AP/Mark Duncan
With the opening spring training game less than a month away, the Tampa Bay Rays are about to begin a pivotal campaign. After posting the first two winning years in the history of the franchise over the 2008-09 seasons, the Rays are still facing some uncertainty heading into 2010.
In what is actually a good thing, it has been a quiet offseason from the Rays perspective. There have been no salary dumps or deals that seem to be tied to saving cash as opposed to improving the club. Tampa Bay's nucleus from the last two seasons is basically intact. The Rays actually spent a little bit of cash to acquire closer Rafael Soriano from the Atlanta Braves. He had 27 saves with a 2.92 E.R.A. in 2009 while posting some impressive hits allowed and strikeout numbers. Tampa Bay has also added catcher Kelly Shoppach (21 homers in 2008) to the lineup. The former Indians backstop could be the new starter behind the plate in 2010.
Despite a strong rotation of young arms, general manager Andrew Friedman knows how critical the bullpen is to his club's ultimate success. "We want to get as many guys who can pitch in high-leverage situations as we can," said Friedman.
With the back of the bullpen now secure, the Rays have the pieces in place to keep the good times rolling. Unfortunately, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are still intent on keeping the small market Rays from having too much fun in the AL East. Two of baseball's mega powers have at worst held their ground during the offseason. New York has added Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez while losing Hideki Matsui and (likely) Johnny Damon. In Boston, John Lackey, Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron are on board while Jason Bay is now with the Mets.
With Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena unsigned beyond this year, it is critical for Tampa to get off to a solid start in 2010. If the club is well behind New York and Boston by June or July, there is a real possibility that one or both players could be dealt by the July 31st trade deadline. While the Rays attendance was up in 2009, the average of 23,148 fans per game was an increase of just under 800 fans per contest. The economic reality of the Rays situation could lead to some significant roster changes by the end of 2010.
Tampa Bay's spring slate will begin on Wednesday, March 3rd with an away matchup against Baltimore.
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