MLB Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Will Smith

4. Tampa Bay Rays

It is difficult to get a feel for how the Tampa Bay Rays plan to approach the trade deadline. MLB’s most creative organization always seems to find a way to zig when everyone expects them to zag. However, ownership may feel an impetus to act aggressively to keep their hold on the top AL Wild Card given how well the team has played since the second half of last season. Senior VP Chaim Bloom is on the record calling his team buyers at the deadline.

"“What we think of this group and the way they’ve played so far it certainly motivates us to want to help them out however we can. We want to make sure we do that responsibly, that we’re staying true to our goal of competing sustainably and be able to do this consistently over a number of years. Anything we can do to help them out is something we’re certainly going to look at.”"

The Rays have the type of high-upside prospects in their farm system to pull off a blockbuster deal, though that hasn’t been their style. Tampa Bay has always mixed and matched shrewd signings and trade acquisitions with homegrown talent. They have been linked to starters Matthew Boyd and Zack Wheeler. With budding ace Tyler Glasnow continuing to be plagued by an elbow injury, the Rays have gone even further away from a traditional starter, with Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Yonny Chirinos the only pitchers on their staff operating as full-time starters.

Tampa Bay has also shied away from using a traditional closer, with six different pitchers recording a save this year and a trio with over five to their name. The loss of Glasnow for an even longer period of time could force the Rays to consider adding an established closer like Smith to take pressure off their openers.