The Tampa Bay Rays were in pursuit of All-Star first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, and per a report from Juan Toribio of The Athletic ($), the Rays were willing to include top prospect, OF Jesus Sanchez in the deal.

Multiple sources told The Athletic that a package including outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez was what the Rays were offering to start with, but that was shut down by the Diamondbacks.

Goldschmidt ultimately was dealt to the St Louis Cardinals for three solid players as well as a draft pick. That price was just too steep for the Rays to deal for a rental, even one of Goldschmidt’s quality.

Jesus Sanchez was added to the team’s 40-man roster in November. He surged up the team’s prospect rankings in 2017 and was named the 49th best prospect baseball by Baseball America. In their latest update during the 2018 season, Sanchez moved up to number 40 on the list. Despite the relatively high ranking, Sanchez is still just the 6th best prospect in a stacked Rays system.

Sanchez is on the cusp of reaching the majors, but may have trouble cracking a Rays outfield that includes Tommy Pham, Kevin Kiermaier, and it would seem, Austin Meadows in 2019.

The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to make a splash this offseason. Their willingness to deal a top prospect for a one year player indicates that they see 2019 as their year to compete for a playoff spot.