Tampa Bay Rays Awarded Critical 4th Option Year on Infielder Jonathan Aranda

With a potential logjam in their infield, the Tampa Bay Rays now have a bit of extra flexibility since they can send Jonathan Aranda back down to the minors if need be.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Jonathan Aranda (62) throws to first base in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays may have built a logjam for themselves by signing Gold Glove infielder Ha-Seong Kim last week, but they have at least been given a lifeline to make things work when the depth chart becomes overcrowded.

According to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, the Rays have been granted a fourth option year on infielder Jonathan Aranda. The 26-year-old from Mexico made his MLB debut in 2022 and has spent time in Tampa Bay in each of the last three seasons, although he was optioned back to the minors on seven separate occasions.

Most players would be out of options at this point in their careers, but the league can award teams an additional option year if a player with less than five full seasons of professional experience has missed significant time due to injury. Aranda fits that description, having missed roughly three months with finger and oblique injuries in 2024.

Now, Aranda can get moved back and forth between the Rays' active roster and their Triple-A roster again in 2025 without necessarily getting designated for assignment.

Aranda has seen action in a total of 110 MLB contests, batting .222 with 10 home runs, 33 RBI, a .692 OPS and a 0.7 WAR. He has logged most of his appearances at first base, but he also has substantial experience at second and third.

The Rays are expected to start Yandy Díaz at first base, Brandon Lowe at second base, Junior Caminero at third base and Taylor Walls at shortstop to open the 2025 season. Aranda will either start at designated hitter or back up Díaz, while fourth outfielder Richie Palacios will serve as a backup to Lowe and José Caballero will be a bench option behind Walls and Caminero.

Kim is slated to return from the injured list in May, though, while top prospect Carson Williams is already being praised for his MLB-ready glove at shortstop. Youngsters Curtis Mead and Osleivis Basabe are waiting around in the upper minor league levels as well.

Perhaps Aranda can survive the roster crunch that comes along with Kim's return, but Williams entering the fray would serve as an additional threat to his status in the big leagues.

Aranda won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2026 season, so any level of security on the Rays' 40-man roster is surely welcome. He has proven to be more than comfortable in Triple-A too, batting .316 with a .959 OPS in 231 games at that level.

Tampa Bay now has a bit more flexibility as well, which is something their front office has always valued more than most.

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