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ST. PETERSBURG -- Six weeks from now, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to camps throughout Florida and Arizona, and full-squad workouts will follow soon after that. That means it’s just about crunch time for front-office executives looking to tweak and improve their rosters before Spring Training.

Several of the biggest dominos have already fallen. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are Dodgers. Juan Soto is a Yankee. Jung Hoo Lee is a Giant. The Reds and Royals have been busy. The Rays dealt Tyler Glasnow (and Manuel Margot) to Los Angeles, and Chris Sale just moved from Boston to Atlanta. The industry-wide need for pitching has been obvious.

But there are a ton of free agents available, highlighted by Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery on the pitching side and Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman among the hitters, plus a bunch of intriguing trade candidates still out there.

So, it seems fair to say the next six weeks should be busy around baseball. With Spring Training approaching, here are four ways the Rays could get involved.

Create some clarity at shortstop
As noted here last week, the Rays’ biggest question is the unclear status of Wander Franco, who remains under investigation by MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic. The answer is on hold, however, as the club waits for the investigations to conclude.

If Franco doesn’t return after finishing last season on administrative leave, the Rays’ primary shortstop option will be Taylor Walls. But Walls is recovering from offseason surgery on his right hip, leaving some uncertainty about his availability for Opening Day. His status highlights a potential need for more depth to begin next season.

Behind Franco and Walls, the top candidates would be Osleivis Basabe and No. 1 prospect Junior Caminero. Both debuted last year, albeit earlier than expected due to Franco’s absence and other injuries, and have shown plenty of promise in the Minors. But neither seems like an ideal fit as an everyday shortstop at this point: Basabe struggled at the plate in the Majors, and Caminero is thought to be a better defender at third base.

The Rays would be confident in Walls as their everyday shortstop, given his defensive ability, and he’ll be ready to hold down that role when healthy. The question is how comfortable they are with the short-term options behind him.

Catcher
This one’s obvious: René Pinto is the lone catcher on the Rays’ 40-man roster, and non-roster invitee Alex Jackson is the only other MLB-ready option in the organization.

The Rays liked what they saw from Pinto down the stretch and obviously value Jackson, a Trade Deadline acquisition they re-signed to a Minor League deal. Those two could very well be Tampa Bay’s catching tandem all year. But at the very least, the Rays will need more depth behind the plate to get through the season.

Pitching depth
The Rays can’t replace Glasnow but can cover his spot, as young right-hander Ryan Pepiot appears set to join the rotation after coming over from the Dodgers. They have enough starters to fill out a rotation with Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley, Pepiot, Shane Baz and Jacob Lopez. Rehabbing starters Jeffrey Springs and perhaps Drew Rasmussen should be in the mix later in the year, too.

So the arms are there, but the innings are no guarantee.

Eflin and Civale have dealt with injuries in the past. Littell made the transition from relieving to starting look quite easy, but the increase in workload is significant. Baz will be limited in his return from Tommy John surgery. Bradley, Pepiot and Lopez don’t have extensive Major League track records. Springs and Rasmussen will also be coming back from major elbow surgeries.

In other words, this feels like another area to stockpile depth. The Rays have taken some steps in that direction with non-roster deals, and they’re likely to continue adding pitching as the offseason continues. Their 40-man roster may be full, but a few spots will become available when they can transfer rehabbing pitchers (like Springs, Rasmussen and Shane McClanahan) to the 60-day injured list during Spring Training.

More trades
A lot of names were thrown around at the Winter Meetings last month. Some of those rumors will prove to be mere speculation, mistaking the Rays’ willingness to listen for something more advanced, but there are still reasons to expect more action on the trade front.

For one, Tampa Bay's projected payroll is still trending well into franchise-record territory even after moving Glasnow and Margot. The Rays also possess a full 40-man roster, a large class of arbitration-eligible players, a crowded infield/DH mix and other needs mentioned above. They don’t have to deal anyone else, but it wouldn’t be out of character for them to shuffle the roster a bit more through trades.