MLB Spring Training: Tampa Bay Rays Full Preview
By Nick Fustor
Key Additions: OF Corey Dickerson, SS Brad Miller, 1B Logan Morrison, 1B/OF Steve Pearce, C Hank Conger
Key Subtractions: SS Asdrubal Cabrera, DH John Jaso, RHP Nate Karns
Despite playing as a small market team, the Tampa Bay Rays have continually found ways to succeed against many of the offensive powerhouses that make up the American League East. This offseason, the Rays made a splashy trade to acquire outfielder Corey Dickerson, who is expected to immediately step in as one of the team’s top run producers – but questions loom regarding his production after leaving the Colorado Rockies and the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
The Rotation: Over the past several seasons, the Rays have been known for their ability to develop young pitchers at a rapid pace. Now, the team boasts one of the deepest rotations in baseball. Led by ace Chris Archer, the team has viable options at every spot from one through five.
Behind Archer and his 10.7 K/9 in 2015, Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly look poised to eclipse 200 innings while effectively limiting opposing lineups from breaking games open with monster innings. Former All-Star Matt Moore, who returned from Tommy John surgery last season, is expected to provide much more in 2016 as he settles back into a normal routine. In 12 starts last season, the 26-year-old posted a disastrous 5.43 ERA and 4.82 FIP.
Alex Cobb, the team’s number two starter heading into last season, fell victim to Tommy John and likely won’t return until August. However, if Tampa Bay is in contention around then, Cobb will give the team a major boost down the stretch.
The Lineup: Arguably the Rays most pressing concern heading into the offseason was the lack of run production, and the team worked their best to address those issues through a series of solid acquisitions. After averaging 3.98 runs per game in 2015, Miller, Morrison and Pearce were all brought in to boost a downtrodden lineup. While none of the three are expected to blossom into stars, each provide solid on-base ability with some pop, to boot.
Here’s what the team’s everyday lineup is likely to look like:
- LF Corey Dickerson
- RF Steven Souza
- 3B Evan Longoria
- DH Logan Morrison
- 2B Logan Forsythe
- 1B James Loney
- CF Kevin Kiermaier
- SS Brad Miller
- C Hank Conger
The biggest acquisition of the offseason, though, was the addition of Dickerson – who hit .304/.333/.536 with 10 home runs in only 65 games last season. While those numbers are inflated by playing in Coors Field and a high BABIP (.367), Dickerson has shown off a knack for getting on-base and while his numbers will likely dip, he should immediately step in as the Tampa Bay Rays’ best outfielder.
Longoria, who enjoyed a quietly productive 2015 in which he hit .270 with 21 home runs, has been trending downward in the past few years but at 30, is still in his prime. Souza Jr. struggled through his first full major league season, but showed off flashes of brilliance and looks poised to make several strides forward this season.
More established names like Loney, Forsythe and Kiermaier will likely once again provide solid — albeit unspectacular — seasons toward the bottom of the lineup.
The Bullpen: Tampa Bay gave up arguably their best reliever in Jake McGee to acquire Dickerson, but the team has a history of finding ways for unknown names to succeed at the major league level.
Competitions: With the addition of Dickerson, Desmond Jennings no longer has a clear path to playing time with the Tampa bay Rays unless he outshines either Kiermaier or Souza in Spring Training. It’s likely he’ll receive a decent amount of playing time to support the three starters, but his injury concerns in the past still linger.