Rays Exercise Rasmussen’s $20 Million 2027 Option
12 sourcesUpdated Nov 1, 20261 min read
The Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, exercised their $20 million club option on Drew Rasmussen for 2027, three days after he started World Series Game 5. After that start Rasmussen said, "This organization, man, it's the best." Manager Kevin Cash said of him, "That guy is a stud." The option rose from $8 million to $20 million after he met health and innings escalators of at least 28 starts; a $500,000 buyout was avoided. The January 2025 deal is now worth $28 million over three seasons. Rasmussen finished 2026 at 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 174 strikeouts and 172 innings in 30 starts and made his second straight All-Star team. In the postseason he posted a 2.20 ERA over 28 2/3 innings across five starts, including a no-hitter into the eighth with 10 strikeouts in ALDS Game 1 against the Yankees. On three days' rest in World Series Game 5 he allowed one run in four innings and took the loss as Milwaukee won 4-1 to clinch. CONTESTED: No factual disputes identified. He can become a free agent after 2027; a trade remains possible.
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Hope he stays healthy because that 2.67 ERA shows what he can do when everything clicks.
The Rays made the right call locking him in, especially with how thin their rotation has been lately.
Rasmussen deserved every bit of that bump to 20 million after throwing 30 quality starts.
