The Tampa Bay Rays finished fourth in the American League East in 2024, missing the playoffs.

The Rays were an unfortunate team, given the pitching injuries to Shane McClanahan (all year), Drew Rasmussen, and Jeffrey Springs (most of the year). Moreover, they lost their best player, Wander Franco, due to a very serious legal problem.

As a result of all this, the Rays stumbled early in the season, eventually trading away pitcher Aaron Civale, infielder Amed Rosario, franchise star Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes. They traded pitcher Tyler Glasnow before last season to save salary.

Heading into 2025, the Rays have serious questions about where they will play after the damage to Tropicana Field, but they also have questions about how to fix their roster.

Speaking at general manager meetings this week, Erik Neander said the Rays had a specific upgrade in mind.

PerAthletic:’

Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander identified catcher as an area of ​​need, especially with the desire for a better offense.

“The catching position and the production we had last year wasn’t anywhere near where it needed to be as a playoff-contributing position,” Neander said. “We’ve got to find a way to score more runs. I think there’s a few different ways to do that. But there’s no question the catcher’s situation can be improved.”

The Rays currently have Ben Rortvedt and Logan Driscoll on the 40-man roster. Players like Travis d’Arnaud and Danny Jansen are on the free agent market and men will be available in trades as well.

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