Rays & Reds
Submitted by: ShaquilleOatmeal
Rays
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt McLain | 24 | Majors | SS | 2B | 5 | 72.5 | 35.3 | 37.2 | 29.8 | 37.2 | 44.6 |
Total Value:
37.2
Reds
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Lowe | 27 | Majors | OF | Low | 4 | 51.1 | 27.5 | 23.6 | 18.9 | 23.6 | 28.4 | |
| Chandler Simpson | 23 | Minors | OF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 10.4 | 13 | 15.5 |
Total Value:
36.6
Comments
8
I don't know how I feel about this. The Rays plug one hole by creating another. McLain is a stud. Excellent defender no matter where you play him. Could win a gold glove in CF or at SS. The idea of getting Zobrist-lite is too good to pass up, even if it means parting with JLowe and Chandler Simpson. The Reds need a bopper in the OF and they need a CF of the future. This fills both needs. The Rays need solution at SS. Carson Williams is hopefully the long term solution, but he shouldn't be thrust into a season saving situation. If McLain runs with the position, it's a hell of a good problem to have when you have too many quality shortstops. BLowe at most has 2 years in TB, and none of Mead, Aranda or Basabe is the solution. McLain could play 2b or CF next year if Carson Williams is the 2nd coming of Javy Baez, like I think he is. I hate losing Chandler Simpson because he is so incredibly intriguing, but I can't watch Taylor Walls play 150 games at SS this year with a 65 wRC+. A solution for 2025 and 2026 is needed. Palacios isn't Josh Lowe, but the downgrade of Lowe to Palacios is offset by the massive, massive upgrade at SS.
NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!
I guess I see the logic for 25/26, but if McLain is playing 2B and Williams is playing SS, the Rays will then have a B.Taylor problem on top of an overall outfield problem.
I think there is a much greater chance that DeLuca and Walls combine to produce negative WAR than five WAR. McClain excels at both of those positions, but is currently positionless in Cincinnati. If we put 15 prospects on various top 100 lists, and Taylor Walls is our opening day shortstop, we have failed as an organization. And I'm not worried about where Taylor is going to play 3 years from now. It's okay to have dope ass backups. Backups don't have to be bad. If Taylor is a backup in 2028, it's because he isn't good enough to start or because he's excellent and all our position players are excellent. Either way, it's not a problem we should solve right now.
I think TB would only have McLain for 2 seasons then trade him when he has 2 seasons of control left so by the time McLain is leaving Taylor would be ready but say Taylor does breakout sooner there's so many possibilities, McLain moves to CF, Taylor can play LF, JC could move to LF and Taylor plays 3B, I wouldn't be surprised if Taylor gets some starts in the OF at AAA this year, they're finally getting good enough players that the versatility matters, who cares how many positions Walls or DeLuca play if they suck at the plate but if Taylor could move around like Zobriest that would make a huge difference for TB.
He's got the speed for OF, so I like it.
I don’t know that McLain can play CF at the level required by the Rays, but if the Rays like him for SS, then they should go get him. The Rays have the Farm to make it happen without having to give up Lowe or Simpson.
I agree. I'm going to try to figure out how to get him without making the Rays worse at another spot. But McLain is probably the best player on the 2025 Rays unless Junior really breaks out, so it will cost a lot of minor leaguers.
Maybe…. He could be a bit of a 1 year wonder too.