Rays Might Be Forced To Trade Ace This Offseason
Per MLB Trade Rumors, Rasmussen should quickly emerge as one of the offseason's top trade candidates once Tampa Bay's playoff run wraps up.
The Rays will have a quick turnaround once other teams start calling on their ace, and the reasonis because of a contract that was built to reward exactly the kind of year Rasmussen is having.
Bargain Deal Turning Into Anything But
Rasmussen signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract back in January 2025 that bought out his final two arbitration years and gave Tampa Bay one extra season of control through a 2027 club option.
That option started at a modest $8 million base, but it came loaded with escalators tied directly to his health and workload, up to $12 million in additional value depending on how many starts he made and how much time he avoided the injured list.
He's been cashing in on nearly all of it. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Rasmussen has already added $4.5 million to the option price for reaching 24 starts, with another $1.5 million on the table if he makes a 28th appearance.
He's tacked on another $4.5 million for staying off the injured list with an arm injury, with $1.5 million more available if he avoids one in September.
That's already pushed the 2027 option value to $17 million, with a path to $20 million if he stays healthy the rest of the way and passes a postseason physical.
That Number Is A Problem For Tampa Bay
Per insider Mark Feinsand, an $18.5 million salary would already be more than the Rays have ever paid a single player in a season, surpassing even Charlie Morton's $15 million deal from 2019 and 2020.
Locking in a number that high on one starter, even a very excellent one, runs against everything the organization typically does.
Rasmussen has more than earned the raise on merit. He's posted a 2.95 ERA this season on his way to his first All-Star selection, hasn't missed a day to injury in two full seasons, and carries a career mark that's never crept into the 4.00s since converting to a starter back in 2021.
That durability was exactly what the escalator-heavy contract was designed to reward if he could finally deliver it, and he has.
Tampa Bay could simply pick up the option and pay him, betting that a frontline starter at $20 million is still a bargain relative to the open market.
Or the front office could decide that number is too far outside its usual range and shop him instead, cashing in on a career year before it locks in a financial commitment the Rays have never made before.
