One of the nastiest pitchers in Major League Baseball could soon be on the move.

Though trade rumors concerning Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow are nothing new, they've picked up lately. He's supposedly the most likely ace to get traded, with MLB.com's Mark Feinsand hearing it will "definitely" happen:

The Rays don't have a surplus of starters after losing Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs to elbow injuries in 2023, but what they do have is something of a payroll crisis. Their 2024 expenses project at $126 million, which is over $40 million higher than the club's all-time mark for Opening Day.

As such, what Glasnow is worth and where he fits best are ripe for further analysis.

What Is Glasnow's Value on the Trade Market?

Glasnow's trade value could actually be lower than one might think.

The 6'8", 225-pound righty is undeniably filthy when he's on the mound. His 130 ERA+ in six seasons with the Rays denotes him as 30 percent better than average, and it isn't just his 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings that proves the quality of his stuff. Per Stuff+, said quality was on par with Gerrit Cole and Shohei Ohtani in 2023.

However, it's too often that Glasnow isn't on the mound. He's had Tommy John surgery and he had never made more than 14 starts in a season until this year. Even then, he only got in 21 games and logged 120 innings.

A $25 million salary isn't necessarily too rich for a guy like Glasnow, but it's not a bargain either. For example, FanGraphs estimated his value in 2023 at...[drum roll]...$25 million.

Further, that the Rays' payroll situation is the opposite of a secret doesn't figure to help their leverage. Neither does the fact that pitching is plentiful this winter, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell still available in free agency and Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes and Shane Bieber having also been mentioned as trade candidates.

Still, one assumes the Rays won't simply give away Glasnow just to dump his salary. And given the health concerns in their rotation, they could perhaps look to swap him for at least one cheap, controllable pitcher. That should be doable even if it doesn't make sense for, oh, half the league to take a swing on a pitcher who's only signed through 2024.

With all this in mind, let's touch on some honorable mentions and then size up 10 potential suitors and what they could offer for Glasnow.

Note: All starting pitching WAR is courtesy of Baseball Reference, with 2024 rotation projections courtesy of RosterResource at FanGraphs and all farm system and prospect rankings courtesy of B/R's Joel Reuter.

Honorable Mentions

All AL East Teams

The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are all sensible suitors for Glasnow on paper, but the Rays wouldn't move him within the American League East, would they?

It seems doubtful. They'll be out to compete next year, after all, so it would be counterproductive to trade such a talented pitcher to one of four teams they'll be competing directly against.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are going to need a starting pitcher even if, by some miracle, they actually re-sign Shohei Ohtani. Even then, though, them giving up talent just to get one year of Glasnow would represent a gross miscalculation of their contention timeline.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals were in the market for three starting pitchers this winter. Well, now they have them after signing Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Sonny Gray.

10. Houston Astros

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 7.8 (21st)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Framber Valdez, RHP Cristian Javier, RHP Hunter Brown, RHP J.P. France

Houston's reunion with Verlander at this year's trade deadline was supposed to stabilize an unstable rotation. Instead, the opposite happened as it finished with a 4.90 ERA after Aug. 1.

Could they try again to gain stability through the trade market with a deal for Glasnow? There's at least one reason it may not be likely, and this is related to general manager Dana Brown's openness about the club's lack of spending flexibility.

But since 2024 looks like it could bring about the closing of the Astros' championship window, there's sense in them throwing caution to the wind and going all-in on next season. To this end, Glasnow's considerable upside could prove to be well worth the risk.

Trade Proposal: Houston Astros get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP J.P. France, RHP Spencer Arrighetti

Ah, but if there's another reason the Astros trading for Glasnow may not be likely, it's that they're short on spare talent. In this case, the Rays can almost certainly do better than a 28-year-old late bloomer (France) and the No. 3 talent (Arrighetti) in MLB's worst farm system.

9. New York Mets

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 12.0 (6th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Kodai Senga, LHP José Quintana, RHP Tylor Megill, LHP Joey Lucchesi, RHP José Butto

Is the timing right for the Mets to trade for a player who's only signed for next year?

It's a dubious proposition, as it was only a couple months ago that the team tore down a star-studded roster and seemed to punt on 2024 in the process. Yet it also wasn't long after that president of baseball operations David Stearns came aboard and promised a "true playoff contender" for next season.

If that's the case, the Mets could do worse than Glasnow as a co-ace for Senga. And if this summer's sell-off was good for anything, it was loading up the team's farm system.

Trade Proposal: New York Mets get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Blade Tidwell, RHP Mike Vasil

The catch, though, is that said system is richer in bats than arms. That doesn't necessarily preclude a possible trade with the Rays, but in this case they'd only be getting the No. 8 (Tidwell) and No. 9 (Vasil) talents in the Mets' system.

8. San Diego Padres

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 12.3 (5th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Matt Waldron, RHP Pedro Avila, LHP Jay Groome

The Padres are perhaps another for the "Dubious Timing" file after going 82-80 this season, but they're in too deep on trying to contend to hit pause now.

The bigger issue is their payroll situation. They're reportedly aiming to cut their payroll down to about $200 million, and they currently project only $11 million short of that mark. They may have to trade someone (i.e., Juan Soto) before they can pursue Glasnow.

If that does happen, though, his upside would go nicely with that of Musgrove and Darvish at the top of the club's rotation. It's a big "if," but the Padres could have the game's best pitching trio if all three were to stay healthy.

Trade Proposal: San Diego Padres get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Jairo Iriarte, RHP Adam Mazur

The best pitchers in the Padres' system are left-hander Robby Snelling (No. 31 overall) and right-hander Dylan Lesko (No. 55), but parting with either of them for just one year of Glasnow would be a mistake. Iriarte and Mazur, who rank as San Diego's No. 6 and No. 7 prospects, wouldn't be a bad get for the Rays, but they can probably do better.

7. San Francisco Giants

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 10.0 (T-11th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Logan Webb, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RHP Ross Stripling, LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Keaton Winn

After a 79-83 season, the Giants are perhaps another flimsy candidate to make a one-year bet on Glasnow.

Yet if there's one difference between the Giants and the Padres, it's that the former at least has plenty of payroll space. If there's another, it's that the Giants seem desperate to add stars this winter.

Though plenty of those available in free agency, the Giants know all too well that free agents can say no to interested teams. That's not true of most trade chips, including Glasnow. And beyond just needing a starter in general, the Giants could really use his swing-and-miss stuff.

Trade Proposal: San Francisco Giants get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get LHP Carson Whisenhunt

Harrison is the No. 21 prospect in MLB, so there's probably no chance of the Rays getting him for Glasnow. But truth be told, Whisenhunt may not be a slam-dunk either. He's MLB's No. 74 prospect in his own right, and whether the Giants should be parting with guys like that while their contention window isn't all the way open is a fair question.

6. Arizona Diamondbacks

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 7.1 (22nd)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Zac Gallen, RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Brandon Pfaadt, RHP Ryne Nelson, LHP Tommy Henry

Now we're talking. The Diamondbacks are a legit contender for 2024 after winning the National League pennant this season, and their need for another starter is strong indeed.

Free agency has options for Arizona, but the club's deal for Eugenio Suárez could indicate that it's more willing to take chances on the trade market. And save for the disastrous Madison Bumgarner contract, general manager Mike Hazen isn't known for big signings anyway.

Glasnow fits well with the D-backs to at least one extent, and that's that they wouldn't need him to carry their rotation. That's Gallen's job. It would be good enough if Glasnow were so much as a solid No. 2 behind him.

Trade Proposal: Arizona Diamondbacks get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Ryne Nelson, LHP Yu-Min Lin

Ah, but the Snakes unfortunately don't have much excess talent to offer the Rays. This package would net them an established major leaguer (Nelson) and Arizona's No. 5 prospect (Lin), but neither has much in the way of upside.

5. Texas Rangers

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 13.7 (3rd)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Jon Gray, RHP Dane Dunning, LHP Andrew Heaney

Speaking of teams that were last seen in the World Series, the winner of the Fall Classic doesn't need a starter as much as the loser.

And yet, another starter wouldn't hurt the Rangers. They may not get Jacob deGrom back until the second half of 2024, and the wait could feel that much longer if Eovaldi and/or Scherzer run into further durability concerns after both had their own injury issues this year.

Besides, the Rangers just seem to have a thing for electric arms and Glasnow surely has one of those. And for what it's worth, there's connective tissue between these two front offices. Working for the Rays is Jon Daniels, who used to run the Rangers.

Trade Proposal: Texas Rangers get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Brock Porter, RHP Jack Leiter

This trade sounds good, at least. Porter is MLB's No. 91 prospect and Leiter was the No. 2 pick in the draft just two years ago. But these days, the latter is a top prospect by reputation only. He's had a rough go of it in the minors, to a point where the Rangers even temporarily paused his 2023 season.

4. Cincinnati Reds

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 5.0 (26th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Hunter Greene, LHP Andrew Abbott, RHP Graham Ashcraft, LHP Brandon Williamson, LHP Nick Lodolo

There's no need to speculate about whether the Reds are interested in Glasnow. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, they are:

The Reds may have only won 82 games this year, but that's actually impressive considering that their starters ranked 28th in MLB with a 5.43 ERA. A trade for Glasnow would obviously be made with the idea of bringing that figure down in 2024.

Not that he would have to do it alone, of course. Despite what happened this year, there's talent aplenty among the incumbents in Cincinnati's rotation. Greene, especially, has the high-octane heat and wipeout breaking stuff to dominate in a Glasnow-like fashion.

Trade Proposal: Cincinnati Reds get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get LHP Brandon Williamson, RHP Ty Floyd

This isn't a bad package, as Williamson was a top-100 guy for Baseball America heading into 2022 and Floyd is presently the Reds' No. 10 prospect. But Cincinnati's main appeal as a trading partner is its wealth of young hitters, which is neither here nor there in this context.

3. Chicago Cubs

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 8.0 (20th)

2024 Projected Rotation: LHP Justin Steele, RHP Jameson Taillon, RHP Kyle Hendricks, LHP Jordan Wicks, RHP Javier Assad

Elsewhere in the National League Central, Jon Morosi of MLB.com hears the Cubs are also in on Glasnow:

Compared to the Reds, there's a bit more sense in the Cubs betting big on a trade that would only guarantee Glasnow's services for one year. Both because they deserved to win more than 83 games this year, and because they have the funds to potentially extend him.

The Cubs also just plain need a proper co-ace for Steele. Glasnow could be that guy, not to mention just the guy to bring some much-needed swing-and-miss stuff to the rotation.

Trade Proposal: Chicago Cubs get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Ben Brown, LHP Jackson Ferris

The Cubs have one of the best farm systems in MLB, and in this case they'd give up their No. 3 (Brown) and No. 8 (Ferris) talents. One can imagine the Rays liking that, and yet one can also imagine the Cubs being hesitant to pull the trigger given that they're merely at the start of their contention cycle.

2. Atlanta

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 10.0 (T-11th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Spencer Strider, LHP Max Fried, RHP Charlie Morton, RHP Bryce Elder, RHP Huascar Ynoa

Atlanta reportedly made a run at Aaron Nola before he re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and from Bob Nightengale of USA Today comes word that they're also kicking the tires on Cease:

Think this team wants an impact starter? It wants an impact starter.

Glasnow is precisely that, and he would fit well in Atlanta's rotation. He'd give them a second overpowering starter alongside Strider, yet there'd also be enough depth around him to ensure that any injuries he might suffer wouldn't automatically have a ruinous effect.

Trade Proposal: Atlanta gets RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Hurtson Waldrep, RHP Cade Kuehler

Atlanta's farm system isn't one of the better ones in MLB, but one thing it does have is lots of arms. In this case, the Rays would get back the No. 70 prospect in MLB (Waldrep) plus Atlanta's No. 7 talent (Kuehler). A rich price for Atlanta to pay, perhaps, but the six-time defending NL East champs have no business hoarding prospects these days.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 6.9 (23rd)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Walker Buehler, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP Ryan Pepiot, LHP Ryan Yarbrough, RHP Emmet Sheehan

As you may have noticed, Nightengale's report on the Cease sweepstakes didn't just mention Atlanta. It also mentioned the Dodgers.

If anything, they have an even stronger need for an impact starter. Their rotation struggled in 2023, and sans Clayton Kershaw their best starters are a guy coming back from Tommy John surgery (Buehler) and a guy coming off an exciting, yet uneven rookie year (Miller).

There's an argument that Glasnow would only introduce more volatility, but the sheer upside of a Buehler-Glasnow-Miller trio would be worth it. It also bears noting that the Dodgers are cautious with their starters. There were only 13 instances of a Dodgers starter crossing the 100-pitch threshold this season.

Trade Proposal: Los Angeles Dodgers get RHP Tyler Glasnow; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Nick Frasso, RHP Landon Knack

Because Frasso is the No. 71 prospect in MLB and Knack is the Dodgers' No. 8 prospect, the general structure of this offer is highly similar to the proposed trade for Atlanta. It's therefore fair to say it's a coin flip as to which is better, though the thinking here is that Frasso's ceiling goes higher than Waldrep's.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.