Colin

Poche

The 30-year-old southpaw actually did a nice job for the Rays in 2024 — posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 33/13 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings. They must think that they can find someone else to do a similar job at a cheaper price than the $3.4 million that Poche was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn via arbitration. He’s now one of the better left-handed relievers available on the open market.

With Colin Poche coming off the IL, the Rays needed to clear a spot in their bullpen, so Sulser will head to the minors. The 34-year-old has been good this season, pitching to a 2.76 ERA across 16 1/3 innings for the Rays and Mets with 15 strikeouts and just nine hits allowed. He has thrown five innings in the last four days, so the Rays are likely just bringing up a fresh arm for the bullpen. Expect to see Sulser back at some point this month.

Poche was placed on the IL at the end of August with elbow inflammation but missed the minimum amount of days. The left-hander will return to a 3.67 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 31:13 K:BB ratio in 34 1/3 innings as a middle reliever in Tampa Bay. Cole Sulser was sent to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Poche figures to miss the majority, if not all, of the final month of the regular season. The 30-year-old lefty has posted a solid 3.67 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 31/13 K/BB ratio across 34 1/3 innings (39 appearances) this season.

Poche returns to Tampa Bay’s high-leverage mix ahead of Saturday’s contest against the Orioles following a nearly seven-week absence due to back tightness. The 30-year-old lefty struggled in 10 relief outings prior to landing on the shelf back in late April.

Poche has been on the injured list since the end of April with tightness in the middle of his back. The 30-year-old will likely make a handful of relief appearances, and if things go well, he could be back with the Rays as a late-inning option in the middle of June.

It’s not yet clear how long the 30-year-old southpaw may be sidelined for. Manny Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move to take his place in the Rays’ bullpen. Poche’s absence could lead to additional save chances for Jason Adam and Garrett Cleavinger while Pete Fairbanks is also shelved.

With Pete Fairbanks unavailable after his struggles Wednesday, the Rays turned to Poche, and the 30-year-old southpaw was able to get the job done. It wasn’t perfect, however, as Poche gave up a pair of hits that put the go-ahead run on, but he was able to keep those runners at bay while picking up his second save of the season. If Fairbanks continues to struggle, Poche could be seeing more save chances in the coming weeks — if not sooner.

The Rays went with Poche instead of Pete Fairbanks after Fairbanks faltered Friday against the Rockies, and in turn Poche procured his first save of the 2024 season. The left-hander has been a strong component of the Tampa Bay bullpen, and while he likely won’t get many more save chances, he should provide plenty of holds who play in leagues that offer that category.

Poche notched an absurd 12 victories in relief this past season for the Rays, compiling a sparkling 2.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 61/24 K/BB ratio across 60 2/3 innings of work. The soon-to-be 30-year-old righty won’t reach free agency until 2026.