MLB Trade Rumors: 7 Tampa Bay Rays Targeted By Teams For Trade

The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in an unusual position this season: Not sure if they're a buyer or a seller. The perennial AL East contenders find themselves tied for last place in the division going into Saturday, unfamiliar territory indeed.

But let's face it, their offense, which has always been cobbled together by players outperforming their expected abilities, is underperforming significantly this year. As noted by baseball insider Jeff Passan, only three players on the roster have an OPS above the break-even point of 100. And their pitching staff is totally ravaged by injuries.

So with all that, Passan lists seven Rays that will be targeted by teams at the trade deadline, and Tampa will have to listen:

Randy Arozarena
Pete Fairbanks
Jason Adam
Amed Rosario
Aaron Civale
Garrett Cleavinger
Shawn Armstrong

Annual playoff hero Arozarena is the biggest name of the group, though he's having a brutal season, hitting just .175 with an OPS of .616. He has enough of a track record—certainly in the postseason—that contending teams would definitely want to take a chance that he would rediscover things in a winning environment.

Fairbanks and Adam are shutdown relievers that would be huge adds at the back end of any bullpen—always a prime target of contending teams at the trade deadline.

Cleavinger is also having a tremendous year as a late-inning option, and is a valued left-hander.

Civale has been a serviceable starting pitcher with Cleveland in the past, and could be a nice pickup for the back end of a team's rotation.

Rosario can be a nice fill-in in the infield or outfield for teams looking for some depth.

The Rays never let any talent go to waste, so if they feel they really can't contend for a playoff spot, they'll move on from several of these names.