I never thought three years ago that writing a spring preview of the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays would be interesting. Back in 2007, the Rays were the laughingstock of the AL East, perpetual basement dwellers. After the Devil was taken out of the Rays before the 2008 season began, things changed. Joe Maddon managed his talented young roster not only to its first winning season, but also to the American League pennant.
While a shortened name and improved logos and uniforms may have helped the marketing department fill Tropicana Field, the real improvement to the team came in the form of Stuart Sternberg, who became managing partner of the ownership group for the 2006 season. Sternberg, who made his fortune on Wall Street as a partner with Goldman Sachs, hired former investment bankers Matthew Silverman and Andrew Friedman to run the team. They focused on a core of excellent young players from within the organization and supplemented them with inexpensive talent.
Despite the good vibes from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, trouble is looming for the Rays. During the normally optimistic Spring Training, Sternberg and others in the organization have acknowledged the disappointing revenue stream and attendance figures from both last season and 2010 season ticket renewals. Also, the cool new ballpark with a retractable sail roof isn’t going to happen anytime soon, if ever. Lastly, Sternberg stated that payroll would have to be cut back down to $50 million for 2011 unless revenue increases drastically.
The 2010 Rays, nonetheless, look good both on the field and on paper. Let’s take a look at the players that could give the World Series Champion Yankees and the retooled Red Sox a run for their money.
Pitchers
For the third straight season, James Shields will be the opening day starter for the Rays on April 6 vs. the Baltimore Orioles. Last season, Shields was 11-12 with a 4.14 ERA over 219 2/3 innings.
Matt Garza already has been named the number two starter. Garza might really be the best starter for the Rays this season despite his 8-12 record last season.
Last season, the Rays lacked a consistent closer, but hopefully Rafael Soriano, who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves, will fill the role in 2010.
Catchers
Dioner Navarro should return from a spring training injury to start behind the plate for the Rays. His offensive performance decreased from 2008 to 2009. Beyond Navarro, the Rays traded Mitch Talbot for backstop Kelly Shoppach in the offseason. Stoppach should provide reliable backup to Navarro and could spell him if Navarro’s bat doesn’t come back in 2010.
Infield
Carlos Peña at first base has serious home run power, but strikes out way too much. This might be his last year with Tampa because he will be an expensive free agent at the end of 2010.
Ben Zobrist came into his own last year at second base, replacing Akinori Iwamura, who was traded to the Pirates in an attempt to decrease payroll for 2010. Zobrist had the highest OPS on the team in 2009, but it will be interesting to see if he can repeating his performance this season.
Leadoff hitter Jason Bartlett will start at shortstop.
Third baseman Evan Longoria hits for power and plays great defense in the hot corner. He is a perennial threat for AL MVP.
Pat Burrell will be the designated hitter for the second season in a row despite his desire to play the outfield. His numbers were disappointing as DH last season after he was acquired from the Phillies.
Outfield
Like Carlos Peña, left fielder Carl Crawford will be a free agent at the end of the 2010 season, so expect all-star caliber numbers. If the Rays aren't in contention, Crawford could be traded to a contender before the deadline.
B.J. Upton - CF
Matt Joyce will likely win the right field position during spring training.
2 comments:
If the day comes that the Rays trade Crawford, who has dibs on writing the "Rest in Peace, Rays baseball" article?
Or would the talent they'd get for Crawford actually be what starts the next great Rays resurgence?
I hope the latter; over the past two seasons, I developed a love for Tampa Bay that I can't quite explain. It pained me to write that their resurgence is likely short-lived.
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