The Tampa Bay Rays have had a busy winter, and there is still more work to be done before spring training in a few months. Replacing productivity from recently traded players will be one of the most urgent needs.
It was a little unexpected that the Rays decided to deal Shane Baz and Brandon Lowe in order to compete in 2026. The combination of the two brought back a haul of prospects, which made much more sense when considering the returns they were able to obtain. But as of right moment, especially with Lowe’s passing, it did seriously damage the team.
The All-Star slugger was among the league’s top players at his position, and it will be difficult to replace his 31 home runs. Second base must now be prioritized, even though there are still some needs in other sectors. There are several talented possibilities reportedly available on the trade market, but it appears more probable to assault in free agency.
Luis Rengifo is a natural free agent target for the Rays, according to a recent article by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.
Can Rengifo Bounce Back?
Even though Rengifo has enjoyed some good seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to match Lowe’s stats with Tampa Bay. Despite this, he has some intriguing aspects of his game, and he might make a good team substitute. But a year of recovery will be required.
The versatile Rengifo hit nine home runs and 43 RBI in 2025 while slashing.238/.287/.335. In comparison to previous years, the production had significantly decreased. He was able to have an OPS over.700 and a slugging percentage over.400 in each of the previous three campaigns.
Even though 2025 was clearly a difficult season, there is cause for optimism that he will be able to recover at the young age of 28. He will probably be looking for and getting a one-year prove-it deal after the poor year. The Rays, who are still mindful of their salary and would probably be ready to take a small risk on Rengifo, see this to be advantageous.
He might be an excellent choice to be their new starting second baseman, even though he might not be able to match Lowe’s output.
