4:01pm: The Rays have now formally introduced the deal.
2:25pm: Rasmussen’s brokers at Beverly Hills Sports activities Council have now introduced that the extension is full.
1:32pm: The Rays and right-hander Drew Rasmussen are closing in on a multi-year deal that will purchase Tampa Bay an extra yr of membership management, stories Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions. Rasmussen would earn a complete of $8.5MM over the subsequent two seasons — his ultimate two arbitration years — and the Rays would get a membership choice over his 2027 marketing campaign (his first free agent season). The payout would come within the type of a $500K signing bonus, a $2MM wage in 2025, a $5.5MM wage in 2026 and an $8MM membership choice ($500K buyout) for the ’27 season. Escalators might push that choice worth as excessive as $20MM, Topkin provides. Rasmussen is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports activities Council.
Ramussen, 29, missed the majority of the 2023-24 seasons recovering from an inside brace process to restore the ulnar collateral ligament in his proper elbow. That surgical procedure tamped down his workload in each seasons in addition to his anticipated price ticket in arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a modest $2MM wage for the proficient righty within the upcoming season. By advantage of his wage and that signing bonus, he’ll prime that sum beneath this new multi-year association whereas additionally sacrificing a yr of free company to lock in some speedy earnings.
It’s an comprehensible trade-off for Rasmussen, who didn’t get a full look in a giant league rotation till his age-26 season (2022) and has since missed ample time because of damage. A sixth-round choose of the Brewers again in 2018, Rasmussen signed for only a $135K bonus and didn’t make his large league debut till 2020. In whole, he’s earned beneath $4MM in his profession to this point.
Rasmussen was traded from Milwaukee to Tampa Bay within the 2021 deal that despatched Willy Adames to the Brewers. He was sharp down then stretch in a hybrid function for Tampa Bay however had a full-fledged breakout in 2022, That season, Rasmussen pitched a career-high 146 innings and turned in a 2.84 earned run common with a barely below-average 21.4% strikeout fee towards a terrific 5.3% stroll fee. He stored the ball on the bottom at a powerful 46.6% clip. Rasmussen averaged 95.5 mph on his heater, deftly averted onerous contact and recorded a 12.1% swinging-strike fee that instructed extra punchouts may very well be within the tank down the highway.
That certainly the case early in 2023, too. Rasmussen notched a good higher 2.62 ERA however noticed his strikeout fee spike to 26.6%. He maintained plus command (6.2%) and likewise noticed his ground-ball fee surge to 52.6% — a rise of six proportion factors over the prior season. For a span of 36 begins from 2022-23, Rasmussen pitched like a real No. 1 or 2 starter — a transparent playoff arm who might pitch close to the entrance of any rotation.
Accidents, nevertheless, had different concepts for the proficient righty. The Rays introduced on July 8, 2023 that Rasmussen would require surgical procedure. He wound up lacking 13 months of motion, returning to a giant league mound on Aug. 7 of this previous season. The Rays used him primarily as a reliever. He “began” 4 video games however did so throwing solely two innings apiece and dealing as an opener. The outcomes, nevertheless, had been glorious. In 28 2/3 frames, Rasmussen posted a 2.83 ERA, 30.2% strikeout fee, 5.2% stroll fee and 53.3% grounder fee.
The plan now could be for Rasmussen to return to the rotation, in keeping with Topkin. He’ll be part of Shane McClanahan (coming back from Tommy John surgical procedure), Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Shane Baz and Zack Littell in a really proficient mixture of arms. Every of McClanahan, Rasmussen and Baz might face some type of workload limitations, as Baz has but to pitch a full season since coming back from his personal ligament surgical procedure in 2022 — although he did pitch 118 2/3 innings mixed between Triple-A and the majors in 2024.
For the Rays, there’s little to no affect on their 2025 funds. Rasmussen will solely earn a nominal $500K greater than his projected arbitration worth, due to that signing bonus. They’ll additionally lock within the right-hander’s 2026 wage, gaining some value certainty. It’s attainable that Rasmussen might’ve outpaced that $5.5MM wage in arbitration with a giant yr, however probably not by a lot, given the low platform from which he’d be beginning. The concession for locking in that ’26 wage is giving up a would-be free-agent season — his age-31 yr. As long as he’s wholesome, that choice pays him not less than $8MM, although with good well being there’s likelihood it’ll be a good bit greater.
Whereas it’s not fairly to the identical scale because the Rays’ extension with former ace Tyler Glasnow, there are some parallels right here. Tampa Bay is placing down some assured cash on a proficient however oft-injured righty. Glasnow’s $25MM wage within the ultimate season of his personal extension was assured, whereas Rasmussen must stay wholesome to push near that quantity. Nonetheless, it’s a probably weighty wage by the Rays’ requirements, and one that might render Rasmussen a commerce candidate down the highway. The extension offers the Rays some further management over a possible frontline arm but in addition a viable commerce candidate down the highway. It’s maybe cynical to level out the style during which an extension boosts a participant’s commerce worth within the speedy aftermath of the settlement, however the Rays have a observe report of working on this method.
In the meanwhile, Rasmussen will head into the season as a locked-in member of a deep and proficient rotation. The Rays haven’t completed a lot to enhance their middling lineup — although Danny Jansen supplies a possible notable improve behind the plate. Quite, they’ll apparently hope for giant strides from ballyhooed third baseman Junior Caminero and rebounds from Josh Lowe and Christopher Morel, each of whom skilled notable drops on the plate following very productive 2023 campaigns.
