Mangum, Williams, Simpson & Driscoll among Rays Moves

With less than 13 days until Opening Night at the DBAP, the Durham Bulls' initial 2025 roster appear to be taking shape as the Tampa Bay Rays made several moves affecting their MLB spring training roster. Outfielders Jake Mangum and Kameron Misner, along with catcher Logan Driscoll, plus right-handers Cole Sulser and Jacob Waguespack were optioned to Durham's roster, while infielder Carson Williams, outfielder Chandler Simpson, and catcher Kenny Piper were reassigned to minor league camp.

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Mangum, the 2024 International League Batting Champion, spent all of last year with the Bulls, batting .317 (126-398) with 57 runs, 30 doubles, one triple, six homers and 56 RBI across 104 games. The Mississipi State University alum was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a December 2023 trade from the Miami Marlins.

Williams, the ninth-best overall prospect and top Rays prospect according to MLB.com, is likely to begin the 2025 campaign in Durham after spending all of 2024 with Double-A Montgomery. In 115 games with the Biscuits, the 21-year-old hit .256 (111-433) with 83 runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 20 homers and 69 RBI. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California.

Misner earned 2024 Durham Most Valuable Player honors as selected by the Rays Baseball Operations Department after compiling a .248 average (109-439) with 77 runs, 26 doubles, four triples, 17 homers and 55 RBI in 113 games. He also made his Major League debut with the Rays, playing in eight contests with Tampa Bay last year. The 27-year-old was acquired by the Rays in a November 30, 2021 trade from the Miami Marlins.

Simpson is considered one of the fastest players in baseball, and stole 104 bases in 121 attempts between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery, the most by any minor league player since Billy Hamilton in 2012. The 24-year-old Simpson also paced all minor leaguers with a .355 batting average (160-451), adding 90 runs, 14 doubles, one triple, one homer and 29 RBI. The Georgia native was selected by Tampa Bay as the 70th overall pick in the Compensation B Round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech.

Driscoll spent most of the 2024 season with Durham, batting .292 (76-260) with 40 runs, 24 doubles, one triple, seven homers and 37 RBI in 70 contests. He also made his Major League debut with the Rays in 2024, appearing in 15 contests. The 27-year-old was acquired by Tampa Bay as part of a February 8, 2020 trade from San Diego.

Sulser has pitched for Durham in 70 games across three different seasons in 2019, 2023, and 2024, and posted a 1-0 record and 2.08 ERA (13.0 IP) with 11 strikeouts and two walks across nine outings last year after being acquired in a trade from the New York Mets on July 26, 2024. The California native was originally selected by Cleveland in the 25th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

Waguespack appeared in nine games, including four starts, with the Bulls last season, accumulating a 1-1 record and 5.32 ERA (22.0 IP) with 32 strikeouts and five walks. The right-hander also appeared in four games, including one start, with Tampa Bay last season, posting no record and 5.40 ERA (10.0 IP) with 11 strikeouts and ten walks. The 31-year-old was signed by Tampa Bay as a minor league free agent on January 15, 2024.

Piper played in 29 games with the Bulls last year, batting .188 (19-101) with 18 runs, five doubles, five homers and 17 RBI after beginning the year with Double-A Montgomery. The 26-year-old was selected by Tampa Bay in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Columbia College in Missouri.

Tampa Bay Rays Major League Camp continues on this month, with the final Spring Training game slated for Tuesday, March 25. The Durham Bulls' roster will very likely not be known until after that date.

After beginning the 2025 campaign with a three-game road series in Norfolk, the Bulls open their home slate at the DBAP on Tuesday, April 1 with a six-game homestand against the defending Triple-A National Champion Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.

Tickets for that game and all 75 home games are now available and can be purchased by clicking here.