MLB insider recommends Rays make shocking trade to take advantage of thin hitter market

MLB insider recommends Rays make shocking trade to take advantage of thin hitter market originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It simply would not be the offseason if the Tampa Bay Rays were not reportedly interested in moving one of their best players. However, it might come as a surprise to the rest of the general public that the Rays could part ways with Brandon Lowe, considering they are entering a season in which the plan should be to compete for a playoff berth and potentially an American League East division trophy.

Lowe has become a staple in the Rays lineup when healthy, dating back to his debut in 2018. Between him, Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz, and a potential breakout season on the horizon for their top shortstop prospect, Carson Williams, Tampa Bay has one of the stronger infields in the game on the offensive side of the ball.

And yet, for Rays fans, these rumors shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given Lowe’s name has come up in trade talks in each of the last three offseasons and trade deadlines.

This could be the offseason in which the Rays finally trade Brandon Lowe

The Rays exercised an $11.5 million option on Lowe this offseason, and he is set to enter the final year of his six-year contract.

That is not to say the Rays have no interest in moving him. For the right price, they’ll listen in on any offer. The Rays rarely keep players for the entirety of their contracts, especially when the final year exceeds $10 million. At $10.5 million a year ago, Lowe was the highest paid player on the team. Unless new ownership intends on increasing spending, they might not want to keep Lowe’s $11.5 million on the books.

The second baseman also has an extensive injury history, so keeping him around for the final year of his deal could potentially be as much of a roll of the dice as trading him would be.

Lowe has quietly been one of the best second baseman in baseball for a number of years, and there is a market out there for a player like him this winter. Rumor has it a number of teams are looking for left-handed-hitting middle infielders, and there aren’t many on the market that are better than Lowe. Brendan Donovan, Jake Cronenworth, Jeff McNeil, and Bryson Stott are a few realistic second basemen in the mix, and Lowe has a good shot at yielding one of the best returns among those players.

Ken Rosenthal was recently on the record discussing Brandon Lowe’s market stating, “The Rays have spent years pondering the possibility of trading second baseman Brandon Lowe. Now, with Lowe set to earn $11.5 million in the final year of his contract, the possibility might finally become real.” He then went on to mention the Pirates as a fit, as well as the Giants and Athletics as teams looking to upgrade at second base.

Since the start of 2021, Ketel Marte and Jose Altuve are the only primary second baseman with more home runs and a higher wRC+ than Lowe, making him one of the premier power hitters at the position.

Parting ways with their incumbent keystone star would be difficult for Tampa Bay right now given they don’t have a viable replacement for him, which would likely increase their asking price. Add on the fact that Lowe is on a team-friendly contract in larger markets, and the Rays could end up with a nice haul for the two-time All-Star.