The ‘active’ Tampa Bay Rays have a lot of what the Yankees need at the trade deadline

The Tampa Bay Rays have scouted just about every game that the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Florida State League affiliate, have played over the past few weeks, according to league sources.

People familiar with the Rays’ thinking characterized those assignments as normal coverage, not special assignment or trade deadline coverage. With that being said, it is a good time for president of baseball operations Erik Neander to have up-to-date reports on Yankee prospects, because the teams match up in several ways.

The Rays are going to be “active” at the trade deadline, according to a person briefed on their plans. Given their position in the competitive American League Wild Card race, it’s hard to imagine that active means aggressive buying.

The Rays are 48-48, leaving them in fourth place in the American League East, and 10.0 games behind first place Baltimore. They are 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot, hardly out of reach — but they trail the Yankees, Twins, Red Sox, Royals and Astros.

Neander and his group have long since earned a reputation among competitors as one of the smartest organizations in the sport. They are one of the few front offices capable of threading the difficult needle of buying and selling at the same time — and certainly a front office that knows when to call it a challenging year and reload for the near future.

The Rays have already sold two pitchers, starter Aaron Civale to Milwaukee and reliever Phil Maton to the Mets. But both of those situations were unique, and did not necessarily signify a full fire sale. Civale had underperformed for Tampa after heading over from Cleveland last summer, and the Mets were willing to pay the entirety of Maton’s remaining 2024 salary.

The trades did, however, show Neander’s willingness to subtract from the major league roster under the right circumstances.

He also showed a willingness to trade in-division with the Yankees as recently as March, when they acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from New York in the three-team deal that sent infielder Jon Berti to the Yankees (Note to Yanks: Beware. The Rays often win trades).

In part because Berti has been injured for most of the season, the Yankees are seeking infield help, particularly at third base. It would hardly be shocking to see the team upgrade second base, too, in light of free agent-to-be Gleyber Torres‘ down season. And despite rookie Ben Rice’s galvanizing effect on the team, the Yanks wouldn’t mind adding a player capable of playing first base.

This isn’t rocket science. Rays All-Star Isaac Paredes is capable of playing all four infield positions. According to league sources, the Rays would at least listen on Paredes.

We can list other names (like we said, this part ain’t rocket science): Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, and Amed Rosario, who the Yankees tried to sign last offseason before trading for Berti.

On the pitching side, at least some Yankees people have eyed lefty reliever Garrett Cleavenger since earlier in the season.

In their search for swing-and-miss relievers for the back end of the bullpen, the Yankees have long considered moving Luis Gil to a relief role. They could then add a mid-rotation starter to replace Gil’s current role.

Righty Zach Eflin is in the second season of a three-year, $40 million deal, the largest free agent contract in Rays history. He is due $18 million in salary next season, plus a $1 million bonus if traded.

Again, the Rays are smart: by signing Eflin to a reasonable deal, they made him flippable for that final year. Rivals consider it far more likely that another team will pay Eflin after July, and if not, after October.