A strong season from April to September ended in a disappointing playoff exit, and now the Tampa Bay Rays will start to address the numerous questions the club faces this offseason — chief among them what to do with Tyler Glasnow. The Rays need to decide if their need for starting pitching outweighs their ability to carry his $25 million salary. 

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times examined some of the roster questions facing the club in the coming weeks, including the volume of players presently on the 60-day IL whom Tampa will need to make space for on the 40-man roster. Topkin particularly highlights Glasnow’s situation, noting that the club’s $78.2 million payroll this past season was a franchise record, and it would be particularly hard to see how the right-hander fits. 

As Topkin puts it, finances will drive some of the team’s decisions. It’s easy to see why. 

Glasnow pitched 120 innings over 21 starts for Tampa Bay this season, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.083 WHIP. The innings total and 10 wins marked career highs — despite missing two months to an oblique injury. After missing nearly all of 2022 to Tommy John surgery and coming into 2023 on an expected innings limit, the results were solid. 

There’s no question the Rays would prefer to retain Glasnow. He has battled injuries and inconsistency at times, but over the last six seasons he has been a staple in the team’s rotation. The team isn’t equipped to carry such a contract, something many saw coming when the Rays first signed Glasnow to this contract prior to last season. 

The free-agent pitching market is limited in higher-end right-handed options. Glasnow should be an intriguing option to some teams if the Rays do make him available.