Reds Score a Victor With Zack Littell, Who Shed Light in His Stint With the Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have traded right-handed starting pitcher Zack Littell to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a strategic move to bolster their starting pitching rotation ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline. The Rays are currently 10 games behind first place in the American League East and are 3.5 games out of the third and final wild-card spot.
Littell, who was the highest-paid member of the rotation and a pending free agent, had a solid and durable season before the trade. He posted an 8-8 win-loss record with a 3.58 ERA over 22 starts, pitching 133.1 innings, which led the Rays in innings pitched. Littell was notable for his exceptional control, leading the league with a low walk rate of 1.28 walks per nine innings, second best among qualified pitchers. However, he also allowed the most home runs in the majors with 26, a concern especially given Cincinnati’s home ballpark is known to be homer-friendly.
The trade was a three-team deal involving the Rays, Reds, and Dodgers. The Reds sent pitching prospects Adam Serwinowski and Brian Van Belle to Tampa Bay, and the Rays received catcher Hunter Feduccia from the Dodgers.
Littell's departure comes at a time when the Rays are struggling, having lost 21 games out of their last 29 games. The team also lost a game 4-3, 11-inning loss at Yankee Stadium. In a move to address their surplus of starting pitchers, the Rays traded Taj Bradley to Minnesota for righthanded reliever Griffin Jax last week, making Littell the second starting pitcher the team traded this week.
Littell was a valuable teammate and a go-to guy for media members with the Rays. He parlayed his strong season into a $5.72 million contract for 2025, avoiding arbitration. In his final two months with the Rays, Littell had an impressive run with a 5-3 record and a 1.83 ERA. He threw five shutout innings before being traded.
With Littell's departure, the Rays are looking to the future, with Shane McClanahan, a lefty starting pitcher, expected to return from Tommy John surgery for the Rays in 2025. McClanahan's recovery caused a surplus of starting pitchers in the Tampa Bay Rays' rotation.
Sources:
[1] ESPN.com - Tampa Bay Rays trade Zack Littell to Cincinnati Reds. (2025, July 15). Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34486387/tampa-bay-rays-trade-zack-littell-cincinnati-reds
[3] MLB.com - Reds acquire Zack Littell from Rays in three-team deal. (2025, July 15). Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://www.mlb.com/news/reds-acquire-zack-littell-from-rays-in-three-team-deal/c-341361660
[5] Dodgers trade catcher Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay Rays in three-team deal. (2025, July 15). Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-07-15/dodgers-trade-catcher-hunter-feduccia-to-tampa-bay-rays-in-three-team-deal
- The 2025 MLB trade deadline has resulted in the Tampa Bay Rays making a strategic move to enhance their pitching depth by trading right-handed starter Zack Littell to the Cincinnati Reds, a decision that sees Littell leaving the team he parlayed a solid season into a lucrative contract for, while the Rays bolster their roster with new prospects.
- The MLB landscape is abuzz with trade activity as the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds shake up their rosters, with Zack Littell and pitching prospects Adam Serwinowski and Brian Van Belle exchanging hands in a three-team deal involving the Rays, Reds, and Los Angeles Dodgers, a move that has significant implications for both teams' baseball standings and pitching depth.
