If the low-revenue Rays were going to trade for high-priced players such as Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel, they would have needed to be creative, right?
Well, the Rays were creative — or at least, they discussed creative ideas. None of those ideas ultimately came to fruition. But the discussions the Rays held with the Cubs on Bryant and Kimbrel, in separate deals and together, offered a glimpse into how Tampa Bay and many other clubs operate at the trade deadline, when conversations are free flowing and almost every name is in play.
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For Bryant alone, the Rays and Cubs talked about a deal that would have sent center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and prospects to Chicago, according to major-league sources. That trade, however, would have been relatively straightforward compared to a bigger deal the teams kicked around for Bryant and Kimbrel — one that centered around injured Rays ace right-hander Tyler Glasnow.
The discussions between the Rays and Cubs extended into Friday, the day of the deadline. In the end, the Cubs parted with Bryant and Kimbrel in separate deals, sending Bryant to the Giants for outfielder Alexander Canario and right-hander Caleb Kilian, and Kimbrel to the White Sox for second baseman Nick Madrigal and right-handed reliever Codi Heuer.
The Rays on July 22 had added nearly $5 million in payroll by acquiring designated hitter Nelson Cruz from the Twins. They received clearance from ownership, sources said, to pursue both Bryant, who was owed nearly $7 million in the final year of his contract, and Kimbrel, who was owed about $5.6 million and can be retained on a $16 million option for 2022. But in both concepts, the Cubs would have assumed financial obligations, too.
Kiermaier, earning $11.17 million this season and $12.17 million next season with a $13 million option or $2.5 million buyout for 2023, is the highest-paid player on the Tampa Bay roster outside of the newly acquired Cruz. By adding him, the Cubs effectively would have been buying prospects from the Rays’ farm system, which The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked before the season as the best in the game.
The Rays value Kiermaier more highly than almost any club, even though since 2018 his adjusted OPS has been 20 percent below league-average. Kiermaier’s defense is so strong, his combined fWAR over those four seasons has been 5.2, and he has been a net positive each year. The Rays, however, have two other center fielders, Manuel Margot and Brett Phillips. By including Kiermaier in the trade for Bryant, they would have cleared the necessary roster spot and eliminated their financial commitment to Kiermaier for the rest of the season and beyond. It is possible such a deal also could have included some type of cash exchange.
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Obviously, the prospects the Rays offered along with Kiermaier were not tempting enough for the Cubs to part with Bryant. Sources said that for two-plus months of Bryant, Tampa Bay was unwilling to trade its top young position players — not just shortstop Wander Franco, but also infielder Vidal Bruján, outfielder Josh Lowe and shortstop Taylor Walls — and also right-hander Shane Baz.
Prospects also were a hangup in the proposed Glasnow-for-Bryant/Kimbrel blockbuster. The Cubs, sources said, would have wanted young talent to mitigate the risk of acquiring Glasnow, who is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery. The Rays communicated to the Cubs that surgery was a possibility.
What would have been the point of the Cubs acquiring Glasnow, who will miss all of 2022 if he has the surgery and then be eligible for free agency after ’23, leaving them with only one more season of club control after he returns? For starters, even one year of a proven Glasnow coming off surgery is arguably a better bet than any prospects the Cubs might have acquired. By ’23, the Cubs might be on the rise again with some of the young players who entered their organization in their eight July trades. Also, by getting Glasnow under their control, they would have gained the inside track at signing him to an extension. Glasnow, earning $4 million this season, is eligible for arbitration in ’22 and ’23.
The Cubs, though, knew Glasnow would be unlikely to throw 200 innings in 2023, his first full year back from surgery and, in the end, just were not all that enamored of the idea. The Rays, likewise, did not want to add highly regarded prospects to a deal for two players who would be with them only for the rest of the season.
While the Rays might have picked up Kimbrel’s option for 2022, it would have been only to trade him; it is not in their DNA to pay a closer $16 million. And what would such a trade have looked like? To acquire Kimbrel for two pennant races, the White Sox were willing to part with Madrigal, a former top 100 prospect. But the Reds’ return for one year of Raisel Iglesias last offseason was only reliever Noé Ramirez, whom they released at the end of spring training, and minor-league infielder-outfielder Leonardo Rivas (Ramirez went back to the Angels before resurfacing with the Diamondbacks, and has a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings since joining that team in June).
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Cruz, acquired from the Twins for pitching prospects Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, turned out to be the Rays’ biggest addition during trading season. Their two deals on deadline day — for reliever Shawn Armstrong from the Orioles, and outfielder Jordan Luplow and reliever DJ Johnson from the Indians — were mostly for depth.
A trade for Bryant and/or Kimbrel would have shocked the industry, but both players went to teams with greater resources for conventional prospect packages. Going outside the box took the Rays only so far. Maybe next time they will venture even further.
—The Athletic’s Dennis Lin contributed to this story.
(Photo of Kevin Kiermaier: Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ken Rosenthal is the senior baseball writer for The Athletic who has spent nearly 35 years covering the major leagues. In addition, Ken is a broadcaster and regular contributor to Fox Sports' MLB telecasts. He's also won Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 for his TV reporting. Follow Ken on Twitter @Ken_Rosenthal
