The Rays released Whitley on Tuesday.
The Rays added Whitley to their 40-man roster earlier this month, but they've now granted him his release so that he can pursue an opportunity with a Japanese club. Whitley holds a career 10.57 ERA over 15.1 big-league innings, but the former top prospect pitched well down the stretch in 2025 at Triple-A Durham, holding a 2.60 ERA and 66:19 K:BB over 55.1 innings.