The Rays continued to expand their pool of infield options when they agreed to sign Amed Rosario to a $1.5 million Major League contract for a year and brought back Yu Chang on a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training. 

Tampa Bay is faced with a great deal of uncertainty, trying to find additional options for a position at shortstop. After acquiring José Caballero from the Mariners in the off-season, Tampa Bay went into spring believing he would start the season as their regular shortstop. Rosario is a more veteran backup option, but because of his splits and experience playing both second base and the outfield, he may be more ideal for a platoon role.

However, the Rays were already up against strong competition in the infield. With Brandon Lowe and Caballero in the middle, Yandy Díaz and Isaac Paredes are expected to return to the corner positions. They can now include Rosario in the selection.

The 28-year-old recently had an incredible 2022 season with Cleveland, where he started for the Guardians in 153 games and hit .283/.312/.403 with 11 home runs, nine triples, and 18 steals while totaling 4.2 Wins Above Replacement. With a career OPS of .806 versus lefties and a .670 against righties, he has continued to be a very efficient hitter against left-handed pitchers.

Before being traded to the Dodgers for Noah Syndergaard at the Trade Deadline in a trade that wasn’t entirely successful for either team, Rosario, then at 27 years old, began the year with the Guardians. Even though Rosario heated up at the end of the season (a .306 average in the final month) after a sluggish start to the season (.197 batting average in August), it wasn't enough to secure a position on the Dodgers' postseason squad. All things considered, he did not end the season on a very high note, finishing with an OPS+ of 89 and a slash line of .263/.305/.378.

Rosario is sharpest when he puts the ball in play while utilizing his speed; in 2023, he was in the 95th percentile for sprint speed and the 74th percentile for strikeout rate. However, his lack of pop (8th percentile in barrel rate) and aggressiveness (5th percentile in chase rate) hindered his effectiveness at the plate.

It’ll be interesting to see how Tampa Bay sets up their infield this season.