December 19th was a big day for the Rays, who made two major trades involving four of their Major League players. Between the two trades, they received six prospects and an additional draft pick in return. In case you missed it, here are the details:
Trade #1: Rays and Orioles
- Rays Receive: C Caden Bodine, OF Slater de Brun, RHP Michael Forret, OF Austin Overn, and Draft Pick. 2026 Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 33)
- Orioles Receive: RHP Shane Baz
Trade #2: Rays, Astros, and Pirates
- Rays Receive: LF Jacob Melton and RHP Anderson Brito (both from Houston)
- Pirates Receive: 2B Brandon Lowe, LF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery
- Astros Receive: RHP Mike Burrows (from Pittsburgh)
After looking at the players the Rays acquired, there are clear trends from an evaluation perspective in both the hitters and the pitchers that are very on brand for the Rays. Let’s dive into some of the patterns from the incoming group.
Hitting Group
Overall, the Rays targeted hitters who are athletic and have either contact skills or plate discipline skills that can be built upon. There was less of an emphasis on acquiring hitters with present power.
Speed & Athleticism
The major strengths of the hitters acquired (with the exception of Bodine) were that they are athletic and have above average speed. Per Baseball Savant, Melton has 90th percentile speed. Both him and Austin Overn have shown an ability to steal consistently throughout their Minor League careers.
Jacob Melton (AAA) Stolen Bases
| Season (Level) | Stolen Bases |
| 2023 (A+/AA) | 46 |
| 2024 (AA/AAA) | 30 |
| 2025 (AAA) | 12 |
Data from FanGraphs
Austin Overn (AA) Stolen Bases
| Season (Level) | Stolen Bases |
| 2024 (A/A+) | 16 |
| 2025 (A+/AA) | 64 |
Data from FanGraphs
Slater de Brun has not yet played professionally, but was graded a 70 for his run tool by Baseball America. While his defensive ability is unproven, his speed should help his range in centerfield.
It is right up the Rays’ alley to target players who are athletic and can take extra bases consistently.
Lack of Present Power
None of the hitters acquired feature a plus power tool. Instead, de Brun and Bodine are showing better contact ability and plate discipline.
- Slater de Brun: At 18 years old, de Brun has plenty of time to develop his power. Presently, however, it is his weakest point. His hit tool is further developed and is considered above average for his age, per MLB.
- Caden Bodine: Bodine is currently 22 years old and just finished his first professional season. Despite showing some power in college, he had a .349 SLG through 49 PA in A ball this season. His contact ability and zone control are much further along. Bodine does a great job of limiting strikeouts while also forcing walks.
That still leaves Overn and Melton, who differ from the two above because, in addition to their power, their plate discipline and/or contact ability can be improved.
Overn has below average power, but also below average contact with a 25% K rate in AA this past season. Overn’s biggest present strength (relatively) is his ability to walk. But even so, he is not walking enough that he would walk at an above average level at the Major League level.
Melton’s power is his strongest present tool despite it being only slightly above average. His contact ability is his biggest area of improvement heading into 2026. While his zone control has historically been below average, he improved his walk rate to a career high 15% in AAA in 150 PA this past season. Melton made his Major League debut, but it was underwhelming in a small sample – 11 H, 29 K, 6 BB in 78 PA.
The overall group lacking plus power is not surprising, as the Rays have historically shown comfortability bringing in players whose main strengths involve speed and athleticism, with at least one offensive skill that can be developed.
Upside Potential
The good news is that all four of these hitters have manageable weaknesses, meaning it is possible for them to show improvement in these areas as they continue their development.
| Hitter | Workable Weakness that will Raise Ceiling |
| Jacob Melton | Lifting the ball more consistently while continuing to hit it hard. (In a small Major League sample he had an 81% ground ball rate). |
| Austin Overn | Improve zone control and contact. As he starts to face pitchers in the upper levels of the Minors, it will be important that he can limit whiffs and return to walking consistently. |
| Caden Bodine | Reclaim college power. If Bodine can channel some of the power that he showed in college, he will be in better shape as he heads into his first full professional season. |
| Slater de Brun | Add strength/improve power. de Brun is still extremely young and can continue to build strength as he develops in the Rays’ system. |
Each hitter has at least one skill that can be further developed, raise their ceiling, and lead them to a more well rounded offensive profile.
Pitching Group
Overall, the Rays’ acquired two pitchers who have an above average ability to get strikeouts and have one above average pitch that they can develop around.
Strikeout Ability
Both Brito and Forret have demonstrated an above average ability to get strikeouts.
Anderson Brito Strikeout Rate
| Season (Level) | IP | Strikeout Rate % |
| 2024 (ROK/A) | 53.2 | 39% |
| 2025 (A+) | 49.1 | 31% |
Data from FanGraphs
Michael Forret Strikeout Rate
| Season (Level) | IP | Strikeout Rate % |
| 2024 (A/A+) | 99.2 | 29% |
| 2025 (A+/AA) | 74 | 32% |
Data from FanGraphs
Forret is also doing a good job of limiting walks (7% BB% in 2025). Brito’s walk rate is a bit higher (13%), but he is earlier on in his development and can continue developing his control.
A Pitch to build a mix around
Both pitchers also feature at least one above average pitch that the Rays can help develop a strong mix around.
Brito features an above average fastball. Per Baseball America, his fourseam sits 95-97mph and touches 100mph at times. He also throws a slider, curveball, and changeup per MLB and FanGraphs. While his other pitches are currently not above average, the Rays have historically done well developing pitches and changeups in particular. Fastballs are considered one of the tougher pitches to develop, so Brito starting off with an above average fastball bodes well for him as he enters the Rays’ system.
Forret features an above average low-80s slider that he refers to as a “death-ball”. In this video, he describes the pitch as a “super short, mini curveball, breaking away from a righty”. He also throws a kick-change, which he picked up from Tread Athletics. He described it as similar to a true splitter and mentions that it plays well to both hands. In the video linked above, Forret talks about how the two pitches play well off his fourseam, as they move in two different directions. This is a strong foundation to build upon with the Rays.
Concluding Thoughts
The Rays acquired a strong group of young talent in this trade and I am particularly excited to follow the development of the two pitchers. Looking at the hitters, I would have liked it better if at least one of them had a power tool that was more promising long-term. The four hitters acquired are very Rays-esque in terms of athleticism, versatility, and contact, but so many players in the Rays’ system already have these tools. At some point it would be nice to acquire a player with a stronger power tool to mix it up a bit and provide a different method for run creation.
In terms of when they will join the Major League team, Melton is the most likely to see playing time this season since he already made his debut and did well in Triple A last year. He will likely require an adjustment period before he matches that success, but given where the Rays are in the win-cycle he should have an opportunity to improve. The others are at lower levels (A-AA), and we are unlikely to see them for a couple of years.
Looking at the moves as a whole, the Rays continue to have a development-first approach to their roster construction: prioritizing athleticism, strikeouts, and areas that they are capable of improving. They continue to focus on strengthening their farm system and building toward a future.