Although they won 96 games and the AL East in 2010, the Tampa Bay Rays have lost a number of players through their firesale this offseason.
This has given the spotlight of the division to the rival Yankees and Red Sox. First, Rays’ franchise player Carl Crawford became a free agent only to be swept up by the Red Sox. Then, their slugging defensive 1st baseman Carlos Pena went to Chicago’s southside. To add insult to injury, their All Star closer from 2010, Rafael Soriano, departed for their other division rival the New York Yankees.
Their top tier set-up man Grant Balfour became a free agent and signed with Oakland. They lost their other top tier set-up man Joaquin Benoit to the Tigers via free agency. They traded defensive shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Padres for two minor league pitchers. And finally, they traded their hot-headed ace in Matt Garza to the Cubs for seven minor-leaguers.
Given all of this, it’s understandable why the Rays may be overlooked by many in a division with no shortage of talent.
That’s not to say that the Rays are finished. Since the Rays lacked guys who could hit for average, General Manager Andrew Friedman has targeted two veteran Scott Boras clients in Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.
Manny, 39, and Damon, 38, are both coming off down years. Manny is a future hall of famer with a flair for the dramatic. Both his bat and antics generate controversy. When all is said and done, he’s a productive major league hitter when he wants to be.
Traded away due to off-the-field antics, Manny will have plenty of opportunities to get revenge on the Red Sox. He is also known as a Yankee-killer and always brings his A-game against them. And Damon is a former Red Sox and Yankees player who will relish the opportunity to put his skills on display.
We should never forget the Rays’ best player and perhaps the top 3rd baseman in all of baseball, Evan Longoria. At just 26 years old, he should put up another monster season offensively and with the glove. Expect to see him hit for more power in 2011.
The voids left by the big-names that left will be filled by top prospects. A number of the names mentioned will probably be in the AL Rookie of the Year race. Desmond Jennings has been described as the next Carl Crawford due to his propensity to steal bases, hit for average and play good defense in the outfield. Although Matt Joyce may not qualify as a rookie due to his 77 appearances in 2010, he’s still shown he’s extremely talented.
Joyce can hit for power, play good defense in right field, and has good plate discipline. Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez are young, slick-fielding middle infielders who should impress in 2011.
While the 2011 Rays may have some nice offensive and defensive players, they are going to show their superiority with their pitching. David Price was a Cy Young award candidate in 2010, his first full season as a starter. Expect him to continue to improve.
Jeremy Hellickson impressed in his four major league starts in 2010. Some people, myself included, suggested that the Rays use him in the playoffs instead of James Shields. He is predicted by some to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Wade Davis had an encouraging rookie season in 2010. I look forward to seeing his improvement as well. Jeff Niemann and James Shields are coming off down years and should probably be better in 2011.
A question with this team is their bullpen. Losing Balfour, Benoit and Soriano will definitely hurt. However, they acquired Joel Peralta, who showed a lot of promise with the Nationals in 2010. I predict he will emerge as their closer in spring training.
There are also two new names in their bullpen from Bartlett trade: Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos. They also picked up some low-risk, high-reward veterans in Kyle Farnsworth and Juan Cruz. Their other bullpen guys are either from the farm system or were in the majors last season.
The Rays may not win their division, but I expect them to contend for a playoff spot in 2011.
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