Taylor Walls DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Tampa Bay Rays and infielder Taylor Walls avoided salary arbitration on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.35 million deal. The contract includes a $2.45 million option for the 2026 season with a $50,000 buyout. The 28-year-old middle infield will return to Tampa this year to provide infield insurance for the Rays. His glove is the most attractive thing about him, leaving very little fantasy upside for those in deep AL-only leagues in 2025. The former third-round selection in 2017 out of Florida State hit just .183/.282/.248 with a career-worst .529 OPS, one home run, 14 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 27 runs scored in 84 games in his fourth major-league season in 2024. In his four big-league campaigns, Walls has slashed a mere .188/.288/.293 with 18 home runs, 98 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 379 career games. If he's forced into regular playing time, the Rays will be in trouble.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (hip), who was moved to the 60-day injured list on April 20 after having right-hip surgery in the offseason, began a minor-league rehab assignment with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League on May 21 and went 2-for-17 with a homer, two walks and two strikeouts while playing five games at shortstop. He then joined Triple-A Durham on May 30 and went 2-for-6 with two doubles and played all nine innings at the 6. Manager Kevin Cash said that Walls felt "the best he's felt in a long time, so really encouraged by that." Walls said on Feb. 13 that he had been dealing with a "noticeable hip impingement" for more than a year, and it reached the point in the playoffs where he could barely swing a bat. When he's healthy enough to return, Walls will give the Rays another option at shortstop.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (hip) has started a spring training-type progression at the team's spring complex in Port Charlotte, Fla., which will take about two weeks before he starts getting into games. Manager Kevin Cash said the team received a "very good report" from Walls' visit with Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd on April 1. But given the amount of time that Walls has missed, it's likely he'll have to recreate a progression similar to spring training when he returns to game action. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 20 after having surgery on Oct. 27 of last year to fix a labral tear and to relieve discomfort from an impingement in his right hit. It's something that Walls had been dealing with for more than a year. It's unclear what Walls' role will be when he eventually returns to the majors, but it's likely to be a bench role.