2 trades Rays must make after losing to Brewers in World Series

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2 trades Rays must make after losing to Brewers in World Series

Josh Davis, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, October 31, 2026 at 5:49 PM UTC ·

4 min read

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The Tampa Bay Rays should treat their five-game World Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers as a reason to strengthen a contender. Reaching the championship round established a foundation worth protecting. The offseason challenge is finding upgrades that improve their chances of finishing the job without sacrificing too much future talent.

Two particular Rays trades deserve serious consideration. Acquiring catcher Hunter Goodman from the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Reid Detmers from the Los Angeles Angels would give the Rays a chance to improve beyond 2027, as both offer multiple remaining seasons of team control.

Neither recommendation depends on declaring the Rays broken after one series . The case rests on adding impact at catcher and a productive starter, with clear limits on what Tampa Bay should surrender.

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Rays should trade for Hunter Goodman to boost the lineup

Goodman offers an appealing way to add power without forcing a position change elsewhere. He finished 2026 with 41 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .529 slugging percentage. His contract control extends through 2029, allowing the Rays to pursue an offensive addition with staying power.

The fit starts behind the plate. Tampa Bay carried Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks on its World Series roster. Acquiring Goodman would require reducing opportunities for that tandem, potentially leaving room for only one alongside him. The objective would be to give the position a larger role in producing runs.

Goodman would also let the Rays strengthen the lineup without creating a competition for Junior Caminero's third-base job or Jonathan Aranda's place at first. His value would come from improving an existing lineup spot rather than requiring another established hitter to move.

There are limitations. Goodman's defense warrants scrutiny alongside his offensive production. Tampa Bay should evaluate whether the offensive gain justifies those concerns before committing premium prospects. Catching responsibilities remain essential, even when a player supplies considerable power.

Keeping a complementary catcher would also give Tampa Bay options for late defensive substitutions and scheduled rest. That arrangement would require a deliberate roster decision rather than assuming every existing catcher could retain the same playing time after the acquisition.

The financial argument requires similar discipline. Goodman enters arbitration this offseason, so the Rays would acquire salary obligations that can increase. Multiple years of control provide flexibility for Tampa Bay , but they do not freeze his price.

For Colorado, the appeal would be converting one player into several contributors to a future contender. A credible proposal should include a premium prospect and meaningful supporting talent. That is an editorial valuation framework, not a reported asking price.

The Rockies could reasonably prefer keeping him. Tampa Bay should make a substantial offer while retaining enough prospect capital for the rotation. Goodman is worth pursuing because he could change the lineup's ceiling; his availability cannot simply be assumed.

Rays should trade for Reid Detmers to reinforce the rotation

Detmers presents a different opportunity by giving Tampa Bay a starter who has already demonstrated the performance it would need. He recorded a 3.36 ERA, 211 strikeouts and 48 walks across 185 innings in 2026. Those results support viewing him as a significant rotation addition capable of handling substantial workloads.

He remains under team control through 2028. That second season matters when weighing a major prospect expenditure. The Rays would receive two opportunities to build a championship rotation around his contribution, rather than surrendering talent for a single postseason push.

For the Angels, moving a productive starter with two seasons of control would require a return that strengthens multiple areas of their roster. Detmers' strong season gives Los Angeles reason to demand considerable value, so Tampa Bay should expect to pay for an established rotation upgrade.

A plausible package would feature a premium young player and supporting talent capable of helping the Angels. Tampa Bay should prioritize the quality of its offer over the number of players included.

For the Rays, adding him should expand their dependable starting options. Automatically trading away another established starter to finance the acquisition could undermine that purpose. Tampa Bay should assess the resulting rotation as a whole before deciding which outgoing players it can spare.

Completing both trades would require separate prospect packages and room for arbitration salaries. The Rays should prioritize Goodman for the offensive impact, then pursue Detmers if the remaining cost is sustainable. Both proposals are defensible. Executing them responsibly means acquiring immediate help while preserving the depth that another championship run would demand.

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