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

The Tampa Bay Rays exercised their $20 million option on ace pitcher Drew Rasmussen for 2027 instead of paying a $500,000 buyout. The two-time All-Star earned the salary bump by making 30 regular-season starts, going 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA over a career-high 172 innings. Rasmussen added 28 2/3 postseason innings with a 2.20 ERA across five starts, helping lead Tampa Bay to an AL pennant despite taking a loss in Game 5 of the World Series.