5 blockbuster moves the Tampa Bay Rays must make this offseason ft. Trading Yandy Diaz

The Tampa Bay Rays had a very disappointing season last year. With the AL East featuring two playoff teams and another that has been aggressive this offseason, they may be better served to look to the future. To do so, here are five moves they should make.

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What the Rays must do now

5) Sign Jurickson Profar

The Rays need Jurickson Profar (Imagn)

Jurickson Profar had a career year, but he's 31 and there's obviously some hesitancy about signing him. The Rays can strike now while the market is cool and get a key piece of their lineup.

The Rays and Padres have similarly potcher-friendly parks, with Tampa ranking one spot ahead of San Diego, so his production shouldn't fall off a cliff. This would give them a lot of positional flexibility and a good bat in the lineup.

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4) Trade Brandon Lowe

The Rays should trade Brandon Lowe (Imagn)

Brandon Lowe has struggled to reach top form in the last couple of seasons, but he's still a very good player. He's under contract on his extension through 2026, which means he has two years of team control left.

The Rays need assets, and Lowe is a good way to get them. The second base market is pretty terrible right now, but the New York Yankees would probably jump at the chance to get his left-handed bat in their lineup.

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3) Extend Christopher Morel

Christopher Morel should be extended (Getty)

Generally speaking, if the Rays want someone, it's because they have some data that suggests they'll be good. That means that Christopher Morel could be a breakout star with Tampa Bay very soon.

The Rays aren't a team that often shells out assets for players they don't keep long-term. The former Chicago Cubs star is still in arbitration, but the team can and should go ahead and lock him down. He's only 25 and is probably going to continue getting better with age and experience.

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2) Trade Yandy Diaz

Yandy Diaz should be traded (Imagn)

Yandy Diaz isn't a contract nightmare. The Rays don't have many of those, and he's not expiring, either. He's just 33, which doesn't fit with the Rays' timeline, and he's highly sought-after and would bring in a very nice return.

The Rays probably should've struck earlier in the offseason, because first base is mostly filled up for most teams by now. However, Diaz can still play third base and there was a ton of interest in him last trade deadline. The New York Yankees could still use him for depth at first and to play third base, for example.

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1) Extend Shane Baz

Shane Baz needs an extension (Imagn)

Shane Baz pitched pretty well at times for the Rays last year, but they have the pitching factory to really make him shine like so many others before him. They should extend him before he excels and inherently drives his price up and out of Tampa's range.

It might've been wise for them to do this with other pitchers they've had to trade to save money in the past, like Tyler Glasnow or Blake Snell. Learning from that, they should lock down the 25-year-old pitcher on a team-friendly deal now.