Rays exercise $20 million club option to keep Drew Rasmussen in Tampa Bay for 2027

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Tampa Bay Rays officials have exercised Drew Rasmussen’s $20 million club option for the 2027 season, the team announced Saturday, keeping the right-hander under contract as he enters the next year with the franchise. The decision follows Rasmussen’s start in World Series Game 5 versus the Milwaukee Brewers, three days earlier, when he also said he hoped to remain with the Rays.

Rasmussen’s option pickup means he will remain in Tampa Bay’s rotation for the 2027 campaign. The Rays’ announcement comes as the club looks to build on a 2026 season in which Rasmussen posted a 2.67 ERA over 172 innings across 30 starts while striking out 174 batters for the American League champions.

In 2026, Rasmussen earned his second All-Star selection and led the American League with a 0.91 WHIP, while allowing three runs in his first three postseason starts, covering 21 innings, according to the announcement. His postseason performance helped Tampa Bay capture the franchise’s third pennant.

The Rays’ move also reflects Rasmussen’s longer-term production since the start of the 2022 season. The team’s release states that Rasmussen’s 2.74 ERA over that span ranks fourth among MLB pitchers with at least 500 innings, behind Tarik Skubal (2.64), Blake Snell (2.69) and Chris Sale (2.71).

Tampa Bay further credited Rasmussen’s overall value during the 2026 season using Statcast’s run value metric, stating Rasmussen finished with a +41 run value, third-most among pitchers behind Jacob Misiorowski (+52) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (+44).

Rasmussen’s late-season workload and readiness were also highlighted around his World Series Game 5 start, when he pitched on short rest. The Rays’ announcement says Rasmussen allowed one run over four innings in an efficient outing in that final-game appearance.

The Rays’ statement also pointed to Rasmussen’s injury and recovery history, noting he has undergone three major right elbow surgeries, including two Tommy John procedures before his professional career began and an internal brace procedure that limited him to 73 1/3 innings from 2023 to 2024. The club’s release framed Rasmussen’s return to front-line form as part of a successful rebound from those setbacks, culminating in the 2026 season that led to the option exercise.

With the 2027 deal confirmed by the club option, the Rays’ offseason planning can now focus on surrounding pieces rather than replacing a core starter. For Rasmussen, the pickup locks in another year in Tampa Bay as he looks to continue building on a season that included both All-Star recognition and postseason impact for the AL champions.

As the option was exercised following the World Series, the next steps for Tampa Bay and Rasmussen will be confined to standard offseason roster and contractual timelines. The club’s announcement provides the key certainty for 2027: Rasmussen will be back in a Rays uniform next season.