NEW YORK -- The Rays took care of their most pressing Trade Deadline business on Monday by acquiring starter Aaron Civale from the Guardians, adding depth to an already-strong rotation. They reshaped their bullpen and catching depth with three minor moves on Tuesday.

But other than trading prized first-base prospect Kyle Manzardo to Cleveland to land Civale, the Rays didn’t significantly alter their roster before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Deadline. To put it simply, they didn’t feel like they needed to, even after a rough July.

“When you have a team like we do, that we think of as a championship-level team, you feel a lot of urgency to make that team better -- and you also have maybe fewer areas that are obvious in which you can improve,” Rays general manager Peter Bendix said Tuesday night. “We really do believe in the quality of this team to this point.”

So no, the Rays didn’t trade for a big bat or otherwise change the complexion of a lineup that struggled through much of July. They believe in the players they have, with Bendix calling them a “championship-caliber group … that can take us where we want to go.” 

The Rays’ 5-2 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium was full of signs their belief is justified.

Zach Eflin struck out five and allowed only three hits over six scoreless innings, improving to 12-6 with a 3.46 ERA. Yandy Díaz homered off Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, giving him a career-high 15 on the year. Randy Arozarena went deep for the first time since July 18 and just the second since July 4. It was the Rays’ fourth win in their past five games, giving them consecutive series victories for the first time since early June.

“We felt like, if we could just get the offense rolling a little bit, good things would come, and it's kind of been that way,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We've really contributed offensively, pitching has just been awesome for us, and it's a pretty good recipe for wins.”

Bendix said the Rays felt they had a “very successful Deadline” and noted that the front office has been working to upgrade the roster for months. That started in May with the signing of veteran left-handed reliever Jake Diekman and the pickup of right-hander Zack Littell, continued in June with the trade for reliever Robert Stephenson and reached a high point with the addition of Civale on Monday.

Those turned out to be significant transactions. Diekman has put together a 2.45 ERA in 28 appearances for the Rays, Stephenson has a 2.79 mark in 21 outings and Littell is being stretched out as a starter. Civale is set to join the rotation on Saturday, and Tampa Bay was pleased to land a non-rental pitcher of his caliber.

“You look around the league, there were very, very few starting pitchers with control beyond this year who were moved,” Bendix said. “We were very happy that we were able to get one.”

In the hours leading up to the Trade Deadline, the Rays acquired Alex Jackson from the Brewers to solidify their Major League-ready catching depth, sent former top prospect Luis Patiño to the White Sox for cash considerations and picked up hard-throwing reliever Manuel Rodríguez in a deal with the Cubs.

TRADE DETAILS
Rays get: C Alex Jackson
Brewers get: RHP Evan McKendry

Rays get: Cash considerations
White Sox get: RHP Luis Patiño

Rays get: RHP Manuel Rodríguez, RHP Adrian Sampson and international signing bonus pool space
Cubs get: RHP Josh Roberson

None of Tuesday’s transactions immediately affected the Rays’ Major League roster. Jackson and Rodríguez will report to Triple-A Durham, Sampson is likely to be released, and Patiño and McKendry had been pitching with Durham.

Rodríguez pitched for the Cubs in 2021 and ‘22, but he has spent all of this season with Triple-A Iowa. The 26-year-old right-hander has posted a 4.42 ERA in 35 appearances this season and has walked nearly five batters per nine innings in his Minor League career, but he has power stuff and has 56 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings this year.

“[He’s] somebody that has live stuff, and we've had success with that kind of profile in the past,” Bendix said.

Jackson gives the Rays necessary depth behind the plate while they’re without injured catcher Francisco Mejía. The 27-year-old was slashing .286/.360/.554 in 45 games for Triple-A Nashville this season, and Bendix said Tampa Bay is comfortable with him being “the next line of defense, or at least in the mix,” if Christian Bethancourt or René Pinto were injured.

Bendix said the change-of-scenery Patiño trade came together quickly near the Deadline. The 23-year-old right-hander hadn’t lived up to the hype since headlining the Rays’ return from the Padres for Blake Snell in December 2020, logging a 5.24 ERA in 27 appearances for Tampa Bay and ultimately being moved to Durham’s bullpen.

“Wish him the best. He's still young. He's got a good arm,” Bendix said. “There's upside for him in another organization, and that was just a little bit of roster management.”