Tampa Bay Rays Ace Tyler Glasnow Becomes Trade Candidate


With a team-record $25M in salary due in 2024, the "most likely" scenario, according to a Tampa Insider, is that ace starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow will be dealt by the Tampa Bay Rays before Opening Day arrives. 

With his nasty stuff, the Rays will have a lot of interested suitors. 

Not that he wants to see that happen, mind you. Glasnow absolutely loves it in Tampa, as he told the crew on the Foul Territory podcast

I don't know if I'm going to get traded, but I do know that I'd like to stay there. That is my Number One place I want to be because it's the most amazing atmosphere to play baseball. 

Wait, the Trop in Tampa? "Most amazing atmosphere"?... Glasnow explains:

It's an amazing place to play. You talk to any player who's ever been a Ray, they'll tell you how the clubhouse is, and how the coaches are, and that dynamic is very rare and very special, I think. 

While the Rays are noted for their "cost-conscious" approach as a small market team, Glasnow noted that the team was said to have been in the running on a couple of huge free agents in recent years, naming Freddie Freeman and Max Scherzer in particular. So he's holding out hope they could be ready to spend for him, as well. He also hinted that the lack of state income tax in Florida could be a positive factor that he would take into consideration if any extension offer were to come his way.

Glasnow has a 3.20 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings in his six seasons in Tampa Bay. But he will be turning 31 next season, and because of repeated injuries, has yet to throw more than 120 innings in a big-league season. He had Tommy John surgery in 2021. 

Teams around the league will be watching closely once the Rays start shopping the fireballer. 

Photo: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports