Arizona needed another top starting pitcher before the Burnes injury. Now it's a critical need. Rasmussen can be that pitcher for the next 2.5 years (3 playoffs). In fact, you could argue Ras is an upgrade to Burnes. He's only owed $15MM over the next 2.5 years, so he'll also fit into any payroll. The cost to get him is high though, not just in total value but also in quality. Still, I think it's a bargain trade. Ras compares very much to Crochet at the time he was traded to the Red Sox, in that both pitchers had a lengthy injury history and each was owed $5MM per season of control at the time of their trade. Ras' injury risk is greater, but he also comes with an extra playoff season of control to what Crochet had. I would argue Ras should be similarly valued to what Crochet cost the Red Sox, if not more, but he comes at a nearly $20MM discount right now. I'm not sure that high a discount will hold up in the real world. Time will tell. In any event, this trade helps both teams, with the Rays replacing Ras internally (Boyle and McClannahan) and adding very good options to the positions of their greatest weaknesses (C and SS), plus 2 good pitching prospects. Arizona replaces Burnes in their rotation and it doesn't cost them any of their current active roster players, and when Burnes returns to the rotation next year or in 2027, he joins a rotation that includes Rasmussen.

Damn! I had a full response typed out and then the site refreshed and I lost it. Not going to retype it, but I’ll say this. The Rays are riding high right now on B.Lowe and JC hot streaks. Their pitching has improved a lot this month. Everyone is excited. I still see an 80-90 win team that might sneak into the playoffs. HSK is coming off shoulder surgery and shouldn’t be expected to deliver anywhere close to an all-star level of production. Maybe 1.0 to 1.5 fWAR. McClanny hasn’t pitched in 2 years. I’m not looking for better than a #3 from him. This is not the best team in the AL. They are hot right now and have been helped a ton by incompetent teams and umpiring just this past week. This trade gives the Rays long term answers at SS and C, which they may not have considering the struggles of C.Williams and D.Keegan this year. It also adds two really good pitching prospects. The cost is their best SP, but also their biggest injury risk. No pitcher in history has done what Ras is doing - continued to pitch after 3 major elbow surgeries. A trade like this is a deadline trade, so let’s see where the Rays are then.