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With the Rays facing a projected payroll thats nearly 50% higher than their current franchise-record, theyre widely expected to make several deals in order to scale back their spending. Thats not to say Tampa Bay is embarking on any sort of rebuild, as machinations of this nature are the norm for a Rays club that regularly churns the top end of its roster and cashes in veteran players for controllable young talent. Among the early trade candidates on the Rays roster this offseason, is outfielder as . MLB.coms Jon Morosi that Tampa Bay has discu sed the 29-year-old with multiple teams within the past two weeks. Margot isnt coming off a great year and is slated to earn $10MM in 2024 before he reaches free agency next winter. As such, its only natural that hes among the names the Rays are peddling as they look to retool the roster, scale back payroll and simultaneously remain competitive. The Rays have , , and several utility types who can handle both the infield and outfield. The po sibility of trading Margot and bringing in a backup outfielder (via trade or free agency) at a lower salary point remains. Margots .264/.310/.376 batting line in 336 plate appearances this past season is right in line with the .264/.317/.375 line hes posted in four total seasons as a member of the Rays. It checked in a bit below average, albeit not egregiously so. Had Margot enjoyed a season of his typical defensive excellence in 23, that offensive output wouldve made him an above-average all-around contributor. But Margot mi sed the bulk of the 2022 season with a significant strain of the patellar tendon in his right knee, and his usual strong (at times elite) defensive grades slipped closer to average. Statcast noted that Margots range and sprint speed both declined in 2023, which perhaps isnt all that surprising for a player coming off a major knee injury. The question for potential trade partners is whether Margot can be expected to rebound to his previous Matthew Maggio Jersey defensive heights or whether this is the new norm moving forward. Clubs will likely have varying opinions on that front, though Margots overall track record ought to carry some appeal. Thats especially true in a thin free-agent market for outfielders. Not every team will want to pursue a nine-figure deal with , and some teams might well be turned off by the po sibility of overcommitting to on the heels of a strong season. Free agent offers a similar skill set to Margot and had a better year defensively but le ser year at the plate. has an excellent glove and more pop than Margot but much higher strikeout rates and lower on-base marks. Given the thin market for proven outfield help, Margot ought to command interest on the trade market even if the return isnt enormous. Lets run through a few potential fits, excluding his AL East rivals. These certainly arent the only po sible destinations, but any of the following teams make sense as a candidate to target a short-term, versatile option in the outfield: Marlins : Newly minted president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was the Rays general manager before being hired by Miami. The Marlins have been on the lookout for a center fielder for the past several years but have struggled to fill the void so much so that the Fish moved shortstop to center field last year. Miami could line up on a trade bringing Margot aboard to handle center field, thus moving Chisholm back to the infield. The Marlins dont have an obvious everyday shortstop at present, and the market for quality options at that position is even more barren than in the outfield. Giants : President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has spoken openly about his desire to add some more athleticism and range to his outfield. Even with Margots step back in 2023, he still had above-average range and sprint speed. Hed be an upgrade, defensively speaking, over much of the San Francisco outfield mix even if he never fully rediscovers his once-elite range. Margot would allow the Giants to give some extra time in Triple-A after rushing to the Majors as a 21-year-old in 2023. And if Matos eventually forces his way onto the scene, Margot could join and as right-handed complements to lefty outfielders like and . D-backs : Arizonas excellent young outfield was a major factor in their unexpected run to the 2023 World Series, but with hitting the market, the Snakes are once again looking at an all-left-handed mix of , , and . Margot gives them a right-handed option to provide manager Torey Lovullo with some matchup options. Phillies: The Phils currently look as though theyll give former top prospect , whos out of minor league options, another look as a reserve outfielder. Last years .238/.319/.417 slash in 95 plate appearances was better than anything Pache has ever done in the big leagues (career .173/.230/.273). Maybe theyve unlocked something in his offensive profile, but Margot would be more reliable at the plate while still providing a potential righty complement to and a late-game defensive upgrade over . Mariners : The Mariners and Rays have lined up on approximately six thousand trades since Jerry Dipoto was hired to oversee baseball operations for Seattle, and with a pair of young lefties ( , ) currently slated to patrol the outfield corners in 2024, theres another potential fit here. Margot would be a younger (and slightly more expensive) veteran to fill the same role the Ms tried for with in 2023. Perhaps the Ms feel in-house options like and/or can capably handle this role, but Haggerty has never topped 201 plate appearances in a big league seasons, while Moore battled injuries in 2023 and saw an already problematic strikeout rate spike to 34%. Rockies : was an elite defender in his debut season but also one of the least-productive hitters in MLB. , a converted infielder, is the Rockies most established outfielder at the moment. Margot could be acquired at a relatively low cost and plugged in as a semi-regular in an outfield that lacks much in the way of certainty. Its plenty arguable that the Rox shouldnt be trading anything to acquire short-term pieces like Margot, but theyve staunchly resisted a rebuild for several years and will probably try to bolster the roster to some extent again this winter. Angels : s breakout season came with ma sive platoon splits, and Margot would serve as a natural right-handed pairing with the former No. 1 overall pick while providing an alternative in center, should again spend time on the injured list. The Angels have as a potential right-handed complement in the outfield, but Margot is a superior defender who might be better served for such a part-time role. Rangers : struggled in the second half of the 2023 season, and impre sive as was in his late debut and throughout the postseason, he still has all of 147 plate appearances against Major League pitching at just 21 years of age. Margot would give Texas a true fourth outfielder something they currently lack in addition to insurance for Carter regre sion, continued struggles for Taveras or another injury for star right fielder . Arnaud Durandeau Jersey |
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发表于 2026-3-24 18:58:21