Rays in active talks with Dodgers to trade Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are in active discussions to trade starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers.

The deal is not finalized and could change over the next several days or even potentially collapse, but there is a conceptual framework with the Rays getting back two younger players — starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca.

One potential issue to be worked out between the team is the financial element. Glasnow has a $25 million salary for 2024 and then becomes a free agent. Margot is due $10 million in 2024, plus either a $2 million buyout or a $12 million option for 2025. There are also standard medical reviews with any trade.

The deal doesn’t include Rays All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena, though he fueled speculation about his status with an Instagram post late Tuesday that included two photos of himself with new Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani from the World Baseball Classic in March.

Shedding all, or most, of the $37 million is a primary factor in the deal for the Rays, along with the opportunity — as they often seek — to swap veterans for younger players under team control for longer periods.

Pepiot, 26, made his big-league debut in 2022 and was slated for a spot in the Dodgers’ 2023 rotation. But he was sidelined during spring training by an oblique strain — similar to Glasnow — and didn’t get back to the majors until mid-August.

He went 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA over eight games, including three starts. In 21 big-league games, the 6-foot-3 right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA with 80 strikeouts, 53 hits and 32 walks over 78⅓ innings.

DeLuca, 25, is a right-handed hitter who reached the majors in June 2023, hitting .262 with two homers, six RBIs and a .740 OPS in 45 plate appearances over 24 games. Over 73 games between Double A and Triple A, he hit .294 with 17 homers, 53 RBIs and a .959 OPS.

Glasnow was 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 21 starts for the Rays last season, striking out 162 batters in 120 innings. He missed the first two months due to an oblique strain sustained in spring training, having returned in late September 2022 from August 2021 Tommy John surgery.

Injuries and inconsistency have been an issue for Glasnow throughout his career, as he has a 30-27 record and 3.89 ERA over parts of eight seasons with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh. Last season’s 120 innings and 21 starts were his most in the majors.

Margot, 29, has been with the Rays for four seasons and also has dealt with several injuries, including right elbow surgery last season and a right knee sprain in 2022. He hit .264 last season with four homers, 38 RBIs and a .686 OPS over 99 games, evolving between injuries and performance into more of a fourth/fifth outfielder.

Though unlikely at this advanced stage, other teams could try to get involved and make what they consider better offers.

Rays add two pitchers

Right-handers Edwin Uceta and Zac Houston agreed to minor-league deals with invitations to major-league spring training.

Uceta, 25, has pitched parts of three seasons in the majors with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Mets, with a career 0-3 record and 5.80 ERA. He has 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 40⅓ innings over 25 games. He missed much of 2023 with ankle and knee injuries.

Houston, 29, has pitched seven seasons in the minors, including parts of four at the Triple-A level. An 11th-round pick by Detroit in 2016, he spent 2023 in the Yankees organization. He went 3-2, with a 4.43 ERA between Double A and Triple A, striking out 73 and walking 28 over 42⅔ innings.

Free-agent Cooper Criswell, who spent 2023 shutting between the Rays and Triple-A Durham, signed a one-year, big-league deal with the Red Sox for $1 million. The Rays had some interest in re-signing Criswell, who they designated for assignment last month and nontendered. He made 10 appearances (1-1 with a 5.73 ERA) during eight stints last season and can provide starting depth and long relief.

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