The Tampa Bay Rays have been busy on Friday.
First, the Rays traded second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and reliever Mason Montgomery to the Pirates as part of a three team trade, receiving pitching prospect Anderson Brito and outfielder Jacob Melton from the Astros. Then the Rays traded pitcher Shane Baz to the Orioles, receiving a quartet of prospects — outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn, pitcher Michael Forret and catcher Caden Bodine — and the Orioles Aggressive Stability Spherical A draft choose.
The Rays traded vital expertise. Lowe was an All-Star in 2025, belting 31 homers as he reached the 30-homer plateau for the second time in his profession. Lowe, nonetheless, has only one 12 months of group management remaining. Montgomery is an influence lefty within the bullpen, firing a fastball within the higher 90s. Mangum was a 29-year-old rookie however stole 27 bases whereas performing nicely defensively. Baz has been a mercurial expertise, displaying ace potential however has struggled with accidents.
Tampa Bay Rays get vital return in pair of trades
Nevertheless, these trades have set the Rays up for the long run. Brito, de Brun, Forret and Melton all slot as top-10 prospects within the Rays system, per MLB.com. Bodine (thirteenth) and Overn (twenty second) are additionally within the Rays top-30 prospect checklist.
Melton struggled throughout a 30-game trial in Houston, posting a .157/.234/.186 batting line with just one further base hit. Nevertheless, he matches the Rays profile — a plus runner who can steal bases and hit for energy whereas able to taking part in all three outfield spots.
De Brun matches the opposite facet of the Rays’ preferences within the outfield. Though he’s but to make his skilled debut, he is lauded for his skill to make contact and robust batting eye, letting him get on base to make use of his plus pace. De Brun is considered a plus defender and ought to be the Rays future in heart.
The largest prizes within the pair of trades could possibly be the 2 pitching prospects. Brito is considered to have a pair of plus choices in his mid 90s fastball that may attain 99 mph and a sweeping two aircraft slider. His curve has flashed plus and has promising depth. Brito additionally throws a promising changeup, however it’s nonetheless a piece in progress. The largest query is his sturdiness — Brito solely threw 61 innings between A-ball and the Arizona Fall League as a consequence of accidents. His management wavered because the season went on, furthering his potential reliever threat.
Forret, in the meantime, seems more likely to stick within the rotation. Whereas he does not have a single plus offering, he has a powerful arsenal with a mid-90s four-seam fastball and a sinking two-seamer, two totally different sliders and a pair of changeups, considered one of which has extra of a splitter motion. Forret has a formidable command of his arsenal, serving to him to achieve Double-A as a 21-year-old. If he can proceed to dominate within the minors, Forret may make his main league debut subsequent season.
There was a time when it felt as if the Rays received each commerce they made, buying and selling established main league gamers or prospects at simply the best time to maximise their worth. That repute has taken a success in recent times, particularly because the Rays fell down the standings in 2024 and 2025. Friday’s flurry of motion may change the narrative as soon as extra because the Rays acquired a formidable prospect haul to restock their system.
