure it out, right? They’re always two steps ahead of everyone else in the league. And then people copy..
It’s going to be tough for all teams to adapt to the new rules. However, Peterson believes the Tampa Bay Rays will be able to figure it out and put their own twist on it. They’ve been innovators in the MLB; they’ll surely figure out a way to work around the shift ban.
The Rays open their season against the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day. It will be interesting to see if the team deals Glasnow by then.
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