Tampa Bay Rays: 2017 Season Review and Offseason Preview

The Tampa Bay Rays made some noise in the Wild Card race but faded down the stretch. Let’s look back at the ups and downs of their 2017 season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have traditionally been a team of which little is expected, but they often surprise us by remaining a factor in the playoff race. The 2017 season more or less fit that mold. In the spring, Kevin Cash‘s squad seemed like an afterthought in an AL East Division expected to be dominated by the Boston Red Sox. However, the Rays finished at 80-82 and a respectable five games behind the second Wild Card spot.

A rousing success of a campaign? Certainly not, but given the overall talent level of the roster, the fact they stayed within striking distance of the postseason is impressive. Winners of their last four games of the season, Tampa Bay ended on a positive note.

Nevertheless, they say your record ultimately tells what kind of team you are, and the Rays were a club just under .500. Month by month, they pretty much treaded water the entire year. Their best performance came in May, when they went a modest 17-13. They also avoided a truly miserable month, never dipping below 12-14 on any page of the calendar.

The Rays’ strong position at midseason thrust them into the unfamiliar position of trade deadline buyer. In possession of a Wild Card berth at the All-Star break, the franchise elected to go for it, dealing for first baseman Lucas Duda, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and reliever Dan Jennings. It didn’t work out in the end, but it was a refreshing departure from the way the Rays usually do business.

Let’s take a closer look at the good and the bad from the year that was for the Tampa Bay Rays, along with some speculation about what 2018 may bring.

Next: The Good

What Went Right?

Though Evan Longoria is still the face of the franchise and the undisputed best player in Rays history, Kevin Kiermaier has become the star they plan to build around. Signed to a six-year, $53 million deal in the offseason, the center fielder played only 98 games as he suffered a fractured hip. But that was still enough time for him to lead the team with 5.1 bWAR. Arguably the best defensive whiz in the game, Kiermaier swung an adequate bat as well, slashing .276/.338/.450 with 15 home runs and 39 RBI. They need him to stay healthy next season.

As for Longoria himself, the All-Star third baseman put up solid numbers but came well short of last year’s resurgent campaign. He hit .261/.313/.424 (100 OPS+) with 20 homers and 86 RBI after posting a 127 OPS+ with 36 homers and 98 RBI in 2016. Now 32 years old, trade rumors may again follow Longo this winter.

Logan Morrison was a pleasant surprise, though he did most of his damage in the first half. Before the break, he was batting .258/.367/.564 with 24 home runs and 57 RBI, enough to nearly punch his ticket to the Midsummer Classic. He slashed a more tepid .231/.333/.452 with 14 homers and 28 RBI in the second half, but it was still a breakout season for the eight-year vet. Morrison will generate far more interest as a free agent this offseason.

Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza added even more power, contributing 27 and 30 long balls, respectively. In fact, the Rays finished sixth in Major League Baseball with 228 home runs on the year.

On the pitching staff, Alex Cobb was the rotation standout, posting a 3.66 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 179.1 innings (29 starts). Rookie Jacob Faria also did a fine job, managing a 3.43 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 86.2 frames (16 appearances, 14 starts). Alex Colome converted an MLB-leading 47 saves with a 3.24 ERA as the team’s closer. Tommy Hunter pitched well in relief, too, providing a 3.24 ERA in 66.2 innings.

Next: The Bad

What’s Next?

The Rays will see several key members becomes free agents in the next few weeks. Among them are Alex Cobb, Logan Morrison and Tommy Hunter. Tampa Bay is never a real player in free agency, and Cobb and Morrison in particular are likely to demand more than the team is willing to pay.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports the Rays are likely to make Cobb the $18.1 million qualifying offer, but he’s almost sure to nab a multi-year deal elsewhere.

With Cobb likely on the way out, the Rays’ rotation will need other arms to pick up the slack. A return to form from Archer would be ideal, as well as Snell taking that next step. More of the same from Faria would be welcome. Top prospect Brent Honeywell could also be a factor next year. He posted a 3.49 ERA with 11.3 K/9 in 26 outings between Double- and Triple-A this season.

The Rays have even been mentioned as a dark horse landing spot for Japanese phenom Shohei Otani. That seems more like daydreaming than a realistic possibility, but given the new international signing rules, it’s a rare situation where Tampa Bay won’t necessarily be at a monetary disadvantage compared to bigger clubs.

Next: Orioles 2017 Season Review

It’s hard to imagine this offseason being much more than business as usual for the Rays: trying to stay competitive within their tight budget restrictions. Maybe they’ll strike gold on a buy-low pickup or two like they did with Morrison. They will need to replace his power in the lineup somehow.

On the other hand, they could decide to position themselves better for the long term by exploring trades for guys like Longoria and Archer. With the AL East looking dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox at the moment, that might not be such a bad idea.