We already assumed that this frantic and abbreviated MLB offseason would be defined more by trade activity than free agency. Tarik Skubal aside, this is a pretty weak class without a ton of true difference-makers, whereas there are potential stars at premium positions who could be available for trade. And on Monday, ESPN's Jeff Passan added yet another big name to the latter pile: Tampa Bay Rays righty Drew Rasmussen, who could find himself on the move just weeks removed from a historic World Series run.

Rasmussen has bounced back from arm injury to emerge as one of the best pitchers in baseball, bar none. He hasn't posted an ERA above 3 since coming to Tampa in 2021, he's cracked 150 innings in each of the past two years and he was utterly dominant down the stretch to help Tampa capture the AL pennant. Then again, he's also about to enter his final year of team control on a $20 million club option, and for the small-market Rays, that means it might be time to sell — just like the Milwaukee Brewers did with Freddy Peralta last winter.

Under new ownership and coming off a World Series appearance, Tampa might decide to keep the band together a little while longer. If they decide to see what future value they can get for their star righty, though, there's no shortage of contenders that should be lighting up their phone lines.

This Cubs trade for Drew Rasmussen would give Chicago's rotation the anchor it needs

Starting with the Chicago Cubs, a team with legitimate World Series aspirations but massive turnover in the rotation. Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes are off to free agency, while Justin Steele, Cade Horton and Ben Brown are all returning from injury. The Cubs need to attack this problem from every angle, and Rasmussen would give them a true anchor while preserving the necessary flexibility to add ancillary pieces.

In return, Tampa gets a young, MLB-ready Swiss army knife in Ramirez, who looked pretty good in his debut in Chicago last year, plus a back-end top-100 prospect in Kane Kepley who can offer needed outfield depth. It's pretty much in line with the returns for rentals like Peralta and Corbin Burnes in recent years, and would give the Rays immediate lineup depth.

This Mets trade for Drew Rasmussen would be an ideal Tarik Skubal pivot

If Mets fans are reticent to go in on another rental, let alone deal with the Rays again, I don't blame them. But New York very much needs to add at least one proven starter to supplement the homegrown trio of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton, and if they fall short in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, this would be a pretty seamless pivot that David Stearns would be more amenable to than throwing a bag at Peralta or someone else on the open market.

New York parts with two of its better young arms in return, but neither Tong nor Santucci are untouchable given the depth that the Mets have amassed on the mound under Stearns' watch. If any team can turn Tong into a reliable starter, it's Tampa, while Santucci is a third pitch away from really taking off.

This Cardinals trade for Drew Rasmussen would vault St. Louis into NL contention

Few teams should be more aggressive this winter than the Cardinals, with a solid young core of position players already in place and a budding farm system behind them. All that's missing is a more functional pitching staff, and a top-shelf starter specifically. Rasmussen certainly fits the bill, and Chaim Bloom can afford to give up a mid-tier pitching prospect in Cjinje and a back-end top-100 type in Frias who probably isn't overtaking St. Louis' big-leaguers on the grass any time soon.

Both players have plenty of tools that should excite Tampa, too, and at positions of need. It would turn the Cardinals into legitimate postseason contenders, while the Rays could dream on Frias' massive power upside for years to come.