Rays Trade Deadline 2022: Cubs starters, maybe starters, and long relievers

Pondering his future with the Rays?The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Rays have been purportedly scouting Chicago Cubs relievers. The pitching staff in Tampa Bay could use reinforcements on multiple levels, as the stable of short-relief pitchers has suffered a string of injuries this season, while the starters who remain healthy are likely on innings limits.

In part one we looked at the potential short-relief high-leverage targets. Now we’ll at how the Rays might use a trade with the Cubs to improve their pitching length.

Acquiring length alongside one of those relievers would fit the Rays modus operandi, and be analogous to the 2019 trade that brought Nick Anderson and…