TAMPA, Fla. – How convenient. The Rays open their spring training schedule Friday afternoon (1:05) against the Yankees at their regular season home of Steinbrenner Field. It will be the first of 31 Grapefruit League games for manager Kevin Cash’s team.
The first of 15 games at the Rays’ Port Charlotte facility, Charlotte Sports Park, is Saturday afternoon (1:05) against the Red Sox. That will also be the venue for ‘Spring Breakout’ on March 13 (7:05) when the Rays’ prospects play those from Boston.
Throughout the spring, Rays fans will get a look at a handful of new players. While there could be additional moves prior to the March 28 season opener against visiting Colorado, here is an alphabetical glimpse at some of the team’s acquisitions.
READ: Rays Banking On Shane McClanahan As Opening Day Starter
Joe Boyle, RHP
The 6-foot-7 Notre Dame product was part of the return in the December deal that sent Jeffrey Springs to the A’s. The Rays got an up-close look at Boyle in Oakland last August when he blanked them on two hits over six innings. The 25-year-old’s four-seamer was consistently 98-99 mph while touching 100. The outing was a bright spot in a season in which he went 3-6 with a 6.42 ERA. Control has been a major issue for Boyle, who walked 40 in 47 2/3 innings with the A’s and 39 in 45 2/3 innings at Triple-A. He will likely open the season in Durham, where he could benefit from further development.
Mason Englert, RHP
Acquired last week for minor league pitcher Drew Sommers, the 25-year-old Englert made his MLB debut with Detroit against the Rays at the Trop during the 2023 season-opening series. Selected by the Tigers from Texas in the Rule 5 draft a few months earlier, Englert pitched the eighth inning in a mop-up role and allowed a solo homer to Wander Franco. It was the first of 31 appearances before a mid-season hip injury sidelined him for the duration. Englert was hindered by injuries last year when he spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A. The 6-foot-4 Texan, who has a career mark of 5-3 with a 5.45 ERA, provides something the Rays love, and that is bullpen depth.
Alex Faedo, RHP
The Tampa native and former University of Florida star was acquired from the Tigers prior to spring training for minor league catcher Enderson Delgado. The 29-year-old attended Alonso High, where his father, Landy, had been the only head baseball coach since the school opened in 2001. Prior to Alonso, Landy was an assistant at Gaither when Cash played for the Cowboys. The 18th overall pick in 2017, Faedo made his MLB debut with Detroit in 2022 and is 8-13 with a 4.51 ERA in 64 career appearances. He was a true starter his first two seasons before coming out of the bullpen and being used as an opener last year, which ended in August due to a shoulder injury.
Danny Jansen, C
The 29-year-old veteran of 501 big league games spent his career with the Blue Jays before he was dealt to Boston at last season’s trade deadline. The righthanded-hitting Jansen should provide more punch at the position while platooning with Ben Rortvedt. He has four seasons of double-digit homers, including a career-best 17 with Toronto in 2023 (268 ABs) when he had a .474 slugging percentage. The Rays are certainly familiar with Jansen and what he provides behind the plate as well as in the clubhouse from his time with Toronto.
Ha-Seong Kim, SS
The Rays signed Kim to a two-year, $29-million deal ($13 mil this year) that the South Korean can opt out of following the coming season. A shoulder injury that ended his 2024 season in mid-August will keep him sidelined at least through the end of April, depending on his recovery. Taylor Walls and Jose Caballero can hold down the position until Kim is ready. The 29-year-old made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2021 and was a Gold Glove winner (utility) in 2023 when he played mostly at second base. Kim was at short for the majority of the 2022 and 2024 seasons. A .242 career hitter, he has hit double-digit homers in each of his three full seasons, combined for 60 stolen bases the last two years, and can draw a base on balls, as demonstrated by his 75 walks in 2023.
Eloy Jimenez, OF
The Rays signed Jimenez to a minor league deal in December, though his power from the right side could be of use in Tampa sooner than later. Since hitting 31 homers and placing fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting with the White Sox in 2019, the 6-foot-4 and 250-pounder has been nagged by injuries and played as many as 100 games once. The 28-year-old Jimenez, who Chicago dealt to Baltimore at last season’s deadline, is a career .269 hitter and has slugged .462.
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