The Tampa Bay Rays are in an enviable position as they navigate their way through the Grapefruit Season toward opening day. That is, they have six extremely capable healthy starting pitchers with only five spots available. If that holds, the name most often discussed as trade or going to the bullpen is Zack Littell.
There are some non-performance reasons for this. In terms of a trade, he is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. In terms of switching to the bullpen, he has done it before as 155 of his 202 career appearances have come in a relief role.
Every starting rotation needs a guy that is dependable, can deliver innings, and be effective. In 2024 Littell fit the bill in every category. He led the team in starts with 29, he led in innings with 156.1, and he was effective (8-10, 3.63 ERA, 110 ERA+).
With that said, it’s not often that the praise is heaped on Littell and a chorus of “extend him now” isn’t draped across the landscape of social media.
Littell is a a blue collar pitcher on the mound. He gets results without the flash of high-octane hurlers Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen, and Shane Baz.
Over his last nine starts last season Littell seemed to lay a stake to a spot in the Rays rotation for 2025. In those starts he worked to a 5-3 mark with a 1.82 ERA (10ER/49.1IP) while striking out 41 batters and walking 10.
As the Rays move toward opening day, the hope is that Kevin Cash, Erik Neander, and company will have a tough decision to make regarding who are the starting five. With the fragility of starting pitchers, when you have one that is durable, consistent, and effective it may be wise to consider those three variables when making the decision.
