The Tampa Bay Rays, with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, finished first in the AL East in 2020 then took out the Yankees and Astros in the playoffs, won the American League Championship and took the Dodgers to Game 6 of the World Series. This a team with a knack for identifying young potential superstar talent and grabbing them in trades – Randy Arozarena being a perfect example. Sometimes in order to really be successful at getting the best young talent available, the Rays do have to trade their assets while they’re still elite instead of waiting for their value to drop. This is what they did when trading their ace pitcher Blake Snell to San Diego for four prospects, one of which, Luis Patino, is already impressing in Spring Training.
The way the Rays run the franchise could be considered somewhat unfriendly to fans, who get attached to players just to see them shipped off in the prime of their careers, but with a payroll ranked 28th in Major League Baseball, the Rays must do what they have to in order to stay competitive. As long as they can keep making the playoffs and threating to win the World Series, fans should be satisfied. It’s a lot better than being a Pirates fan.
Arrivals
C Francisco Mejia (trade/Padres)
SP Luis Patino (trade/Padres)
SP Rich Hill (FA/Twins)
SP Chris Mazza (Trade/Red Sox)
SP Michael Wacha (FA/Mets)
SP Chris Archer (FA/Pirates)
SP Collin McHugh (FA/Red Sox)
RP Jeffrey Springs (Trade/Red Sox)
RP Chaz Roe (Re-Signed)
RP Oliver Drake (Re-Signed)
RP Brian Moran (Minors)
Chaz Roe
Here are a few of the additions to this Rays team and they did well to re-sign two of their important bullpen pieces, Chaz Roe and Oliver Drake. Luis Patino could be a top of the rotation arm with a little more development. They also picked up an array of other pitchers who can start or relieve depending on the need. The Rays are obviously very experimental and will be trying to limit starters innings in an attempt not only keep them healthier but prevent them from facing the same hitters too many times. Rich Hill is a solid veteran who pitched great with Minnesota last season and adds more quality depth to a great pitching staff.
Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs were picked up in a deal with the Red Sox. Mazza can start or long-relieve and will likely do both throughout 2021. Amazingly, the Rays have Chris Archer back after trading him for Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows in a complete heist. He was mostly ineffective for the Pirates but will get another tour in Tampa Bay to see if he can get his stuff back. They signed veteran starter and former All Star Michal Wacha as well. Other than these main pickups, the Rays also, as usually, fortified their farm system so there will be a lot more names on the way from the 2020-21 offseason.
Lineup
1. Austin Meadows DH
2. Brandon Lowe 2B
3. Randy Arozarena LF
4. Ji-Man Choi/Brosseau 1B
5. Manuel Margot RF
6. Diaz/Wendle 3B
7. Willy Adames SS
8. Kevin Kiermaier CF
9. Mike Zunino C
Randy Arozarena
Here is one potential lineup for the Rays and it looks the same as last season’s lineup. Austin Meadows is back after suffering some late season injuries last year, hampering him in the playoffs. He smashed 33 homers with a .291 average in 2019 and should be closer to that in ’21 with good health and a full Spring Training. Brandon Lowe was hot for most of 2020 until slowing down towards the end of the year and into the playoffs. He hit 14 homers in less than 200 at bats and led all MLB second basemen in homers and RBI. Randy Arozarena looks like an absolute machine out there, looking like a five-tool superstar talent during the playoffs. 30 home runs should be easily within reach but I’m optimistic that he can hit 40+ while getting on base and playing solid defense.
Ji-Man Choi has one of the smoothest gloves I’ve seen at first base, vacuuming up anything within reach. He hits righties well and is definitely fun to watch. Against lefties, Mike Brosseau should get some starts and he can play other positions as well. He has shown some impressive power lately with 5 homers in just 86 at bats last year then 2 already in Spring Training. Manuel Margot stole 12 bases last season, can bunt for a hit and has elite defense. He had a .327 on-base percentage and just 25 strikeouts in 145 at bats. At third Yandy Diaz is productive when healthy, hitting over .300 last season with a super-impressive .428 on-base-percentage but lacked extra base power. Platooning with him should be Joey Wendle, who brings elite defense to third and can play other infield positions as well with a solid bat.
Kevin Kiermaier is one of the best defensive centerfielders in baseball. He’s going to steal 20 bases and turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples at the plate, although he doesn’t hit well for average or power. Still, as long as he brings that defense to the outfield, the Rays will live with his offensive struggles. The question is can they live with Mike Zunino’s offense problems? He’s great defensively and has some pop but hits basically like a good-hitting pitcher. Francisco Mejia was also terrible in 2020 but has a higher ceiling and raked in the minor leagues. He’ll get plenty of starts as well.
Overall, the lineup hasn’t changed much except now there are more options in their system that are getting closer to the big-leagues. As for what we see now, with Arozarena a potential star in the middle of that lineup, Mejia as a young catching option with a high ceiling and all the solid contributors from 2020 back, I have to give this lineup a solid grade of a B+.
Rotation
1. Tyler Glasnow
2. Ryan Yarbrough
3. Chris Archer
4. Rich Hill
5. Michael Wacha
Luis Patino
Collin McHugh
Josh Fleming
Shane McClanahan
Brent Honeywell Jr.
Brendan McKay
Trevor Richards
Andrew Kittredge
Rich HIll
Obviously, it’s hard to judge a rotation for the Tampa Bay Rays because they don’t just send out five horses to eat up as many innings as possible. The Rays are a team that will start a ton of different guys as you can see from this list. However, just focusing on some of the main options, this should still be a strength for Tampa Bay. Tyler Glasnow has high 90’s heat with a nasty curveball, helping him have one of the best strikeout rats in baseball last year. He does a tendency to get wild at times, leading him to league the lead in wild pitches, but overall, he will be more than solid.
Ryan Yarbrough is another solid option with good control and an ability to avoid hard contact. Chris Archer is getting a second opportunity with the Rays, where he made two All Star teams and struck out more than 230 batters three different times. He has fallen from grace with the Pirates but could still bring something to the Rays with better coaching and strategy. They’ll also try to fix Michael Wacha, who had a 6.62 ERA with the Mets last year. Rich Hill was a big signing as a veteran who has stayed consistent, coming off a solid year with the Twins with an ERA just over 3.
After that, there are several solid young arms like Patino and Shane McClanahan who should get some starts later in the year. Josh Fleming is another prospect who has a good slider and sinker combo. Brent Honeywell Jr. is an exciting prospect with a rare secret weapon known as the screwball. He should get some starts along and the rest of the names are options as starters or “openers” throughout the 2021 season. Overall, this rotation likely won’t be as good without Blake Snell and Charlie Morton, but how much worse depends a lot on Patino’s development and some of the other youngsters. For now, this rotation has a lot of parts and pieces with amazing depth and knowing the Rays, it will be good enough even if Archer and Wacha don’t shape up. I’m going to give it a B.
Bullpen
Nick Anderson
Diego Castillo
Pete Fairbanks
Chaz Roe
Collin McHugh
Ryan Thompson
Cody Reed
Ryan Sherriff
Trevor Richards
Jeffrey Springs
Chris Mazza
Drew Strotman
Andrew Kittredge
Colin Poche (IL)
The bullpen needs to continue to be a strength for this team to make it back to the playoffs, much less the World Series, in 2021. Nick Anderson is back and when he’s on, which was basically the entirety of the 2020 regular season, he is basically unhittable. He has a career 15 strikeout per 9 ratio and the way the Rays work the bullpen, he could show up at any time, not just the 9th. Diego Castillo can hit 96 with his fastball and held hitters to a .116 average last year. Pete Fairbanks is another beast with high 90’s heat and a strikeout ratio of 13.2 in 2020. He has slight control issues, but still would be a closer for many teams. After that, the Rays have a lot more solid arms like Ryan Thompson, whose funky delivery makes him hard to hit. Chaz Roe and his nasty slider will be back and there are several other solid options here as well including some up and comers. There are also starters and openers who could help out of the pen as well. The Rays bullpen will continue to be solid in 2021 and I’m giving it an A.
So, that does it for the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that still looks great going into 2021 and will have a chance to repeat as AL East champions if the Yankees or Blue Jays don’t say otherwise. Even if they don’t repeat, a Wild Card should be well in their reach. Overall, I’m giving the Tampa Bay Rays a B+.