Manuel Margot played four seasons in San Diego before he was traded to Tampa, where he again played four years, before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Margot played in all three Outfield positions. While he was a light hitter, batting only .264 with 320 Hits and 19 Home Runs as a Ray, his defensive versatility made him valuable for Tampa Bay. He shined brightest in the 2020 Playoffs, where he had four Home Runs and made an incredible catch in foul territory in rightfield, falling six feet to make the catch. 

The stay for Margot in Tampa is brief, but they usually are as a Ray.

The career of Shane McClanahan has been brief thus far, but he has been another arm in the continuing reloading of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Taken with the 31^st Pick of 2016’s Amateur Draft, the southpaw, who played his college ball at South Florida, could stay in state.  McClanahan debuted for Tampa in late April of 2021, earning a spot on the Starting Rotation.  He finished the season with a strong 10-6 Record and was seventh in Rookie of the Year voting.

McClanahan went to the All-Star Game as an MLB sophomore, completing the year going 12-8 with a 2.54 ERA and a sub-one WHIP (0.954).  He was also sixth in Cy Young voting. The hurler made the All-Star Team again in 2023, and had another good season (11-2, 3.29 ERA) albeit in only 21 starts, due to requiring Tommy John Surgery.

Will a healthy McLanahan bring another All-Star year in 2025?

Finding a home in Mexico after defecting from Cuba, Randy Arozarena impressed in the Mexican League to get signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, playing well enough to get a late-season callup two years later.  St. Louis traded him to Tampa the year after, and in the Sunshine State, he would become a star.

Arozarena played only 23 Games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but he was a starter in Outfield during Tampa’s playoff run, where he won the ALCS MVP, blasting nine Home Runs in the post-season and winning the Babe Ruth Award.  Still rookie eligible in 2021, Arozarena won the Rookie of the Year (20 HR, 145 Hits), and had 20 taters again in 2022.  Arozarena had one of his most rewarding years in 2023, beginning by representing his new country, Mexico, in the World Baseball Classic where he had the defensive play of the tournament and a Slash Line of .  He then made history as the first MLB player to start his career with three straight 20/20 years, and was an All-Star for the first time.

Sadly, Arozarena's game fell off dramatically in 2024, and he was traded mid-season to the Seattle Mariners.  As a Ray, Arozarena had 531 Hits with 85 Home Runs.

Yandy Diaz defected from Cuba at the age of 21, and the prospect joined the Cleveland Indians organization, and he would make his first appearance with the team in 2017.  Two years later, Diaz was part of a three-team trade that landed him with the Rays, where he found a better fit and opportunity.

Playing at Third Base and First, Diaz was a starter, but missed a lot of time in 2019 and 2020 due to injuries.  Healthier since, Diaz has been a solid producer both offensively and defensively, and has had 624 Hits to date for Tampa.  In 2023, Diaz went to his first All-Star Game, and set career-highs in Doubles (35), Home Runs (22), RBIs (78), Slugging (.522) and won his first Batting Title (.330).  Was this the season of his life?  It could be, as Diaz regressed in 2024, though still had 158 Hits.  

If Diaz returns to 2023 form, he could crack the top five of this franchise list.