Rays Exercise Drew Rasmussen’s $20 Million Option for 2027

The Tampa Bay Rays picked up pitcher Drew Rasmussen’s option for 2027, putting him in line to earn $20 million next season.

Rasmussen, 31, has become one of baseball’s top starters since joining the Rays in a 2021 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

He had the best season of his career in 2026, posting a 2.67 earned-run average over a personal-high 172 innings and earning his second straight All-Star selection.

He also helped Tampa Bay reach the World Series, where the Rays lost to his former team, the Brewers, in five games.

The option came with a contract extension and rose from a base value of $8 million after Rasmussen met health and innings targets.

His high salary could prompt the Rays to trade him: the team has never started a season with a payroll of $100 million or more, and Rasmussen has only one year of team control remaining.

The Rays could keep him or trade him this offseason, when other teams are expected to have strong interest.