The Tampa Bay Rays have reached a minor league agreement with right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt that includes a non-roster invitation to spring training, according to reporting from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The deal adds another depth option to a bullpen group that is also bringing back right-hander Kodi Whitley on a similar camp invite, as Topkin noted earlier in the week.
Stoudt, who turns 29 next month, has limited major league experience. His only big-league action came in 2023 with the Cincinnati Reds, where he appeared in four games and allowed 11 runs across 10 1/3 innings.
After that brief cup of coffee, he moved through the Baltimore organization before landing on a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2026 season.
There, he showed clear promise before an elbow injury in June shut him down for the year.
Prior to the setback, Stoudt had thrown 22 2/3 scoreless innings across the top two levels of the Phillies’ system, putting him in position for a potential late-season look in Philadelphia’s bullpen.
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round in 2019, Stoudt drew early prospect interest for a mid-90s fastball paired with solid command.
Those traits remained evident in 2026. He averaged 96 mph with his fastball in Triple-A, though he leaned heavily on a mid-80s slider, throwing the breaking ball on roughly 85 percent of his pitches.
The results were encouraging in a small sample: in 11 Triple-A innings before the injury, he struck out 11 of 39 hitters faced while allowing just six baserunners total.
That combination of velocity, control, and early-season dominance gives the Rays a low-risk arm who could compete for a depth role if he returns healthy.
Whitley’s return marks his third season within the Tampa Bay organization. The 31-year-old righty, who will turn 32 in February, logged 32 innings with a 2.81 ERA out of the Durham bullpen in Triple-A this past year.
He struck out 24 percent of the batters he faced while walking only 6.2 percent, continuing a track record of efficient, low-walk work.
Earlier in his career, Whitley spent parts of three seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2020 through 2022, posting a 3.38 ERA across 42 2/3 major league innings.
For the Rays, both signings fit a familiar pattern of accumulating experienced, controllable arms who have shown the ability to miss bats and limit free passes in the upper minors.
Stoudt’s injury recovery will be a key variable, but his pre-injury stretch with Philadelphia demonstrated the kind of immediate impact that can earn a longer look once camp opens.
Whitley, already familiar with the organization’s system and pitching infrastructure, provides continuity and a proven Triple-A track record. Together, the two right-handers give Tampa Bay additional flexibility as it builds out its bullpen depth heading into the 2027 season.
