After being activated from the 10-day IL, Taylor Walls will become the Rays’ primary shortstop, manager Kevin Cash revealed to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Osleivis Basabe will move into a utility role around the infield.
Walls has been with the Rays organization since he was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft. He made his big league debut in 2021 and took on a regular role the following season, flashing the leather at shortstop, second, and third. While he wasn’t particularly effective at the plate, he demonstrated an aptitude for drawing walks and contributed on the basepaths, swiping 14 bags in 19 attempts during his first two seasons.
Prior to suffering an oblique strain, Walls was enjoying a mini breakout in 2023. After posting a .569 OPS and a 70 wRC+ in 196 games throughout his first two seasons, he had a .675 OPS and a 94 wRC+ across his first 79 games. Those are still below-average numbers, but they represented a significant improvement for the young infielder. On top of that, he went 20-for-21 on the bases and drew his walks at one of the highest rates in the American League. In 79 games, he accumulated 1.1 FanGraphs WAR. By naming Walls the primary starter at shortstop for the rest of the season, the Rays are expressing optimism that he’ll pick up right where he left off.
The Rays added Basabe to their 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Entering the season, he was a consensus top-15 prospect in the organization. Baseball America praised his “baseball IQ” and his “bat-to-ball skills,” although they gave his glove an average grade. MLB Pipeline also mentioned that the Rays were impressed with his “competitiveness and work ethic” in 2022.
Basabe made his MLB debut on August 13, starting at shortstop in place of Wander Franco, who has since been put on administrative leave while investigators look into allegations he’d had inappropriate relationships with multiple minors. The rookie has started at shortstop in all but two of his team’s games since. He has performed admirably, slashing .255/.327/.383 with a 103 wRC+. The 22-year-old had played only half a season at Triple-A before he was recalled. Nevertheless, he will move into a utility role now that Walls has returned to the active roster. While Basabe put up slightly above-average offensive numbers in his brief cup of coffee, Walls is the better defender and has far more experience facing big league pitching.
Walls is also a switch-hitter, thereby providing his manager with more flexibility in crafting the everyday lineup. Meanwhile, the right-handed Basabe will be able to spell Brandon Lowe at second base with a tough southpaw is on the mound. Lowe has a .536 OPS against left-handed pitching this season.
The Rays will need every advantage they can get in September, as they fight a close battle with the Orioles for the AL East crown. They currently sit 1.5 games back in the division with four games remaining against Baltimore. As Jeff Passan and Juan Recio reported for ESPN, it appears unlikely Franco will return this season with the investigations expected to last into the winter. Thus, Walls will take on a new challenge, becoming the Rays’ starting shortstop in the heat of a division race. The Rays will hope he’s up for the task.
:: eye roll::
I DEMAND Curtis Mead
Amen, The kid has done nothing but hit and belongs playing every day in the MLB.
Rays have made an executive decision to keep kids as far away from their shortstop as possible.
How do you know he won’t? He’s played 1 year in the majors with no AAA experience.
Because the odds are against him being the next Cal Ripken. Do you even realize how good Cal Ripken was? He basically was so good, he changed a position. Before him, starting shortstops were abut the same as starting catchers. If you got them to hit .200, you didn’t care as long as the defense was there. Cal changed it to where you expected shortstops to hit also. Expecting Volpe or anyone else to be that is just asking for disappointment.
Repurpose it to a Julio Franco jersey who played until 48 y.o.
Volpe is actually really good. Sure, his average is low but he already has a 20 20 season, which is impressive for a rookie.
Rays fans: Is Walls better than Basabe? In the limited amount that I’ve seen both Basabe looks better to me.
Both Tayler Walls and Osleivis Basabe are an enormous downgrade from Wander Franco. The numbers don’t bear out Walls’ high offensive production. IMO, both SS Basabe and 2B Jonathan Aranda deserve to be called up and should be in the lineup over Walls. But I’m just a fan.
Walls was tearing it up earlier this season, hitting everything and stealing bases like a mad-man. He was a spark plug for the team. I’m really excited he is coming back well rested. If he catches fire again then the Rays will be in a great spot.
Cal Ripken, Alan Trammell, and Robin Yount were insane revelations. Before them, you had to go back to Ernie Banks to find a SS who could hit.
Back to the topic at hand, I hope Wander gets help before he becomes an Epstein, Clinton, Weinstein, Cosby… The Rays have no chance at a title without him.
I think Wander is toast.
They have one shortstop better than Volpe. I guess math wasn’t your strongest subject.
rmullig2: I suppose logic and reason aren’t yours
The discrepancy is almost certainly in player evaluation, not in counting/math.
Tampa is screwed now. Going by the Trevor Bauer precedent they will suspend him for multiple years even if he is not convicted. When he is able to come back all of the cheap years on his contract will have expired and Tampa will have to pay the pricey ones since no other team is going to touch him.
Imo the way this will go is MLB will confirm that he was in fact dating a 14 y/o, probably issue a lifetime ban, and his contract will be voided. Not sure if MLBPA will have the intestinal fortitude for that battle.
Yeah they ain’t touching that with a ten foot pole.
Tampa will still probably win the division. That’s my bet anyway
Tampa is screwed? Actually Franco is the only one with the issue. Among the Tampa Bay sports media, it was pretty well known that Franco wasn’t the best clubhouse guy. Of course, the Rays are a better team with him, but his subtraction may not be as much of a negative as it’s played out to be. They’ve been playing much better without him.
Tampa is almost certainly worse off without him, yes.
And, losing his best years and cheapest years also hurts them, yes.
Of course.
Downside: Walls is a .211 hitter
Upside: Won’t have to hide your daughters
It’s not that big a stretch to believe that Franco, coddled as a Golden Child from a very young age, was set up for blackmail.
It’s not that big a stretch to believe that Franco was like an entitled teen who acted recklessly expecting someone else to get him out of trouble…
Unless he’s completely exonerated, Franco will be seen as damaged goods and will likely never play professional baseball again.
Another sad cautionary tale involving someone who rose really high really fast…
No. A truly sad tale are those involving the likes of Steve Clevenger and Anthony Bass. Two players voicing an opinion, as protected by their government, but being blackballed from MLB for not mirroring the woke views of MLB and the owners.
In Bass’ case, he offended two major corporate sponsors and at least 10% of Toronto’s fan base. Bad for business. Very bad for business. Not about wokeness. All about money. MLB owners are notoriously conservative.