ST. PETERSBURG -- Drew Rasmussen stood in front of his locker in the Rays' clubhouse late Wednesday night, tears in his eyes, admittedly uncertain what the future may hold for him.
At least one part of that picture is clear now, as the Rays exercised the right-hander’s $20 million club option for the 2027 season. So Rasmussen can at least rest assured that his salary is set after a tremendous season punctuated by a strong performance in the postseason spotlight, and he doesn’t have to worry about being a free agent amid so much uncertainty.
But there are sure to be questions about Rasmussen’s future, as the Rays have never paid a player $20 million in one year. The highest single-season salary in Tampa Bay’s franchise history is $15 million, which Charlie Morton earned in 2019.
Rasmussen’s option was part of the extension he signed with the Rays in January 2025. The two-year deal guaranteed him $8.5 million, with a 2027 club option that started at $8 million with escalators that Rasmussen wound up maxing out during the best season of his career to increase his option-year salary to $20 million.
As good as he is, as much as the Rays value their ace and as hard as it is to imagine their rotation without him, could he be traded this offseason?
“I’ve got a lot of thoughts,” an emotional Rasmussen said after the Rays lost Game 5 of the World Series to the Brewers at Tropicana Field. “I’ve got a lot of thoughts. What they are, I don’t know, unfortunately.”
Asked if he hoped to remain with the Rays, Rasmussen quickly replied, “I hope so.” But he was also emotional as he continued his response, fully understanding of the complicated dynamics that come along with his salary for a lower-payroll club like Tampa Bay.
“I mean, I don’t know, man,” Rasmussen said, “There’s a business element to this, and I understand that, and I just -- I don’t know.”
But there is no doubt about the incredibly strong bond between the Rays and Rasmussen. Nor is there any concern about the right-hander’s performance moving forward, not after he proved what he can do throughout an ace-level season and postseason.
Rasmussen, 31, went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 172 innings over 30 starts for the American League champion Rays during the regular season. The two-time All-Star led the AL with a 0.91 WHIP while setting a career high for innings pitched, and he showed few signs of letting up as the Rays’ top starter in the playoffs.
Rasmussen pitched three gems to begin his postseason run, then gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings in Game 2 of the World Series before returning in Game 5 on three days’ rest -- for the first time in his career as a true starter -- to permit just one run on two hits over four innings in the Rays’ 4-1 loss to the Brewers.
“He's a stud. That guy is a stud. His stuff was as sharp as it could have been,” manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays were eliminated. “We had gone into the game saying it was 60 pitches or four innings. Stuck to that. That was the easiest call in the world to take him out of the ballgame. We've worked very hard with all of our pitchers and pride ourselves on doing right by them.”
That has only increased the level of trust between the Rays and Rasmussen, who had Tommy John surgery twice before undergoing an internal brace procedure that cost him most of the 2023 season and forced him to return as a multi-inning reliever/opener down the stretch in '24.
But the Rays’ level of care for Rasmussen is hardly lost on him.
“This organization, man, it's the best. They always look out for me,” Rasmussen said late Wednesday night. “They're doing their best to protect me, and unfortunately, their biggest enemy in that is myself.”
Rasmussen’s ability is not in question. Since 2022, his 2.74 ERA is the fourth lowest in the Majors among pitchers who have worked at least 500 innings, trailing only Tarik Skubal (2.64), Blake Snell (2.69) and Chris Sale (2.71). There’s a reason that Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder has called him the most underrated starter in the Majors, the best right-handed starter in baseball and “the standard” within the industry.
The only question is whether the Rays will be willing to pay $20 million for a single player. They have never done so before.
But if there is anyone they might be willing to break the bank for, especially after losing fellow top starters Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez to free agency, it’s a legitimate ace like Rasmussen.