Keep an eye on these Rays as the Trade Deadline approaches

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TAMPA -- After limping into the All-Star break, the Rays believed a few days off would refresh their roster and reset their momentum. They hoped things would turn around during a key stretch leading into the Trade Deadline, vaulting them back into the American League East race and putting them in position to upgrade their roster at the end of the month.

But an extended slump, president of baseball operations Erik Neander acknowledged in mid-July, would create “all sorts of additional questions that I’d much rather not think about.”

Now, they have no choice but to think about them. They made that clear when they swapped catchers on Monday night. Out went Danny Jansen to the Brewers, and in came Nick Fortes from the Marlins.

After getting swept in Cincinnati over the weekend, the Rays arrived at Yankee Stadium on Monday with an MLB-worst 7-18 record since June 27. They entered Tuesday with a 54-53 record, nine games behind the division-leading Blue Jays and 2 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Their chances of reaching the postseason were at 20.1% as of Tuesday morning, according to FanGraphs.

Those aren’t insurmountable odds, of course. But the Rays aren’t in a much better position now than they were last year, when they jettisoned a handful of key veterans to restock their Minor League system.

“The more you kind of work your way back from being in a postseason spot, the more you’re kind of contemplating how much you want to push in the current season versus better preparing yourself for 2026 and beyond,” Neander said Friday during his weekly WDAE radio appearance. “[We] have a belief in this team and think even if we are a few games out, we’ve got a good shot over a couple months to make up that ground and get in. And that’s what we’re trying to do.

“Really don’t want any sort of repeat of last year, candidly, but we’ll see.”

There are still reasons to believe this team could bounce back, which might justify it keeping the band together or making some additions. The Rays are better with Brandon Lowe and Ha-Seong Kim, who should return from their injuries soon. They proved what they’re capable of during a monthlong stretch as the best team in the Majors. There’s not a lot of separation in the AL Wild Card race, so it might only take one hot streak to change everything.

But if the Rays keep trending toward selling, or doing a little bit of buying and selling like they did with their catchers, here are more names to watch leading up to Thursday’s Trade Deadline

RHP Pete Fairbanks: He’s in the last guaranteed season of his extension, with a club option for next year that could be worth $10 million or more. Combine that with the typical demand for proven high-leverage relievers, and that’s the case for the Rays moving their closer if they fall far enough out of the race.

RHP Zack Littell: If the Rays are in it, they could use the durability and stability Littell provides to offset the workload concerns surrounding Drew Rasmussen and some younger arms. If not, he’s a pending free agent and a reliable, innings-eating strike-thrower who would help a lot of rotation-needy teams.

2B Brandon Lowe: The Rays said picking up Lowe’s $10.5 million club option to keep him for this season was an easy decision. Will they feel the same way now, with only an $11.5 million club option remaining on his extension? He would surely be a popular target as a slugging, left-handed-hitting second baseman, assuming he’s healthy.

SS Ha-Seong Kim: Injuries have limited Kim to 10 games and 35 plate appearances in his first season with the Rays. His deal included a $16 million player option for next year, which would be the highest single-season salary the Rays have ever paid if he opts in. They’ve gotten by with Taylor Walls and José Caballero, and top prospect Carson Williams has gotten hot in Triple-A after a rough start.

DH/1B Yandy Díaz: Probably the least likely of Tampa Bay’s top-paid veterans to go, as the club already picked up his option for 2026 and added a vesting option for ‘27, Díaz has said he wants to finish his career with the Rays. But if either side has a change of heart, and he becomes available, he’d garner a ton of interest as one of the best all-around hitters in baseball.

LHP Garrett Cleavinger: There’s little urgency here, as he’s under club control for two more seasons. But for teams looking for bullpen help, he’s a strikeout machine who’s cut down on his walks this year, he’s pitched in a variety of roles and he’s left-handed.

INF/OF José Caballero: Also not an urgent situation, as he won’t be a free agent until 2030, but he’s the kind of player contenders could use, which is why the Rays value him. He steals bases, plays quality defense around the diamond and hits left-handers.

OF Christopher Morel: He has seen his playing time dwindle since headlining the Rays’ return from the Cubs for Isaac Paredes last year, and the outfield’s getting even more crowded with Jonny DeLuca back and Richie Palacios rehabbing. Maybe another change of scenery is in store as Morel enters his arbitration-eligible years.