Tampa Bay: 98 Wins and a New Offseason Strategy
Rays president Erik Neander says the club will retain its core roster to challenge for a second consecutive title after finishing with baseball's best record.
By Harper Laurent ·
98 victories defined the Tampa Bay Rays' 2026 campaign, marking the most successful stretch in franchise history. The team secured the American League's best record and captured the division pennant, finishing three games short of a World Series championship. This performance far exceeded preseason models, which had projected the Rays for a fifth-place finish in the AL East.
The squad returned to Tropicana Field following repairs from Hurricane Milton before launching this historic run. Front office leadership views the recent result as a validation of the roster's current construction. President of baseball operations Erik Neander stated that the organization believes another championship bid is achievable and not far off.
"I think we just went up against a team, to me it's achievable for us, and I don't think it's far off to do what Milwaukee just did," Neander said. The primary strategic shift for the upcoming offseason involves retaining the core group that reached the World Series. Neander described the goal as having the most productive offseason possible, noting that a large portion of the pennant-winning team is returning.
A central decision involves starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen. The Rays exercised their option to keep him for $20 million in the next season. This financial commitment represents a departure from the organization's historical tendency to trade high-profile players when payroll pressures mount.
"We want to have Ras back. Going into an offseason when you're that close to where we were, it's hard to think we'll be closer if Ras isn't part of this team," Neander said. He acknowledged the financial challenges of maintaining a competitive roster but argued that the current payroll structure allows for flexibility.
Neander pointed out that the position player group is less expensive than in previous years, creating room to invest in the pitching staff. "Our history is our history, our decisions are our decisions," he said. "There are forces when you start to get into that territory. Does that take too much of your payroll that makes it difficult to have a contending team? I think we're in a position where we can make it work, have another run at this, because our position player group isn't that expensive as some years."
The club enters awards week beginning Monday with multiple candidates. Junior Caminero is an MVP finalist, while manager Kevin Cash is nominated for Manager of the Year. Reliever Bryan Baker is a finalist for Relief Pitcher of the Year, and shortstop Taylor Walls earned his first Gold Glove.
