The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired reliever Griffin Jax via trade from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Taj Bradley. It’s a 1-for-1 swap of pitchers who have experienced interesting seasons. The Rays obviously need a lot of bullpen help after the unit posted a horrendous month of July. Bradley was the subject of numerous trade rumors and is headed to a club that executed a massive trade deadline sell-off.
Rays Trade Taj Bradley to Twins for Griffin Jax
Bradley, 24, was once a really exciting pitching prospect for the Rays. His initial season with Tampa Bay didn’t go as planned, however, with a 5.59 ERA and 1.385 WHIP in 104 2/3 innings pitched. The walk rate increased, and that seemed to set the tone for his Rays career. While he posted a 4.11 ERA in 2024, he still showcased spotty command. His 2025 season didn’t get off to a great start, eventually leading the Rays to option him to Triple-A Durham. Credit to Bradley for making every start in the rotation, but the 4.61 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk percentage weren’t good enough. A dismal showing against the Chicago White Sox in which he was handed a four-run lead in the first inning, only to allow the White Sox to tie the game, was his final appearance in a Rays uniform.
The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired RHP Griffin Jax from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHP Taj Bradley.
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) July 31, 2025
Who Are The Rays Getting?
The Rays are 8-21 since leaving Kansas City on June 26 and moving 11 games over .500. The biggest culprit is a bullpen that is typically elite when it comes to run prevention. There were questions about how much buying and selling the Rays would complete. As usual, the Rays engaged in their fair share of wheeling and dealing. Jeff Passan of ESPN accurately predicted Jax going to the Rays as the deadline drew near. Jax, 30, has a 4.50 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 46 innings this season. He has a 97 mph fastball and a filthy sweeper and changeup pitch. His 38.8% whiff rate is in the 99th percentile, and his 36.4% strikeout rate is in the 98th percentile. Those are the best numbers in his career, and the Rays will be responsible for whatever is remaining on his $2.3 million salary this season.
Jax won’t become arbitration-eligible until 2026. He won’t become a free agent until his age-32 season. Jax has pitched his entire career in a Twins uniform and described how he was feeling as the deadline drew nearer. “Odds are I’m not going to finish my career here,” Jax told reporters about his status as a trade chip. “That’s just kind of like the trajectory of a lot of high-end relievers. That’s typically the path.”
The Last Word
The Rays appear to have stopped the bleeding in the bullpen. They end up retaining trade chip Pete Fairbanks and still have Garret Cleavinger along with his 2.35 ERA. Adding Jax to the mix strengthens the back end of the bullpen in a way that most contenders can only wish for. Jax can try closing games if Fairbanks is better suited in another role. Trading Bradley was going to be difficult from a personal standpoint, but converting him into a player with multiple years of control is the Rays’ way of doing business. Combine strong starting pitching with the eventual return of Shane McClanahan, and fans have reason to keep following this team down the stretch. Twins fans are beginning to digest the trade, and Rays fans wish Bradley the best during the next chapter of his baseball career.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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