Tampa Bay Rays news Friday, November 6, 2026

No. 1 in the 30-second version

Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and outfielder Chandler Simpson are American League Silver Slugger finalists.

According to SB Nation and DRaysBay, Caminero had 100 runs, 101 RBI and a 148 wRC+ this season, his second straight 40-plus homer year. Simpson has no home runs but leads the league in batting average at .306, while his 93 wRC+ ranks 20th among qualified hitters. The fan blogs call Simpson's nomination a surprise, while expecting Caminero to be a strong favorite.

Source: DRaysBay

From Wednesday

Rays add RHP Alexander Alberto and OF Jack Suwinski to the 40-man roster; Evan Reifert goes to Houston.

According to DRaysBay, the Rays also activated Jacob Melton, Ryan Pepiot and Edwin Uceta from the 60-day injured list and outrighted Jonathan Heasley. Tampa Bay traded Reifert to the Astros for cash considerations, and Houston added him to its 40-man roster, according to The Crawfish Boxes. The Astros also outrighted OF Jake Meyers, who appeared in 57 games this season and will elect free agency.

Sources: DRaysBay · The Crawfish Boxes

From Oct 30

Rays face offseason questions after their World Series defeat, according to ESPN analysis.

ESPN's piece is an offseason look at eliminated teams and says the winter looks different for Tampa Bay after falling short in the Fall Classic. The article is analysis rather than reported moves.

Source: ESPN

No. 2 in the 30-second version

Mets hiring Johnny Washington as co-hitting coach.

Joel Sherman reported this afternoon that, according to sources, the Mets are hiring Johnny Washington to be a co-hitting coach. Presumably, by hiring Washington, the Mets are replacing Jeff Albert’s previous role as director of hitting. Washington played minor-league and independent-league ball for several years before moving into coaching.

Sources: SNY · MLB.com · NY Post Sports · Amazin' Avenue

No. 3 in the 30-second version

Mariners introduce Jason Kanzler, a 36-year-old first-time manager, after firing Dan Wilson.

According to SB Nation's fan blog, Kanzler previously coached with the Astros and most recently served as the Cubs' farm director. Per Lookout Landing, a fan blog, Jerry Dipoto called Kanzler far and away the most impressive candidate the team interviewed. ESPN describes Kanzler as coming from an analytics and data-friendly background.

Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · Lookout Landing

Yankees' Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are named American League Silver Slugger finalists; winners announced November 17.

Rice is a finalist at DH after hitting 41 homers with a .534 slugging percentage, and SNY reports Yordan Alvarez is the other AL DH finalist. Bellinger, a finalist in the outfield, already has a Gold Glove this offseason, and a Silver Slugger would be his third. Per SB Nation, the awards are voted on by coaches and managers, not the BBWAA.

Sources: SNY · Pinstripe Alley

Blue Jays distance themselves from Anthony Santander's anti-Islam Instagram story posts.

USA Today reports Santander reportedly shared two videos to his Instagram story on Wednesday, Nov. 4, one captioned 'America voted for Sharia (law) last night!' and another reading 'Islam is not peaceful,' both after the midterm elections. The posts followed Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate win, which NY Post reports will make him the first Muslim U.S. senator once he takes office in January. Santander, 32, was limited to 54 games in 2025 by shoulder injuries and is on a five-year, $92.5 million contract. Toronto's statement said 'Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs.'

Sources: USA TODAY Sports · Yahoo Sports · NY Post Sports

Athletics hire Brewers executive Cam Castro as general manager under new president Taylor Smith.

Castro spent seven years in Milwaukee's organization and was most recently the Brewers' senior vice president of player development and performance, according to ESPN. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the hire, which Castro would be taking from the World Series champion Brewers. Castro will be Smith's second-in-command in the front office.

Sources: ESPN · Athletics Nation