Robbie Ray

Ray took home the AL Cy Young for his work with Toronto in 2021 and was signed to a five-year, $115 million contract by the Mariners after the season. After a solid if unspectacular 2022 campaign that saw him register a 3.71 ERA and 212:67 K;BB over 189 innings, the left-hander was only able to make one start in 2023 before suffering a flexor strain that eventually led to Tommy John surgery in May, and he's expected to miss the first half of 2024. When healthy, Ray still has some of the better swing-and-miss stuff of any left-handed pitcher in baseball, and he's seen a dramatic improvement in his ability to throw strikes over the past two seasons thanks to some mechanical changes made after joining the Blue Jays in the middle of 2020. The question now becomes how much a year-plus delay will impede the 31-year-old's command, and if he'll still have the same ability to miss bats following the operation. There's certainly reason to believe he can be a strong option following next year's All-Star break, but there's considerable risk that comes with the potential reward. Read Past Outlooks