ST. PETERSBURG - The Tampa Bay Rays built their American League Championship Series roster largely from players other organizations discarded, with 61.5% of the 26-man squad acquired through trades - many of them players who had been designated for assignment, exposed in the Rule 5 Draft, or otherwise cast aside before landing in Tampa Bay.
The ALCS, tied at 1, features a roster that includes just three players drafted by the Rays - left-hander Ian Seymour, outfielder Chandler Simpson and shortstop Taylor Walls - alongside one international signing, first baseman Jonathan Aranda. The remaining 22 players arrived through trades, free agency, the Rule 5 Draft or the minor league free agent market.
“We try to take the mentality of no stone unturned, and we really spend a lot of time and effort with a wide variety of people analyzing every transaction out there,” assistant general manager Kevin Ibach said. “Hopefully, that pays dividends down the stretch in September and then as we turn the page now into October.”
The depth of the roster’s reclamation-project pedigree is striking. Right-hander Cole Sulser has been designated for assignment three times and has served two separate stints with Tampa Bay, the first in 2019 and the current one beginning in 2024. Infielders Jorge Mateo and outfielder Ryan Vilade have each been DFA’d twice. Catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyler Wells are former Rule 5 Draft picks - the Orioles selected Wells out of the Minnesota organization in 2020, while Miami took Hicks from the Detroit organization in 2024.
Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr., 25, is among the most striking examples of the Rays’ approach. The Marlins designated him for assignment on Feb. 3, and Tampa Bay traded for him three days later. Mesa did not immediately break into the lineup, earning his first callup on May 24, but went on to hit 14 home runs and post an .825 OPS over 79 games while providing strong defense in right field. Right-hander Bryan Baker, acquired in a July 2025 trade with Baltimore, tied for the MLB lead with 41 saves.
“I think it’s a little bit of the chip-on-the-shoulder mentality, coupled with what we try to build as a really cohesive clubhouse and a really positive culture around here,” Ibach said. “Knowing that they don’t have to step in and be the 3-4 hitter in the lineup, that they can play a complementary role to what we do here and that there’s a spot for them in this type of organization.”
Ibach credited the organization’s broad approach to roster construction - spanning trades, waivers, Rule 5 selections and minor league free agency - for producing the depth now on display in October. “I think it just really speaks to how much depth matters, certainly through 162 games in the regular season and then into October as well, that every spot on your 40-man roster matters,” he said. “I think you’re seeing that out there in the field right now.”
Game 3 of the ALCS is scheduled for St. Petersburg, with the series tied 1-1.