The Rays’ offseason has been dominated so far by uncertainty surrounding Tropicana Field in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. It’s not currently clear when the Rays will be able to return to play at the Trop, if ever. While the Rays try and sort out alternate plans for at least the beginning of the 2025 season, however, local officials have been working on assessing the damage to the stadium and determining whether or not its worth fixing.
The city of St. Petersburg took a step toward potentially fixing up the stadium recently, however, as John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the St. Pete city council agreed last week to spend up to $6MM in order to create a temporary drainage system and waterproof exposed areas of the stadium. Romano adds that this mitigation process figures to take up to eight weeks, though the process (and the related spending) could be halted if the stadium is declared impossible to salvage. The decision to spend comes as an attempt by the city to protect itself from an insurance dispute; Romano suggests that the city’s claim could be disputed if additional rain causes damage during the evaluation process.
Even as the decision to combat potential future damage to the Trop is seemingly being made for insurance reasons, Romano suggests that the move indicates some belief by local officials that the stadium can be salvaged. The Rays are already scheduled to depart the stadium for a new one that will be constructed in time for the 2028 season, a reality that has led to some questions over whether the Trop will be repaired at all or if the Rays will simply find a temporary home for the next three seasons. In any case, the Trop is not expected to be ready in time for Opening Day 2025 and so the Rays will have to find a new home for at least the early part of next season regardless of whether the stadium can be salvaged or not.
In other off-the-field news, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported some good news for the Rays today: embattled shortstop Wander Franco, who last played in August of 2023 due to ongoing legal proceedings regarding allegations against him of inappropriate relationships with minors, will not need to be reinstated from the restricted list this offseason. That means the club will not need to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to the 23-year-old this winter, a contrast from when he was on administrative leave. That should open up additional roster flexibility for the Rays throughout the offseason, although they’ll still need to make room on their 40-man roster for lefty Shane McClanahan, who has been on the 60-day injured list all season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Turning to baseball, Topkin notes that one of the biggest questions facing the club this winter is how best to deploy midseason trade addition Christopher Morel in 2025. Morel, 25, endured the worst season of his young career in 2024 as he slashed just .196/.288/.346 (82 wRC+) in 611 trips to the plate split between the Cubs and Rays. His results after coming to Tampa as part of the return in the Isaac Paredes trade were particularly brutal, as he hit just .191/.258/.289 in his final 190 trips to the plate. Much of that lackluster production with the Rays was due to a power outage; Morel hit just three home runs in 49 games with the club as compared to 18 homers in 103 games with the Cubs earlier in the season.
Overall, Morel’s production was not that of a quality regular last season, particularly due to his lackluster defense. While Morel has the versatility to play anywhere on the field, with reps in the majors at all three outfield spots, second and third base, and even shortstop, he’s been below average with the glove at all of those positions. While he likely profiles best as a DH, Topkin suggests that the club hopes to expand Jonathan Aranda’s role next year after he slashed .234/.308/.430 in 44 games in the big leagues this season. Aranda also profiles best as a DH, and Topkin suggests that the club figures to juggle Aranda, first baseman Yandy Diaz, and second baseman Brandon Lowe between DH and the right side of the infield in 2025.
The Rays tried Morel primarily at second base when he played in a position in 2024, but if Lowe and Aranda figure to get the lion’s share of starts at the keystone and DH Topkin suggests they could give him a look in left field. If Morel is able to revert to the offensive form he showed with the Cubs earlier in his career, whatever defensive shortcomings the youngster would have in an outfield corner would be more than made up for by his bat. In 2023, Morel appeared in 107 games for the Cubs and slashed an excellent .247/.313/.508 (121 wRC+) as their primary DH.
The young slugger has 63 home runs in just 372 games as a big leaguer so far, and despite his lackluster results this year actually posted career-best strikeout (26%) and walk (10%) rates. The Rays would surely love to see Morel combine that improved discipline with the power he showed in previous years, but even reverting to the .229 ISO, 31.6% strikeout rate form he flashed in his first two years with Chicago would constitute a major step in the right direction.
Buffalo
Morel has an infectious love for the game of baseball. But his defense is weak. If his bat does not pick up, he will be one of those guys who goes to a foreign country and smacks a lot of homers.
Morel reminds me of Franmil Reyes, similar profiles, in my opinion at least.
Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.
That’s a complete and legit sentence.
This makes me think they’re trading Lowe. Want to expand Arandas role. Putting Morel at 2B more often than not. Lowe making big money, for the Rays.
Do they have to keep paying Wander?
Short answer. No.
Probably the long answer also. Even if he beats the charges; without 100% exoneration (doubtful) the USA will not grant a work visa.
Yeah but with how immigration has been why wouldn’t they have options? He makes a lot of money for wealthy people. I understand they don’t want to be associated but look how Michael Vick came back ( at least it is possible to overcome those stigmas in pro sports).
LOL How has immigration been? Please do not give the FOX news version.
Yeah, famous immigrant Michael Vick. Come on man.
Not currently. But the resolution of the court will dictate the future. Also… B Lowe isn’t going anywhere. When healthy you aren’t replicating that production for $10m
yeah, but when is he healthy? Optimistically you are hoping for 110 games, so you are paying 10.5M for 2/3 of a season
Not while he is on the restricted list.
I presume if Wander is convicted, MLB would find common ground with the MLBPA to void his contract. Then again, I am not familiar if any sort of mechanism to do that exists. Maybe he just stays on the restricted list forever. Of course, the league will levy their own punishment, so maybe they “void” the contract by suspending Wander for the life of it.
The worst cause scenario for the Rays is he is exonerated. Then they are stuck with the contract, notwithstanding whatever suspension MLB levies. Barring some extreme PR miracle, no team is going to permit Wander to step on an MLB field again, the Rays included.
At the very least the Rays should be required to carry Franco on their 40-man roster during the offseason. However likely it appears, there are no guarantees that Franco is convicted and the Rays shouldn’t be given the gift of not only withholding salary AND a cleared roster spot. I don’t have any problem with a player in Franco’s position not being paid but there should be some sort of hit taken by the team that inked the player to the long-term deal.
misterb,
Why should the team be punished for the player doing something obscenely disgusting?
Why? How are the Rays responsible in any way for his behavior?
The team is not responsible for what a players does off the field. If teams controlled who players associate with they wouldn’t associate with anyone
When any sports team signs a player to a contract they know there’s a possibility something goes wrong with that player off the field during the course of that contract. It doesn’t happen often but its not like we’ve never seen it happen. The team agrees to take on that risk in the hopes it doesn’t happen, the player stays healthy and produces more than the contract pays. The Rays rolled the dice and lost.
All MLB contracts have clauses that null the contract for certain off the field actions. Not being able to show up in the country anymore to play is one of them in every single one. Injuries are one thing. Molesting little girls and not being allowed back in the country are two totally separate things.
Wander is never playing in the MLB again. Even if he somehow got exonerated, the US government will never give him a working visa to enter the country again(they are their own judge and juror when it comes to this, so going to court and challenging it will not do a darn thing). Thus, he can never show up for spring training or games again, ergo the contract is bull and void. Very sad situation, that a young man with such a great future blew it all over something so stupid, but he did it to himself.
Felipe Vazquez,former Pirates reliever. Didn’t he sign to play somewhere this year. I remember it wasn’t a Major League affiliate.
Judge Judy and executioner.
Informed – very disappointed in your comment. It was sitting on a tee waiting to be smacked: ‘…..no team is going to permit him to wander on an MLB field again, the Rays included.’
@retsubllab
Sorry to disappoint. Wasn’t thinking about jokes given the sobering situation.
But if you want a joke, Dave Roberts saw Manny Machado stealing his Fruity Pebbles. True story.
I wonder if eventually if Wander is allowed to play in Korea, Japan, Mexico.
Isn’t there some kind of professional leagues in Italy, Australia/Canada? Independent league teams in the US?
Really risking a public relations backlash. He may try to play under a different name but he’d get found out., you would think
The reason why he can or cannot enter the US and why a team wants or doesn’t want to offer him a contract, applies for any other country and team in the world, but apart from some Asian and maybe a few Latin American countries, you hardly make a living as a professional baseball player.
@YaGottaBelieveAgain
You’re saying he’ll have to Wander from country to country to find a team that will take him?
There you go, @retsubblab.
Morel can’t play defense well at any position and also hit three home runs in the last half of his season over 600 at bats but “profiles best as a DH”? Sounds like a guy who sadly won’t be in MLB much longer.
I completely forgot that wander and mcclanahan existed
Same with Rasmussen and springs
Deep franchise !
Just like Wander, I’ll be back even stronger and battle tested..I’m done with you losers. I’ll never forget or forgive
Aww, here’s a poop towel for you to wipe away those salty tears.
Don’t go ! You have been entertaining to say the least
I never understood the fascination of morel. .200 hitter who strikes out or hits a home run. I’ll root for him in Tampa. Great guy class act. But I was glad the cubs found a taker for him.
Get the fac5s before posting. The Rays don’t play in Tampa nor are they called the Tampa Rays.
That former Rays shortstop is done – deservedly so. Such a waste.
There has got to be some pro or even College Football Stadiums in Florida that can temporarily renovated to accommodate a Professional baseball team for 2 1/2 – 3 years.
Busch Stadium II in St. Louis was built to hold both the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball and Football teams. That lasted from 1966 until the time Bill Bidwell moved the Cardinals Football team to Arizona.
dizzy,
Busch II was designed from the start to host both sports. Renovating/retrofitting a football stadium might be possible, but it’s not likely to be cheap or easy.
When the Cardinals’ Triple-A team was in Louisville, they played a number of years in the U of L football stadium and had a wall similar to the Green Monster set up in right field. Something like that could be an option.
The Marlins played in Dolphins Stadium and although they retrofitted it as bast they could it never felt like a baseball stadium to me
Marlins played in Dolphins Stadium and they retrofit it as best they could but it wasn’t a “real” baseball stadium and it often showed
2 major league teams playing AAA parks is a joke.
…especially when MIA – the other FL team – has had an average attendance that could fit into either one of those AAA parks (2024: 13,425 or 29th in MLB).
Considering that Orlando is really trying to make a bid for an expansion, MLB should divert both teams where they’re wanted, imho. They’ll neglect it until they improbably make a WS run to the lowest TV ratings in decades, and even then.
Who are you a fan of, mate? Sticking your nose in other citie’s business is obnoxious.
The answer is right in front of you.
MIA and TB represent the 2nd and 3rd lowest home attendance in MLB in 2024, again, behind only OAK. I can’t imagine their TV ratings being much better…and those are competitive teams, most years. What about that is untrue?
Call AFS and get a sump pump installed.
Oakland seems to have a stadium, & fans there are conditioned to accepting budget lineups. It makes too much sense (other than geography, but I failed that in high school).
OAK stadium has been trash for years and that was prior to the recent neglect. It has not made sense for a long time that MLB did not intervene on the matter.
@Tigers3232,
I was at the final A’s game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but I didn’t see you there.
It’s still a playable ball park. Not very nice anymore, but still suitable for MLB games.
I see either Clearwater or Orlando for April and May.