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 Went Wrong?

Chris Archer still carries the reputation of the Rays’ ace, but for the second straight year he hasn’t really looked the part. The 29-year-old righty took the hill every five days and logged over 200 innings, but he managed an underwhelming 4.07 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. His 3.40 FIP paints a much better picture, however, and he also produced a career-high 11.1 K/9. Under team control potentially through 2021, speculation concerning Archer’s future in Tampa will likely continue.

The Rays may have also expected a bit more out of young lefty Blake Snell in his sophomore campaign. The 24-year-old posted a 4.04 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 129.1 innings. If he can get the walks down (4.1 BB/9), he should enjoy more success in 2018.

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While the lineup did contain some success stories, there were also a few letdowns. Wilson Ramos was always a lottery ticket coming off ACL surgery, but he hit just .260/.290/.447 in 64 games. Tampa Bay will hope he’s fully healthy in the second year of his deal and looks more like the Nationals version of himself.

Brad Miller (84), Adeiny Hechavarria (90), Mallex Smith (89) and Peter Bourjos (78) were other regular players who generated an OPS+ under 100. Overall, they relied on long balls from the middle of their order to score runs.

The Rays were probably also a bit perplexed to see former number-one pick Tim Beckham flourish following a trade to Baltimore, although he did come back down to earth toward the end (.180 BA in Sept.). Nevertheless, he slashed a robust .306/.348/.523 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 50 games for the Orioles.

Next: The Future