AL East: spring position battles
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
the RAYS
The Tampa Bay Rays have an interesting battle for the fifth spot in their rotation, interesting less because of the names involved (though there’s some interest here) but more because the team with the deepest collection of pitching talent in the division, if not the league, is having a rotation battle at all. With Jeremy Hellickson going down at the start of February with elbow surgery that will keep him out until mid-May, the team with the most enviable rotation in the league is auditioning for a part to fill in for Hellickson. The first four slots will go to David Price, Alex Cobb, Matt Moore, and Chris Archer, so it’s not as if the quality of the fifth man can do a whole lot to diminish their ranking, but it doesn’t look to be a problem as the Rays appear to have plenty of options to try out. Just like Joe Maddon likes it.
After Hellickson went down, the Rays flipped Jose Lobaton for right-hander Nate Karns, and then immediately signed veteran Erik Bedard to a deal that could pay him up to $2.775 million dollars if he makes a full season of starts on the Major League roster. Though neither has seen much of any extended action this spring, their results are starkly different considering they share the same goal. Bedard has been hit hard through 7 innings, turning in a 2.29 WHIP, however in 6 innings, Karns has been untouchable with a 0.95 WHIP (he also hasn’t allowed a run). Cesar Ramos has also seen a start and is rumored to be stretched out and competing for the job, though his ceiling isn’t as high as Karns’. Prospect Jake Odorizzi has impressed in his 4.1 innings so far, and given that he’s reportedly been mostly throwing a single pitch to get the hang of it, his 2.08 ERA is fairly encouraging. It could go to any one of the four remaining starters in the Rays’ camp, though one has to think that strong performances by the younger players in Karns and Odorizzi could force the team’s hand.
My Gut Says: Karns runs away with it, but whether by trading Price or injury or what have you, there ends up being strong performances from both him and Odorizzi.
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