Phillies lose pitcher to Rays three days into free agency

Levi Stoudt didn’t linger in free agency for long. Three days after he elected free agency, the right-handed pitcher reportedly agreed to a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, Nov. 5. The defending American League champions also will extend stout an invitation to major league spring training according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times , who was first to report the deal. Stoudt signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in December 2025 and made 17 appearances for the Phillies’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2026 without allowing a run. MORE: Orioles to cut ties with former first-round pick, 27, in surprise move Stout appeared in four games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2023. He has split the last three seasons between the injured list and the minors. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 9.58 ERA in 10.1 innings at the MLB level. Before he suffered a season-ending injury in July, Stoudt threw 22.2 innings, struck out 23, and held opponents to a .118 average — suggesting his 0.00 ERA wasn’t entirely a fluke. Stoudt threw a four-seam fastball that reached 97.8 mph at the Triple-A level, to go with an 87-mph slider and an 84-mph sweeper. MORE: Rays cut ties with former All-Star after World Series loss — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —