A roadmap to the Rays' upcoming offseason

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- As usual, the Rays find themselves in an interesting position as the offseason officially draws near.

They’re coming off a 99-win season and a bitterly disappointing postseason exit. They could bring back nearly their entire roster, albeit at a cost the franchise has never taken on, or make dramatic changes. The starting rotation that appeared oversaturated with talent last Spring Training now seems like Tampa Bay's most obvious area of need.

With the Rays, it’s hard to know what to expect. But here’s what we do know as the World Series winds down and the offseason approaches:

Which players are free agents?
A few familiar faces became free agents earlier this month, namely catcher Francisco Mejía and reliever Erasmo Ramírez. Three other players, all relievers, will join them five days after the World Series ends: Robert Stephenson, Jake Diekman and Chris Devenski. The Rays don’t have any contract option decisions to make this year.

Stephenson will be the biggest loss. The right-hander was incredible out of the bullpen after coming over from Pittsburgh in a midseason trade, and his breakout will likely get him more money and years on the open market than Tampa Bay is willing to offer.

Who needs to come off the 60-day injured list and when is that deadline?
The following players are on the 60-day IL and need to be reinstated to (or removed from) the 40-man roster within five days of the World Series ending: RHP Shane Baz, LHP Garrett Cleavinger, RHP Calvin Faucher, LHP Shane McClanahan, RHP Drew Rasmussen, LHP Jeffrey Springs and INF/OF Greg Jones.

Most of those players should be ready to go by Spring Training, with a few key exceptions. Springs isn’t likely to rejoin the rotation until midseason. Rasmussen could be back after the All-Star break. And McClanahan isn’t expected to pitch until 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

What is the situation with Wander Franco?
There have been no definitive updates in months regarding the All-Star shortstop, who was placed on indefinite administrative leave in August while being investigated by MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

It is unclear when the investigations will conclude. In the meantime, the Rays must prepare for next season without knowing whether Franco will be part of their roster. If Franco is unable to play, expect Taylor Walls to remain the regular shortstop.

Which players have guaranteed contracts for next season?
The following players, with their 2024 salaries: RHP Tyler Glasnow ($25 million), RHP Zach Eflin ($11 million), OF Manuel Margot ($10 million), 2B Brandon Lowe ($8.75 million), INF Yandy Díaz ($8 million), Springs ($5.25 million), RHP Pete Fairbanks ($3.66 million) and Franco ($2 million).

Who are their arbitration-eligible players?
Once again, the better question might be who isn’t arb-eligible. Here’s the list of 16 players, ordered by their service time: OF Raimel Tapia, RHP Shawn Armstrong, RHP Andrew Kittredge, LHP Jalen Beeks, INF/OF Harold Ramírez, LHP Colin Poche, RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Zack Littell, C Christian Bethancourt, RHP Cole Sulser, RHP Jason Adam, OF Randy Arozarena, Rasmussen, INF Isaac Paredes, McClanahan and LHP Josh Fleming.

Who are their non-tender candidates? When do they have to make that decision?
It’s more likely the Rays will pare down their arb-eligible class through trades and other moves, as they have in years past. But there are a few players they could drop before the Nov. 17 non-tender deadline, including Tapia, Beeks, Bethancourt, Sulser and Fleming.

Which prospects need to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 Draft?
Tampa Bay already did some work on this front by promoting prospects Junior Caminero (the organization's No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), Jacob Lopez (No. 27) and Tristan Gray down the stretch. But there are plenty of other candidates to be added by the Nov. 14 deadline, which will lead to further roster shuffling.

Among the names to watch: INF Austin Shenton, C Blake Hunt (who would become a Minor League free agent if not added to the 40-man roster), INF Ronny Simon, OF Heriberto Hernandez, C/1B/OF Logan Driscoll and pitchers Yoniel Curet, Anthony Molina, Ian Seymour and Cole Wilcox.

Managing a 40-man roster crunch is an annual tradition for the Rays at this point. They’ve recently swung two low-profile (at the time) deals before this deadline for younger prospects who didn’t require spots on the 40-man: one brought back Curtis Mead from Philadelphia, and the other yielded Caminero from Cleveland.

Who might they be willing to trade?
Glasnow’s franchise-record salary makes him the most obvious candidate, but the team will insist he doesn’t have to move this offseason. Margot’s contract makes him the most likely player to go. The large class of arb-eligible players is bound to include a few trade candidates, with Arozarena the most impactful and Ramírez another option.

The Rays could also deal from their infield depth, which extends deep into the Minors, to create a path to playing time for younger players like Mead, Jonathan Aranda and, eventually, Caminero. But that would be risky given the uncertainty with Franco and the rehabbing Walls.

The Rays announced Monday that Walls underwent a surgical procedure on his right hip to repair a labral tear and relieve discomfort from an impingement. The operation, performed Friday by hip specialist Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd in Nashville, Tenn., creates some uncertainty regarding Walls’ availability for Opening Day. The Rays said Walls is expected to resume baseball activities in February, but his readiness to start the season won’t be determined until later in the rehabilitation process.

How will they fill out their coaching staff?
The Rays are considering internal and external candidates to replace first-base coach Chris Prieto. They aren’t likely to directly replace Dan DeMent with another assistant hitting coach, so it’s unclear what they will do with his spot or that of process/analytics coach Jonathan Erlichman, who is returning to a front office role.