In Marc Topkin’s column last weekend, he strongly suggested that the Rays aren’t just looking for an experienced starting pitcher who can project alongside Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz in the starting rotation. He also suggested it might be a household name.
The Rays return to Tropicana Field in April, and there isn’t much certainty about how well it will be renovated by the time the Rays have to move again before opening day. Turning to a veteran player who may already have built good parity with coaches Kevin Cash and Kyle Snyder could be enough to outweigh the strange stadium situation the team finds itself in.
There are three recent veterans mentioned by Topkin, so let’s get into those.
Prior to the start of the 2023 season, the Rays signed Eflin to the largest contract given to a free agent in franchise history and he rewarded them by being one of the best starting pitchers in the game.
Fast forward to now, and you’ll see that Eflin just had the worst year of his career in 2025 to wrap up that record-breaking contract, but he did it as a member of the Baltimore Orioles when the Rays traded him to Baltimore at the 2024 trade deadline.
Injuries have been the main issue for Eflin this year as the 31-year-old spent a significant amount of time on the injured list, enduring three separate stints and missing the final two months of the season after undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in mid-August.
When Eflin took the mound again, the results were mediocre as he recorded a 5.93 ERA | 5.64 FIP with a 16.2 K% and a 4.2 BB% over 71.1 IP spread over 14 starts. Would a reunion with the 2024 Opening Day Starter help him right the ship?
There was a time when it looked like Zack Littell was on his way out of the game as he struggled mightily in the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants in 2022. He then went through the purgatory that is the waiver wire as he spent time with the Rangers and Red Sox before the Rays claimed him in May 2023.
Littell then broke out as a reliable starting pitcher, giving the Rays 27 quality starts over the next two-plus years (May 2023 – July 2025). Tampa Bay would trade Littell to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2025 trade deadline and Littell would provide more of the same consistency for the Reds as they marched toward the postseason.
Overall, Littell compiled a 3.81 ERA in 2025 | 4.88 FIP with a 17.1 K% and a 4.2 BB% over 186.2 IP spread over 32 starts. Jim Bowden expects Littell to sign a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason.
Baseball is a beautiful game. Adrian Houser enjoyed a solid career with the Milwaukee Brewers. Then in December 2023, the Brewers sent Housers to the New York Mets with whom Houser had the worst year of his career, losing his spot in the starting rotation and being forced to sign a minor league deal the following offseason.
Houser would eventually find his way to the Chicago White Sox, a team desperate for pitching, and landed a spot in the rotation. The 32-year-old veteran pitcher made his season debut in May and was among the more reliable starting pitchers in the game. The White Sox would flip Houser to the Rays at the trade deadline, netting three players in return. During his time with Tampa Bay, Houser didn’t quite repeat his early-season success, but improvements were still possible.
Overall, Houser compiled a 3.31 ERA during the 2025 season | 3.81 FIP with a 17.8 K% and 7.3 BB over 125 IP spread over 21 starts. Jim Bowden expects Houser to sign a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason, and the price could be right there.
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