Rays & Reds & White Sox
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 | |
| Luis Robert | 27 | Majors | CF | High | 3 | 67.3 | 55 | 12.3 | 9.8 | 12.3 | 14.8 |
Total Value:
35.90
White Sox
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre' Morgan | 22 | Minors | 1B | OF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.5 | 10.8 | 13.5 | 16.2 |
Total Value:
13.5
Comments
12
I really want McLain to be a Ray. I'm not sure how to get him. The Reds need outfield pop and a CF. This trade really improves their club. The White Sox get a near MLB ready bat. The Rays downgrade their right field situation, but really improve their outlook at shortstop and CF.
NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!
This would tough cause of Morgan, I really want want McLain, I did several trades earlier this offseason about him, I think if there was a more consistent showing that TB is legitimately trying to be competitive the next couple of seasons than half in half out I'd say definitely yes for me even though I think long term Morgan will be a better player than Isaac
The Rays are paying Lowe, Diaz and Littell almost $30M. All 3 of those guys have former top 100 guys itching to replace them in Mead, Aranda, and Bradley. I don't agree that the Rays aren't trying to be competitive. If they go into Spring Training with those 3 guys, 15 prospects on various top 100 prospect lists, and Taylor Walls as their everyday SS, somebody fucked up.
Yea but they are only keeping those guys cause they didn't get the offers they wanted and they are being forced to spend money, after shedding all those players at the deadline they haven't done anything yet to replace those guys except Peredes with JC, Walls shouldn't be on any MLB roster, DeLuca had a down season so let's reward him with the starting CF job, Morel is done so let's reward him with a starting job, every OF had a bad season so instead of at least signing one to a MiLB deal even instead they get two rule 5 relievers, a catcher hoping for a rebound, another DH only hitter who is washed up and more 30 yo relievers, their solution for repairing MLB's 2nd worse offense is hoping for a rebound of numerous hitters coming off career seasons, B Lowe, Diaz, and Jensen are on their way down, in 3 seasons J Lowe has had 1 good one, Morel looks finished, the only position players I'm excited for are JC, Caballero, and Aranda, I'd love to get McLain but they would have to get more around him or it'd just be a waste cause they'd only have him for 2 seasons likely but it looks like they are punting on 2025 already.
I know Morel had a bad 50 games for us, but he still hit the ball as hard as anyone in the game. Slumps happen. The Rays could dump $30M in salary and replace those players with guys who were on top 100 lists last year. They haven't though. They added a catcher for $8.5M who had a 12% BB rates and a 18.9% K rate last year. The rebound is closer to enevetable than it is a wing and a prayer. His defense was the best it's ever been. The Rays are going for it. Pretending they're not because they jettisoned 3-time-suspended by the team lunatic Jose Siri before he taught Caminero and Morel to be vain little assholes doesn't prove they are rewarding DeLuca. CF are hard to find. Role models are harder, and if our 2 young Dominican stars (hopefully) are going to be thick as thieves with and be tutored by one of our vets, it sure as shit wasn't going to be Jose Siri anymore.
But Morel had .675 OPS before he got to Tampa so he was having a pretty bad season already, he seemed very lost at the plate, no game plan just hacking away, I'm not saying he can't bounce back but by eye test it's not looking good IMO, I hated Siri and glad he's gone but it's a bad sign to say DeLuca is starting CF, it took a hot streak to get him to finish the year at a .609 OPS but because the computer says he should be good they'll keep running him out there when in reality that should have brought in competition and made him earn the job, just giving it to him is rewarding him, but right now a starting lineup will consist of numerous under .200, below average hitters especially in the OF, hoping that Morel and J Lowe rebound and DeLuca breaks out isn't contending though, example at the beginning of the offseason I wanted to aim high to get Bleday, you bring McLain and Bleday and Jansen then now you're talking about a good young nucleus going for it but now I'd be happy if they just brought in Esteury Ruiz to compete, I hope they exced expectations but right now with this roster it's back to let's at least finish in 4th place which is a shame with the starting staff they have.
I’d like McLain too, but I don’t want to give up Lowe.
I get it, Lowe has always been your guy. I think McLain is an exceptional player. I think he is a top 10 SS right now, better than Volpe.
McLain had a better rookie year than I would have expected, and Lowe had a number of issues that resulted in him having a down year in 2024. Taken together, you could make the case that this trade is buying high on McLain and selling low on Lowe. Of course, beggars can't be choosers and the Rays need a SS. I'd just prefer they don't weaken the team to fill a temporary hole.
It's not a temporary hole though. It's a permanent hole. Our solution can't be a 21 year old in AA. Steamer projects a 91 wRC+ out of Williams, and a 116 wRC+ out of McLain. We have a hole, and we don't have a bung that will permanently fix it til 2027 or 2028. If you head over to savant and look at the statcast numbers of McLain, the things he's bad at, he's average at. This dude's Zobrist, but plays GG SS and CF rather than GG 2b and RF. I seriously think I could be talked into trading Carson Williams for him. 5 years of a 5 win SS/CF is a unicorn...something you only dream about. There's a reasonable argument that he's the better player over Elly de la Cruz.
Yeah, I can’t agree with you on that. Williams has shown steady improvement each year (ie: development), while being graded as the best defensive SS in the minors. He has hit over .800 OPS each year. His K rate is improving. In short, I expect him to be the perfect Rays’ SS in time.
I expect him to be the perfect Rays SS in time as well, which is why I said we have no permanent solution til 2027 or 2028. Rushing Williams to the show next year is a mistake. handing him the keys in 2026 is a mistake too. It's not like he's a 25 year old who excelled at an SEC school. Dude would be a junior in college, and has no business playing MLB SS this year outside of a cup of coffee. That's what I meant by a permanent 2 year hole. A temporary hole to me is player X will be exonerated by June, and thus we can live with Walls for 50 games. A permanent hole is player X is guilty as fuck, and our 21 year old heading into AAA has a nice season in Durham and doesn't sniff the MLB til after 2026's Super 2 deadline. In that scenario, we have a permanent hole. Perhaps permanent isn't the right word. We have a foreseeable hole at SS for the next 250 games. When was the last time we had a 22 year old rookie plug and play player? There will be growing pains.