Rays' Decision To Pick Up Club Option on Star Player Deemed 'Genius'
The Tampa Bay Rays are not a spending franchise by any means.
And when with their displacement out of Tropicana Field for the 2025 campaign, it would have been easy for the front office and ownership group to start cutting salary once again.
Brandon Lowe was someone who could have been a casualty of this.
Despite him being a fan favorite and the heart and soul of the clubhouse as one of the team's star players, the $10.5 million he was owed in his club option could have caused the Rays to move on.
However, they didn't blink at the first chance they got to pick up his option, and in early-November, the team made it known that Lowe would be back in 2025.
That has turned out to be a great decision, so much so that Mason Stacy of Rays Colored Glasses deemed it to be "genius."
"This may have been the wisest decision that was made throughout the offseason and most Rays fans may have forgotten about it ... Loyal fans know the immense potential that this veteran second baseman can aspire to if he's stay off the injured list. In 2021, he matched Aaron Judge's total with a whopping 39 homers," he wrote.
So far, those power numbers are present.
Entering play on Sunday, he has hit three long balls and driven in seven runs, good for a tie for seventh and 13th in the American League, respectively.
As a whole, Tampa Bay has only hit five homers -- tied for last in Major League Baseball -- so the presence of Lowe has been even more amplified based on what this offense might look like without him.
The Rays were seen as a dark horse contender in the American League East division coming into the season, and after a 4-1 start, they sat atop the standings.
A three-game losing streak has them back to .500 and in the middle of the pack, but the hope is the rest of the offense can find their rhythm alongside the red-hot Lowe.
If Lowe can maintain this level of production, then the decision to pick up his club option will be one of the best of the offseason.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he was part of the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Upon graduation, he continued to cover Penn State athletics for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media. Brad currently covers Major League Baseball and collegiate sports for Sports Illustrated. He is also the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on X: @bwakai