ST. PETERSBURG -- Major League Baseball's deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters is Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
For the Rays, the deadline is significant since they will need to clear roster space for prospects to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, which takes place in December at the Winter Meetings.
Among the standout prospects who need to find a home on the roster are pitchers Blake Snell (No. 2 among Rays prospects) and Taylor Guerrieri (No. 6), along with fellow pitcher Jacob Faria and infielder/outfielder Taylor Mott.
Friday could be a busy day if the Rays try to create space by trading players currently on the roster.