Is there a secret sauce to the Rays’ recent run of success? Good people, forward thinking and no fear of failure are the right recipe.
ST PETERSBURG
By now, he should be leathery. Face lined, eyes hardened, humor expunged.
He should be rounded as Lasorda, cranky as Weaver and bald as Francona. Instead the skipper seems refreshed, if a little sweaty, after throwing batting practice to his 11-year-old son J.D. while Rays players are getting dressed in the visiting clubhouse before a recent spring game in North Port
If Kevin Cash is dated, it is only by accomplishment. When hired in December 2014 he was the youngest manager in the majors. Now, at 46, Cash is baseball’s longest continuously serving manager He is beginning his 10th season in charge of the Rays and is a handful of wins from passing Joe Maddon as the franchise’s all-time leader Seniority never looked so boyish “It’s a little surreal,” said Cash, wiping his brow on the dugout bench at CoolToday Park, “given how volatile the job is. For an organization that thrives on innovation and calculated risk, Cash is a rare constant. He is the bridge between a front office unafraid of change, and the group-think that has ruled clubhouses and dugouts for more than a century. Turns out his is the stubbled, amiable and perceptive face of the modern manager
“He’s the same guy that he was when we first hired him, except now he has the experience and the credentials,” said Rays president Matt Silverman, who was in charge of baseball operations at the time Cash was hired. “He has the humility necessary for this job. He has the energy, consistent energy that’s contagious. And there’s always been a curiosity and a desire to learn and understand everything around him
“When we were asking people in the industry about him when we were making a list of candidates, the feedback
on Kevin was that he was respected by everyone. You’re talking about a backup catcher with the respect of everyone in the clubhouse for a winning organization like the Red Sox. That says a lot about his ability to interact with people.”
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Or at least, it wasn’t part of some master career plan.
Cash spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues as a light-hitting catcher
“Hanging by a piece of dental floss,” is how he describes it before taking jobs as an advance scout in Texas and Toronto and eventually ending up as the bullpen coach in Cleveland for two years.
If he was marginal as a player, he was in demand as a leader There was an oldschool vibe about Cash around players, but with the intellect to grasp new
ROMANO continued from 2X
ideas. The Rays were reinventing themselves after Andrew Friedman left for Los Angeles and Maddon had gone to the Cubs, and were eager to head off in innovative directions.
The marriage was risky for both parties. For Cash, he was a 36 year old with no managing experience who could be kissing his future prospects goodbye if the team’s radical ideas flopped. And for the Rays, who did their best to provide reassurance by handing a novice manager a five-year contract.
Owner Stuart Sternberg’s philosophy is that character and intangibles are more important than experience. Get the right person and everything else can be learned. It’s not coincidental that Silverman, Friedman, Maddon, Cash and Erik Neander were new to their roles when promoted by Sternberg
And, yes, those early years were a bit shaky while the team rebuilt following a six-year run with four playoff appearances the Rays were below .500 ineachofhisfirstthreeseasons but Cash benefited from having Evan Longoria’sstampofapproval.
“I was a first-year manager doing things that a 15-year manager would never do,” Cash said “I was incredibly fortunate to have Longo around. He was already an established superstar the best player in franchise history and he could have really made it difficult on me. And maybe even on Erik and Chaim (Bloom) because we were all just coming into our own. But he was just
incredibly supportive. He understood what we were doing “There were jokes and he would laugh at times. I remember taking Jake Odorizzi out of a game after he had gone five innings and given up one hit. Longo stood on the mound and looked at me like, ‘Are we really doing this right now?’ I would just say, ‘Yup, we are.’ “ This is the part that casual fans never get. Because of the revenue gap, Tampa Bay cannot follow the same philosophies as New York or Boston.
That would be competitive suicide. So the Rays look to gain advantages in other ways And that’s where Cash’s talents excel. He gets players to understand and buy into unorthodox strategies. He gets hitters to accept platoon roles. He gets pitchers to understand they’re not going to face a lineup a third time in a game. He’s open, he’s honest and he heads problems off long before they arrive. Players don’t always agree, but they respect the way they’re kept in the loop.
“He’s a player’s manager,” said second baseman Brandon Lowe. “Every single player that’s come in has great things to say about him. No one has butted heads with him. No one has left the organization and said, ‘Man, I really don’t like that guy.’ That speaks volumes. By season’s end, Cash will have managed the Rays for as long as Joe Torre managed the Yankees and Tony La Russa was in Oakland. Longer than Sparky Anderson managed the Reds and
longer than Billy Martin’s five stints in New York combined.
And Cash’s job is completely secure. Word around the game is that Cash’s contract extension runs through 2030.
In the last half-century, only five other managers (La Russa, Anderson, Earl Weaver, Tom Kelly and Eric Wedge) have won more games before age 46 than Cash’s 739. And, with his contract, his kids still in school, and his relationship with ownership, Cash sees no reason to consider leaving anytime soon.
CEBALLO | Times
“It’s certainly not lost on me that people are taking time off from their day jobs to come watch us today,” said Cash, with a wave of his hand toward the bleachers. “And this is my day job. That’s unbelievable. I’m sitting here just waiting for BP to start. My only stress is whether we can get 150 innings out of a guy as opposed to 120.
“How cool is that? That’s my job.”
Contact John Romano at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @Romano_TBTimes
From the absurd (move over, DJ Kitty; Flappy Boi is ready to take your throne) to the significant (approval for a new stadium has a pair of important votes coming up in May), we’ve got your checklist covered:
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
TheRaysheadinto 2024withastreakof fiveconsecutiveplayoff appearances,matched byonlytheAstros(seven straight),Braves(six)and Dodgers(11).Further theRayshaveadvanced tothepostseasonnine timessince2008.The onlyteamswithmore appearancesinthatspan aretheDodgers(13), Yankees(11)andCardinals(10).TheBravesalso havenine.
ObviouslyaWorldSerieschampionshipis thebiggestgoalfortheRaysthisseason, butyoucanpositthatthemostimportant accomplishmentforthefranchiseoverall willbegettingapprovaltobuildthenew stadium,plannedaspartofamassive redevelopmentoftheHistoricGasPlant Districtatandaroundthecurrentsite. VotesbytheSt.PetersburgCityCouncil andPinellasCountyCommissionare expectedbyMay.TheheadRay,principal ownerStuartSternberg,saidtheproject hasbeenhisprimarypointofattention. “Nobody’slettingmefocusonthebaseballthisyear,”hesaid.“Ihavetofocuson gettingthestadiumapproved.”
WILL YANDY STEAL A BASE?
YandyDiazdidalotlastseasonhittingleadoff,whatwith theALbattingtitle,aSilverSluggeraward,hisfirstAll-Star appearanceandasixth-placefinishintheALMVPvoting, matchingtheteamhigh.
Onethinghedidnotdowasstealabase,caughtinhis onlyattemptJuly7.
Howrareisthat?Onlyoneotherplayerinmajor-league historyhadmoreplateappearancesintheleadoffspot duringaseasonthanDiaz’s598lastyearwithoutstealing abase.PeteRose.Asa34-year-oldforthe1975Reds, Rosemade764plateappearancesatthetopoftheorder withoutatheft.
Onlyfourotherplayershavehadeven400leadoffplate appearanceswithoutasteal:EddieWaitkus,1951Phillies; KyleSchwarber,2023Phillies;VicPower,1955A’s;and WadeBoggs,1990RedSox.
Diazhaseightcareersteals,lastonSept.7,2022.
OneoftheRays’ projectedbenefitsfromanew stadiumislarger crowds.Between howtheyplayed onthefield,the introduction oflower-pricedtickets(somefor$10agameand anall-games,standing-room-onlypassfor$49a month/$249allseason)andotherfactors,theysaw anearly30%increaselastseasonfrom2022.That wasoneoftheirlargestyear-over-yearhikes,andthe totalof1,440,301wastheirbestsince2014.
Hetakesdifferentpathstoget there,butRandyArozarenahas beenamodelofconsistency sincejoiningtheRaystostayin 2021,reachingthe20-homer, 20-stealmarkineachofhis threefullseasons.Hewasthe firstplayertodosoasarookie andineachofhisnexttwoseasons,andisoneofonlythree playersmajors-widetogo20-20 thelastthreeseasons,joining Cleveland’sJoseRamirezand Philadelphia’sTreaTurner.The MLBrecordforconsecutive 20-20seasonsisnine,byBarry Bonds(1990-98)
KevinCashisonly46,andongooddaysdoesn’tlookit,promptingsomeof hiscolleaguestojokethathemusthavehadworkdone.
ButCashisanoldmanbystandardsofhisjob.Byenteringhis10thseason, heisthelongest-tenuredmanagerwithhiscurrentteaminthemajors.
ComeThursday’sopener healsowillhavemanagedtheRayslongerthan JoeMaddon,whowent754-705(.517)andmadefourtripstothepostseasoninhisnineseasons.
Cashhasabetterrecord 739-617(.545),withfivepostseasonappearances thoughhehasmanaged103fewergames,primarilyduetotheabbreviated2020season.
Withhis16thwinthisseason,CashwillsurpassMaddonasthewinningest managerinfranchisehistory TheotherthreeareLouPiniella,HalMcRae andLarryRothschild.
Aftermovingweekday gametimesupfrom thepreviouslystandard 7:10to6:40lastyear,the Raysaresplittingthedifferenceforthisseason, shiftingto6:50.Team officialsarehopingthe extra10minutesonthe frontendhelppeople comingfromTampaand elsewhere,butdoesn’t impacttheearlyreturn homethatfanssaidthey enjoyed.
TajBradley’sspringpectoral musclestraindidn’thelp,buta narrativefortheRayspitching staffthroughthefirsthalforsoof theseasonwillbetotrytohang on.That’sbecausetheRaysare expecting withsurgeryrehabs therealwayshastobeaqualifier togetthreeprettygoodpitchersbackduringthesecondhalf oftheseason:ShaneBaz,Drew RasmussenandJeffreySprings. Ifso,itwillbesimilartoabountiful trade-deadlinehaul.
Thereareacoupleofnewfacesinthe Raysdugout.MichaelJohnstakesover asfirstbasecoach,afteroneyearas Triple-Amanager,asChrisPrietowas letgo.AlsonewareBobbyKinne,who movedfromadvancedscoutingtothe newpositionofpitchingstrategist,and KrisGoodman,whomovesupfrom theminorstobecomeprocessand developmentcoachandhandlementalperformancematters.Missingare processandanalyticscoachJonathan Erlichman,whomovedbacktothefront office,andassistanthittingcoachDan DeMent,whowasletgo.
Dependingontherostermovesduringtheseason,theRayscouldhave playersfrom11countriesbesidestheUnitedStates.Amongthem:
Australia:CurtisMead
Canada:TrevorBrigden, TristanPeters
Colombia:HaroldRamirez
Cuba: RandyArozarena,YandyDiaz
Dominican Republic: Junior Caminero,FranciscoMejia,Amed Rosario,RonnySimon,JoseSiri
Japan: NaoyukiUwasawa
Mexico:JonathanAranda, IsaacParedes,ManuelRodriguez
Nicaragua:ErasmoRamirez
Panama:JoseCaballero
Taiwan: YuChang
Venezuela: OsleivisBasabe, RenePinto
24 THINGS continued from 4X
ZachEflinwillbethe16thdifferentopeningdaystarterthe Rayshaveusedin27seasons. Here’sthelist,withthenumber oftimestheydidit:
4: ChrisArcher,JamesShields
3:DavidPrice
2: WilsonAlvarez,ScottKazmir, ShaneMcClanahan
1: DewonBrazelton,Tyler Glasnow,JoeKennedy,Albie Lopez,CharlieMorton,Blake Snell,TanyonSturtze,Steve Trachsel,VictorZambrano
Inanidealworld,WanderFrancowouldbeheading,atjust23, intohisthirdfullseason,seeking tomakeasecondstraightAllStarappearanceandestablish himselfasoneofthegame’s bestall-aroundplayers.Instead, hisstatusforthisseason,and maybeanyseason,remains uncertain.Hefaceslegalissues inhisnativeDominicanRepublicstemmingfromanalleged relationshipwitha14-year-old girl,andthere’sthepotentialfor asuspensionbyMLBpending theoutcomeofthecase
JUNIOR PARTNER
TheRayshaveoneofthe game’snextpotentiallygreat youngplayersinJunior Caminero,a20-year-old infielderwithanexplosive bat.Caminerowassent downinmidMarchtoget readyfortheTriple-Aseason, havingbeencalledupinSeptemberstraightfromDouble A,withafocusonimproving hisdefense. Histimelinetoreturntothe majorswillbebasedoninjuriesatthebig-leaguelevelas wellasperformance his andthecurrentRays.Wheneverhedoescomeup,the Rayswillexpecthimtostay foralongtime
BrandonLoweisinlineto makehisfourthstraight openingdaystartatsecond base,whichwouldbethe mostinfranchisehistory. Onlyahandfulofplayers havemademore(andnot necessarilyconsecutively)atanyposition:Evan Longoria,thirdbase,nine; CarlCrawford,leftfield, eight;KevinKiermaier,centerfield,seven;TobyHall, catcher,five.
Thoughtheywillbemissingafew speedstersatthestartoftheseason duetoinjury,theRaysplantospend alotoftimeontherun.Theystole 160baseslastseason fourthmost inthemajors,thirdbestinfranchise historybehindacoupleoftheCarl Crawford/BJUptonyears witha 79.6successratethatwastheirsecondbestever.
WithArozarena,JoseSiriandAmed Rosarioreadytorun,andJoshLowe, TaylorWallsandJonnyDeLuca expectedbackfrominjuriesrelativelysoon,theyshouldbeonthefly.
IVY CEBALLO | Times
Junior Caminero likely will have more staying power in his next callup to the bigs.
TheRayswillmaketheirfirstvisitsto facetheDodgersandRockiessince 2019.Withtheadventoftheschedule formatlastseason,therewillnolongerbeanysuchextendedgaps,as teamswillvisitopposing-leaguecities everyotheryear.
TheRayswon’tseetheYankees(or theRedSoxforthatmatter)atthe TropinApril,whichiskindofunusual.ButthenitwillbeNewYork,New YorktimeastheMetsvisitMay3-5 andtheBronxBombersMay10-13
LUCKY 13
Everyteamtalksaboutgettingofftoagoodstarteachseason TheRays turnedactionintowordslastyear despitethedisruptionofsplittingspring trainingamongfoursites inwinningtheirfirst13games.Thattiedthe1982 Bravesand1987Brewersforthebeststartinmodernmajor-leaguehistory, andwasbehindonlythe20-0performancebythe1884St.LouisMaroons.
TheRays’early-seasonscheduledoesn’tseemtootaxing exceptforthe packingconundrumofanearlyApriltriptoDenverandAnaheim getting13 daysoffwhileplaying96gamesbeforetheAll-Starbreak. Buttheyhadbetterberestedfromthere,playingtheirfinal66gamesin73 days,includingtheirfinal42in45days(plusanypotentialmakeups).That stretchincludesback-to-backthree-citytrips,toOakland-LosAngeles-Seattle onAug.19-28,thentoBaltimore-Philadelphia-ClevelandonSept.6-15.
Among17promotionalgiveawaysplannedthisseason,the highlightlookstobetheFlappy Boizip-uphoodie.It’seasierto seethanexplain,butithasthat cultfollowingvibelikewhenthe RaysgaveoutDJKittyonesies.
Incelebratingtheirfirst25 seasons,theRayslastyear launchedateamHallofFame, inductinganinauguralclass ofDonZimmer,CarlCrawford andWadeBoggs.Theywilladd twomoremembersthisyear: formerradiobroadcasterDave Wills,whodiedlastyear on April14,andoriginalRayand TampanativeFredMcGriff,who wasinductedintoCooperstown lastyear,onSept.1.
AmongformerRayswhowere tradedorleftotherwise,here isalistwiththeirnewteams (asofMarch20):JalenBeeks, Rockies;ChristianBethancourt Marlins;VidalBrujan,Marlins; YonnyChirinos,Marlins;Jake Diekman,Mets;CalvinFaucher, Marlins;JoshFleming,Pirates; TylerGlasnow,Dodgers; AndrewKittredge,Cardinals; ManuelMargot,Twins;Luke Raley,Mariners;Robert Stephenson,Angels
‘WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE BROADCAST …’
Thoughthere hasbeendiscussionabout afuturedeal withAmazon Prime,Rays gameswillbe shownonTV andstreaming thisyearjust astheyhave inthepast,via BallySports Suncableand theBallyapp. Andthefacesdoingthetalkingwillbe prettymuchthesame,withthecrewled byDewayneStaats,whoisheadinginto his49thseasoninthemajors,andBrian Anderson.
AlsoonTVwillbeTriciaWhitaker,Doug Waechter,RichHollenberg,MattJoyce, DenardSpanandRyanBass.Theradio teamsreturnsintact,withAndyFreed,Neil SolondzandChrisAdams-Wallonthecall. TheSpanishradioteamisalsothesame, withEnriqueOliuandRicardoTaveras. Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com
Follow @TBTimes_Rays.
PORT CHARLOTTE
Histor y dictates that the start of a revolution can be hard to define.
Eduardo Pé rez believes he was not only a witness, but a participant. It was the start of the 2005 season for the struggling Devil Rays, who had lost 90-plus games in each of their first seven seasons.
Andrew Friedman, one of three employees embedded in the front office representing the new Stuart Sternberg-led ownership group that would assume control after the season, took his a walk through the Tropicana Field clubhouse packed with the players.
“People don’t know this, but I actually remember saying to him, ‘Look, we have no (cell phone) signal in here is there any way we can get WiFi?’ ” Pérez recalled. “So the first thing he did was put in WiFi. I was like, ‘This is cool.’ That was a game changer for the players.” And Pé rez the n a ve ter a n reser ve infielder/outfielder, currently an ESPN broadcaster quickly realized it was just the start of things to come.
“That was the first time that we saw a difference in the era,” he said. “From there, we knew that it was going to be more advanced when it comes to the metrics, more advanced where the information was coming from, that they were going to listen to the players. It was going to be different. It had to be a different formula to try to compete against the big boys in this division.”
Sternberg’s group took over from original owner Vince Naimoli in October 2005 and needed a couple seasons to implement its extensive plan. “To re-jigger, Sternberg called it, admitting now “we were the first tanking team, basically.”
In 2008, they made a very public declaration that things had changed, at least cosmetically, rebranding the entire franchise in terms of name colors, logos and attitude.
Then under quirky new manager Joe Maddon and a low payroll squad of mostly unheralded players tired of losing, they showed things were also different on the field, making a stunning run to the World Series.
The Rays era had begun.
And the game has never been the same.
“Since 2008 so it’s not like we’re cherry picking a few years here we’ve had the third-best record in all of baseball. Better than the Cardinals. Better than the Red Sox. Better than the Astros,” Sternberg said. “Now, we’ve got no championships, I get it. But the Dodgers have won one in the last, what 36 years? And they beat us (in 2020) Maybe we’re a healthy (reliever) Nick Anderson away from being World Series champions at this point.
“It’s crazy Just crazy.”
What the Rays have done, with a payroll annually among the game’s smallest often barely a third of their big-market rivals and a regularly rotating roster is remarkable enough.
Their 1,355-1,1,25 (.548) record over the last 16 seasons is behind only the Dodgers and Yankees Their nine postseason appearances in that span, including two pennants, match the fourth most. They’ve had two Cy Young award winners, four Rookies of the Year and four top managers.
But the better story, the one that may never be fully shared, is how
What is the Rays Way?
There is no simple answer
From interviews with more than 20 baseball executives, staff and players, there do seem to be some general themes.
How they collect, process and implement data. The way they treat people and create a relaxed culture. A willingness to try different things and be pliable in their plans.
One area that stands out is the quality of the information the Rays gather analytical, statistical, scouting, background and how they interpret and apply it.
As teams have caught up to the Rays, upgrading technology and building out staffs, much of the data has become somewhat similar league wide and commonly shared.
But the Rays still have advantages in how they apply it, specifically in the final stage of getting it to the players in usable form.
“Guys from other organizations always ask, ‘What’s the secret sauce?’ said reliever Shawn
Armstrong “I tell them, ‘There’s no secret sauce.’ It’s just the personalization from top to bottom. The simplicity of the things they give each individual. And the culture they built here is special Everyone’s on the same page.”
Another edge is how the Rays, through data and scouting, routinely identify overlooked and undervalued players, from the lowest levels of the minors to major-league free agents and trade candidates, and find ways to maximize their talent and production. “They’re master evaluators,” starter Zach Eflin said.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sees their use
of information as one of their distinct edges.
“I think that the Rays have used analytical tools probably more effectively than any organization in baseball,” he said. “They have focused on efficiency because of their limited economic resources and have done a phenomenal job with the resources they have available.”
Several former and current Rays employees say the bigger advantage may be in the people they have, and the way from Sternberg down they do their business.
“The Rays Way is people and culture,” said Peter Bendix, who worked his way from intern to general manager during 15 years in the front office, then left in November to run the Marlins.
“Truly It is having really good people, and a really good culture and putting those people in position to succeed, to develop and to grow.”
And that leads to winning games?
“Absolutely,” Bendix said. “Everything stems from that. If you don’t have good people, and you don’t have a good culture, you’re going to have all sorts of things that prevent you from winning games. That’s the Rays Way, the secret sauce.”
Those people, and that culture, impact the team in different ways.
Stability is one. Though the roster is churned regularly, team executives like Friedman (who went to the Dodgers after 2014) and Bendix have been poached, and several coaches have been hired away as managers,
the top tier of management Sternberg and team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman have remained in place.
As have their guiding principles, such as being patient rather than reactionary, remaining loyal and promoting from within. For example, Erik Neander the current baseball operations president started as in intern in 2007
“That stability is something that I think a lot of organizations strive for,” said Derek Shelton, the Rays’ hitting coach from 2010-16 and now the Pirates manager “I think since Stu took over that’s been the Rays Way. I can speak from experience we went through some lean years there offensively and the fact that I was there seven years. They are very loyal to their people, and I think that starts at the top. That’s probably the gold standard of the Rays Way.”
There are other identifying threads that wind through the organization.
Communication and collaboration. Positivity and humility. Honesty A family atmosphere. Open dialogue and office doors.
“It’s a special culture we have here,” said bench coach Rodney Linares, who spent 21 years with the Astros before coming to Tampa Bay. “It’s unique.”
Some of the methodologies get all the way to the players, many of whom talk often about how things are different with the Rays.
“Nothing against Cleveland, that organization there is good But when I was there, I didn’t feel the family environment that we have here, or even more than family, whatever that word is,” said team MVP Yandy Diaz, acquired in a December 2018 trade, via Rays communications director Elvis Martinez.
“They make you feel really and then they make you player in the world. And the In creating that positive sphere, the Rays also find duction by determining the talent they have at the time. Rather than force a pla going to work well, they will tion. Or if the personnel on style of play.
“The team has an excellent trying to accomplish, and ing those problems, and building ball teams,” said Twins manag former Rays player, executive “They don’t have a partic It’s many, many, many differ decide which one is going instance.
“The Rays Way is whate A SYSTEM TO ADMIRE, AND ENVY Neander encourages th to toss out different ideas sion. “It’s that mindset of allowed to fail if you’re trying Kevin Cash said. “It’s OK If win that one time, we learn Sternberg espouses a similar both a “no-blame approach bragging over individual cr He considers the team
really comfortable first off, you feel like you’re the best they support you that way. positive and supportive atmond ways to maximize prothe best ways to utilize the time. player into a role that isn’t will change the job descripon hand warrants it, their cellent idea of what they’re they’re really good at solvbuilding really good basemanager Rocco Baldelli, a utive and coach. ticular path that they take. ferent paths. And they just ing to work in each given ver is going to work.”
ADMIRE,
e baseball operations staff with no fear of repercusof showing people you are ying to get it right,” manager If we fail nine times and we learn something from it. similar philosophy, citing approach” for mistakes and no credit for success. team “a flat organization”
where employees don’t feel they are rungs below the decision makers. More “horizontal, not vertical, he said. And he believes strongly that while they change methodologies and adjust their practices, the team philosophy and approach remain consistent overall. “We haven’t wavered off it,” he said. “We don’t change anything dramatic. We make tweaks, tweaks, tweaks, tweaks.” He models it more like a Japanese style of management.
“They ask everybody to just improve things by .01% or .1%, and if you do a lot of that it adds up to a good amount of change over time,” he said. “As opposed to the American way, which is necessary a
lot of times, where it’s just one big ‘That’s it, we’ve got to switch lanes, switch gears.
Understandably, the success the upstart Rays have had becomes a major topic within the industry Big-market teams don’t like how the Rays take their revenue sharing money and beat them Other small-market teams want to be more like the Rays.
Twins top executive Joe Pohlad, in a radio interview last month, addressed his team’s reduction in payroll by mentioning the Rays and pointing out “there are other ways to win.
Players union chief Tony Clark, whose charge includes maximizing pay for his constituents, naturally isn’t a fan of that approach, noting that teams ultimately need to pay for good players to win.
“It’s always interesting when one organization sees another organization do something and assumes that it can be mimicked in a short period of time,” Clark said. “There are people that are very good at certain things that for others, no matter if you think you have the secret sauce, doesn’t manifest itself the same way.
“There’s a reason that the Rays have succeeded and no one else has in the same type of conversation. History would suggest that staring from the outside in and this belief that in a copycat league you can simply cut and paste, it just doesn’t work that way.”
Even some of the Rays’ division rivals admire what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.
“I think it’s incredible,” said Orioles general manager Mike Elias, a former Astros executive. “They have a culture, being loose, playing hard, not worrying about who’s coming and going on the roster, whether it’s injury or free agency, or making an uncomfortable trade at a deadline.
“Cash has those guys just playing without any of that stuff on their mind. And they’ve done it for so long that I think it’s the kind of thing that’s it’s a culture that they’ve built up. It’s almost the mindset that they have.
“You know when you’re going in to play them, regardless of who’s on the team and it’s often somebody that they picked up the night before that they’re going to just play well that day. It’s pretty impressive.
Or you could say, it’s the Rays Way.
Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com
Follow @TBTimes_Rays.
Which Tampa Bay staffer was a first-round draft pick in 1999? Player who has been with the team the longest? Reliever who holds an MLB strikeout mark?
BY MARC TOPKIN Times Staff WriterABoston bias
AaronCivale,whogrewupinNew Englandandstilllivesthereintheoffseason,hasbeeninthemajorsforparts offiveseasonsandhaspitchedagainst theRedSoxinCleveland,theDominican Republic,FortMyersandSt Petersburg, butstillnotinBoston.Whenhefaced theminFortMyersina2015spring-openingexhibition,hewasasophomoreat NortheasternandstruckoutMikeNapoli, DavidOrtizandHanleyRamirez.
Brothers act, Part I OutfielderJoshLowejokesthathe hassomecatchinguptodo,asolder brotherNathanielbeathimtothemajors (bothweredraftedbytheRaysin2016) earnedSilverSluggerandGoldGlove awardsfirst,andgottocelebratea WorldSerieschampionshipfirst They playedtogetherin2017intheRays’ minor-leaguesystem,andfacedoffin themajorstwiceduringthe2023regularseason,thenagainintheWildCard SeriesthatTexaswon.
Brothers act, Part II
NewrelieverPhilMatonhastwoyoungerbrotherswhoplayproball.Jacob isaminor-leaguepitcherintheTexas organization;Nickisaninfielderwhohas playedinthemajorsforthePhilliesand
Tigers,andwasincampthisspringwith theOrioles.Theyhavesquaredoffonce inthemajors,withNicksinglingoffPhil onOct.5,2022.
Brothers act, Part III
NewoutfielderRichiePalacioshasbaseballinhisblood,withuncleReyplaying inthemajorsanddadRichardinthe minors.OlderbrotherJoshhasplayedin themajorswiththeJaysandNationals, andhewasonthePirates’40-manrosterthisspring.Theyplayedtogetheron theNetherlandsteaminthe2023World BaseballClassicandagainsteachother inthemajorslastAugust,whenRichie waswiththeCardinals.
Brothers-in-law act WhentheRaysareplayingtheTwins, infielder/outfielderAmedRosariohas somefamilybusinesstoattendto MinnesotainfielderWilliCastroismarried toRosario’ssister,Aniana.Rosarioand Castrohadsomeextrabondingtime whenthe2020pandemicshutdown springtraining,astheysharedanapartmentinTampa,takingturnscooking andplayingvideogames.
Circle of life, Part I
KyleSnyderwasapromisingright-handedpitcheratSarasota’sRiverviewHigh whentheRaystookaflyerbydrafting himinthe27thround.Heoptedtogoto collegeatNorthCarolina,asexpected, anditpaidoffashewasafirst-round pickbytheRoyalsin1999.Though injurieslimitedSnyder’sprocareer,he madehiswaybacktotheRays,signing onasaminor-leaguecoachin2012and climbingtothemajor-leaguepitching coachjobforthe2018season.Heenters hisseventhseasonwithareputationas oneofthegame’sbest.
Circle of life, Part II
PitcherJacobWaguespackmadehis major-leaguedebutatTropicanaField onMay27,2019,pitchingforToronto andcappingaclimbthroughtheminors aftersigningwiththePhillies(going undraftedin2015outoftheUniversity ofMississippi).Afterspendingthelast twoseasonsinJapanpitchingforOrix, heissettomarkhisreturntothemajors attheTrop,withthefirstfourgames againsttheJays.
Did someone mention Casper?
FirstbasemanYandyDiazisthemost physicallyintimidatingRay,standing 6-2and235poundswithbulgingbiceps andchestmusclesheworksondaily. Butdon’tbringupthesubjectofghosts aroundhim,becausehemaygetupand run.Diaz’sfearbecamewellknownin 2022whentheRaysmadeatriptoMilwaukeeandstayedatthePfisterHotel, whereplayerspreviouslyhaveclaimed toexperienceparanormalactivity.
Different path
JoseCaballerogrewupinPanama, whichhasproduced80big-leaguers, mostnotablyHallofFamersRodCarew andMarianoRivera Healsoplayed basketball,soccerandvolleyball,but baseballwashispassion,andeventually afterastintatChipolaCollegeinthe Floridapanhandle hisprofession.
Director of directing
TheRaystendtobecreativeinmany facetsofthegame,andthatincludes creatinginterestingtitlesforsomeof theirpersonnel.Herearefivethatstand outontheirrosterofteamofficials:
Applied physiologist:JillianHawkins
Biomechanical analyst:DylanCrocker
Chief people & community officer: JenniferLynTran
Coordinator, vision science: Vishnu Sarpeshkar
Director, predictive modeling:Taylor Smith
First love
PitcherZachEflingrewupintheOrlando areaasaRaysfan,makingoccasional tripsovertoseegames.Hewasexcited bythepossibilityofplayingforhisfavoriteteamafterworkingoutfortheRays attheTroppriortothe2012draft,andhe admittedtobeing“alittleheartbroken” whentheyinsteadtookRichieShaffer withtheNo.25pick.Elevenyearslater, Eflingothiswish,signingathree-year dealwiththeRaysbeforethe2023season.
Girl dad x 4
RelieverJasonAdammakesnopretense,andplentyofjokes,aboutbeing intheminorityathome,asheandwife Kelseynowhavefourdaughters5and under:Kinsley,Joelle,SelahandRaelynn.Kelseychroniclesmanyoftheir familyadventuresonherInstagram account,@thetravelingwife_
Hey, old-timer
BrandonLoweisthelongest-tenuredplayer onthebig-leagueteam,havingmadehis debutfortheRaysonAug.5,2018 after beinga2015draftpick.Buttheplayeronthe 40-manrosterwhohasbeenintheorganizationthelongestiscatcherRenePinto, whosignedasa16-year-oldoutofVenezuelaonOct.1,2013.Hedidn’tplayinhisfirst big-leaguegameuntilApril26,2022.
Golden Knight
HittingcoachChadMottolawasthefirst playerinUCFhistorytobedraftedinthe firstroundwhentheRedsin1992tookhim fifthoverall onepickbeforetheYankees draftedaguynamedDerekJeter.Mottola hitonlyfourhomersinthemajors,thelast one,fortheOrioles,offcurrentRaysTVanalystBrianAnderson(onJune30,2004).
Hey, Siri
CenterfielderJoseSiriisaprettyflashy playerasitis,withhisshinyjewelry,dazzlingspeedandswaggyattitude.Hehas thenicknametobackitup:ElRayo,which translatessimply,andappropriately,to lightning.
Another form of March Madness
RyanPepiotplayedbasketballbecausehe hadto;hedidgrowupinIndianaafterall. HestayedlocaltoattendButlerUniversity andisoneofsevenBulldogstoreachthe majors WhentheDodgersmadehima third-roundpickin2019,hebecamethe highest-draftedBulldog,surpassingPat Neshek,asixth-roundpickin2002.
I’ll be right there …
TheRaysacquiredcatcherAlexJackson fromtheBrewers’Triple-Ateaminan Aug.1deadlinedaytradeforpitcherEvan McKendry,whowaswithTriple-ADurham Conveniently,theteamswereplaying eachotherinNashville,sotheplayersjust changedclubhouses.
It’s all Randy’s Land
OutfielderRandyArozarenahadseveral brusheswithfameduringtheoffseason.He wasname-droppedbyworld-widerapsensationBadBunnyinthesongNadieSabe, traveledtoMiamitoattendTravisScott’s concertandmeetwithhimaboutasecretfor-nowcollaboration,wasphotographed withHallofFamerKenGriffeyJr.(bothwith theirarmscrossedin“TheRandy”pose) inwhatlookedtobeanadphoto,hosteda “RandyFest”eventinMexicowithseveral bands,didasnazzyfashionshootasone ofGQMexico’sMenoftheYear,metwith MexicanpresidentAndresManuelLopez Obrador,anddidTVworkattheCaribbean Series.
K club
Left-handerTylerAlexanderdoesn’thave overpoweringstuff,butthatdidn’tkeep himfromsettingamajor-leaguerecordthat wouldbemorebefittingofafireballer.PitchingforDetroitin2020,hestruckoutthefirst nineRedsbattershefaced,themostina rowbyareliever.
Man from Down Under
InfielderCurtisMeadisinasmallgroup, oneofonly37Australianstoplayinthe majors.Evenrarerisjust12othershave beenpositionplayers.OnlycatcherDave Nilssonwasconsideredanimpactplayer.
Nerd alert
RelieverPeteFairbankshasnoproblem withsomeofhishobbies buildingLEGO sets,readingoldcomicsandcollecting Pokemoncards beingdescribedasabit nerdy.Afterall,hescored34(outofapossible36)onhisACTandstudiedmechanical engineeringatMissouriwithhopes,ifhe didn’tplayproball,ofworkingforBoeing designingaircrafts.
So SoCal …
OutfielderJonnyDeLucagrewupinSouthernCalifornia,rootingfortheDodgers(with whomheplayedbeforebeingtradedtothe RaysinDecember),anddoingallkindsof othernativethings,likesurfing,golfing,biking,snorkelingandplayingguitar.Healso earnedthenicknameQuadzillabasedon hislower-bodystrength.
Rays’ managing tree
KevinCash,whospentpartof2005asa DevilRayscatcher,isamongsevenformer TampaBayplayerstogoontomanage: OzzieGuillen(withRaysin2000):managedWhiteSox(2004-11),Marlins(2012)
•MickeyCallaway(1999-01):managed Mets(2018-19)
•GabeKapler(2009-10):managedPhillies (2018-19),Giants(2020–23)
DaveMartinez(1998–2000):manages Nationals(2018–current)
•RoccoBaldelli(2003-08,2010):manages Twins2019-current)
StephenVogt(2012):managesGuardians (2024-current)
FormerRayscoacheswhobecame managersincludeCharlieMontoyo,Matt QuatraroandDerekShelton.
Veep alert
TheRays’staffdirectorylists18vicepresidents.ThatincludesVPsofaccounting (PatrickSmith);administration(John Higgins);baseballsystems(BrianPlexico); broadcasting&communications(DeAnna SheffieldWard);communications&baseballinformation(JasonWallace);communications&publicaffairs(DevinO’Connell); corporatepartnerships(AnthonyRioles); creative&brand(WarrenHypes);diversity, equity&inclusion(StephenThomas);fan experience(EricWeisberg);marketing (PatrickAbts);planning&development (RobbieArtz);process&analytics(JonathanErlichman);ticketsales&service(Jeff Tanzer);andfourassistantgeneralmanagers(WillCousins,KevinIbach,Chanda Lawdermilk,CarlosRodriguez)
TheRayspridethemselvesonhiringstaff withdiverseandnon-traditionalbaseball backgrounds.Highatopthatlisthastobe vicepresidentandassistantgeneralmanagerWillCousins.HecametotheRays afterearningamathdegreeatPepperdine andaPhDinappliedmathatNorthCarolinaState,andspendingthreeyearsatMIT researchingoceanwaves.
PitcherTajBradleygrewupinGeorgia, attendingRedanHighoutsideAtlanta.If thatsoundsfamiliar,itmaybebecause ithasproducedsixothermajor-leaguers, includingAll-StarsWallyJoyner,Brandon PhillipsandDomonicBrown(thoughthe latterspentthreeyearsatPascoHigh). AnotherwasMiltHill,whopitchedparts offourseasonsinthemajorsandthen becameascout,workingfortheRays. Amongtheplayershesigned?Bradley.
You can call me Chris or RelieverChrisDevenskihasatleasttwo nicknames.Oneis“TheDragon,”which currentRaysbenchcoachRodneyLinares gavehimwhenbothwereintheAstros’ minor-leaguesystem.Theotheris“Devo,” fortheNewWavebandthatwaspopular inthe1980s.Thereisalsoanicknamefor Devenski’simpressivechangeup,which pastteammateshavecalledthe“Circleof Death.
Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays
The Rays’ division competition is fierce, but where do each of the five franchises stand entering the new season?
2023 RECORD: 101-61
(PECOTA* projects 86.2 wins)
KEYADDITIONS:RHPCorbin
Burnes,RHPCraigKimbrel
LOSSES: RHPKyleGibson, OFAaronHicks,2BAdam Frazier,RHPJackFlaherty, RHPShintaroFujinami
WithAdleyRutschman, GraysonRodriguezandGunnarHendersoncomingofage lastseasontoleadtheOrioles totheALEasttitle,whenwill JacksonHollidaybetheir every-daysecondbaseman?
Thesonofformerbig-leaguer MattHollidayisforcingthe issuethisspring.Thefirst pickofthe2022draft,he’s thelatestofacoreofposition playerswhoshouldhaveBaltimoreinthemixforadivision titleforyears.
TheOriolesaddedCorbin Burnestothetopoftheir rotationandCraigKimbrelto tryandstepinforcloserFelix Bautista,arguablythebest pitcherinbaseballlastseason beforehetorehisulnarcollateralligament.
THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST is considered the toughest division in baseball by many. With a mix of top prospects, hefty payrolls, high expectations, legacies and overachievers, it feels like a heavyweight battle from the beginning of the season to the end
Still, this division was wiped out early in the playoffs last season and hasn’t had a World Series champion since the Red Sox won in 2018. As we head into opening day, a snapshot of where each of the five stand:
2023RECORD: 78-84
(PECOTA79.2)
KEYADDITIONS: INFVaughn
Grissom,RHPLucasGiolito
LOSSES:LHPChrisSale, LHJamesPaxton
Afteraquietoffseason,can Bostonemergefromthecellar?LucasGiolito,theSox’s onlybigfree-agentsigningin thewinter,alreadyhashadan internalbraceprocedurethis springandwillmisstheseason.Hewassupposedtostep intotherolevacatedbyveteranChrisSale,whowasdealt toAtlantaforpromisingyoung infielderVaughnGrissom. Withacoreofimpressive hittersledbyRafaelDevers andTristonCasas,Boston hastohopeitsoffensewill beenoughtoavoidathird straightlast-placefinishinthe division,whichlasthappened in 1930.
2023RECORD: 82-80
(PECOTA94.7)
KEYADDITIONS:OFJuan Soto,RHPMarcusStroman, OFAlexVerdugo
LOSSES:RHPFrankie Montas,CKyleHigashioka, RHPMichaelKing,INF/OF IsiahKiner-Falefa
Aftermissingthepostseason forthefirsttimesince2016,the Yankeeswerethemostactive ALEastteaminthewinter.Yet thebiggestquestionwillbe thesameasthelastfewyears: Cantheystayhealthy?
ReigningALCyYoungwinner GerritColewillmissthefirst fewmonthswithanelbow issue.AaronJudge,the2022 ALMVPwhomissed56 gameslastyearbecauseof atoeinjuryandhasahistory ofhealthissues,alreadyhas beenslowedbyanabdominal injurythisspring.
2023RECORD: 99-63 (PECOTA86.9)
KEYADDITIONS:RHPRyan Pepiot,INFJoseCaballero, INF/OFRichiePalacios, OFJonnyDeLuca,INF/OF AmedRosario
LOSSES: RHPTylerGlasnow, CChristianBethancourt,RHP RobertStephenson,OFManuelMargot
TheRayscontinuetoput togetherdangerousteams withoutbigpayrolls.Canthey doitagain?
AftertradingTylerGlasnow andwithShaneMcClanahan expectedtomisstheseason after2023TommyJohnsurgery,theRaysdon’thavea provenstarterbehindZach Eflin.Theyarehopefulthat AaronCivalewillbounceback andZackLittellandRyanPepiot,receivedinreturnfromthe DodgersintheGlasnowtrade, willestablishthemselvesasa dominantrotation.
ShaneBaz,whohaspitched40 inningsinthelastthreeyears, willbealater-in-theseason return,andtheyshouldget JeffreySpringsandDrewRasmussenbackatsomepoint.Taj Bradley,shutdownwithapectoralstraininmidMarch,could beapossibilityinMay.
2023RECORD:89-73 (PECOTA88.6)
KEYADDITIONS:DHJustin Turner,INF/OFIsiah Kiner-Falefa,RHPYariel Rodriguez
LOSSES: INFBrandonBelt, LHPHyun-JinRyu,INFMatt Chapman,RHPJordanHicks TheBlueJayshavetonsof talent,butwilltheyeverputit alltogether? Afterchasingbutfailingto landShoheiOhtaniandtrying todealforJuanSoto,Toronto willseeminglyhavetofinda newgearinternally.
Onpaper,Torontohaslooked likeacontenderwithVladimir GuerreroJr.,BoBichette, GeorgeSpringerandAlejandroKirkinthelineup,butthe resultsdon’tmatchthestar power.TheBlueJayslastwon apennantin1993.
Contact Kristie Ackert at kackert@tampabay.com
* PECOTA, which stands for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm, is Baseball Prospectus
BY MARC TOPKIN Times Staff Writer
Stuart Sternberg is entering his 19th
of the Rays,
his resume but
two major goals: a World Series championship and a new stadium. He took a few minutes during spring training for our annual offbeat Q&A (some answers have been edited forbrevityandclarity).
WhatdidyouwanttobewhilegrowingupinNewYork?
A centerfielder That didn’t go out the dooruntilIwasprobably14
Whatsportswereyoubestand worstat?
Definitely best at baseball And worst? I couldn’t skate, and I still can’t Anytime I tried to get on roller or ice skates, that just wasn’t happening four wheels twowheels,blades,didn’tmatter
Asportoranactivitythatyou’ve wantedtotry,buthaven’t?
Kayaking AmazinglyIhaven’ttriedit. I keep threatening to do it. I’m not much of swimmer, but that part doesn’t concern me. Especially being down here in St. Pete for the last four years, we need to get outandkayak.
Whatsportoractivitydid youtryandwishyouhadn’t?
Hiking I don’t love hiking
Steephikingisnotmything
What’ssomethingthatyoustillgetto showthemhowtodo?
Everythingelse?Otherthan(youngest son) Jake, teaching them about finances. Even Jake (who works in market investmentresearch)some.
Yourlatestfavoritewebsite/app?
There’s two. One is Perplexity, which is my only foray into the AI chatbots. Perplexity seems to be one that it’s almost like cheating; it really boils everything down for you. The other is A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. It’s the most amazing compilation (via podcast). He’s up to Episode 173; I started at 120 and never thought I’d listen to them all, but I’m caught up I tell anybody I come across to try it. I’ve learned so much aboutmusic.
Bestnewmusicyou’veheardlately?
Mitski LCD Soundsystem. The MagneticFields.
Newtimekilleronyourphone?
Looking at how many steps I take everyday.I’mshootingfor10,000.
Lastbookyou’veread?
(Biographer) Robert Caro’s (memoir) “Working.” It’s about how he goes throughhiswholeprocess.
Somethingthatyouneedhelpfrom yourkidstodo?
Definitely some tech stuff. The analog tech, like phones and remotes, is good. It’s more like really making good use of Google Maps, for all it has got buried in there. That can be really helpful. Ella (the of his and Lisa’s fo kids)
Lastmovieyousawina theater?
Oddly enough, “Barbie.” One of the kids wanted to go, so if the kids want to go, I go
On TV, I try to take in all the Academy Award movies as they’re going along The most recent Igotitunderthewire was “Oppenheimer” (left), which wasreally,reallygreat.
Must-seeTV?
There’s a Christian Dior show, on Apple “The New Look.” We’ve been watching that And we really liked “Slow Horses” (a spy drama), and the new seasonthatjustcameout.
Anyconcertsyou’relooking forwardto?
I just saw Bob Dylan (in early March in Clearwater). He was amazing I’ve seen him probably four times in the last 10 to 15 years, and this is by far the best he was. I was stunned. We’ll certainly see Bruce Springsteen at some point this summer
Anynewhobbiesorskillstobrag about?
I’ve actually been ironing more, how’s that?
Yourlastgreatmeal?
Fish at the Dewey Beach Bar & Grill on St. Pete Beach. We sat outside; it was reallyaperfectnight.
HaveyoutrackeddownrealNew YorkpizzayetintheSt.Petearea?
I still haven’t found anything better than the Old Northeast Tavern. I’ve heard about some reviews of Joey Brooklyn’s and Toby’s Original Little Italy I will take any recommendations.
HowaboutNewYorkbagels?
There’s two places Bella’s Bakes, which does a really good job, and St. Pete Bagel Co. That’s the only thing that touchesaN.Y.bagel.
AnynewfavoriteSt Petespots?
We’ve gone a bunch to Jack’s London Grill. They do a great job fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, a good burger, and they make freshdessertseverynight.
Threepeopleyou’dliketo seesingtheanthematthe
Trop?
James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem (right) Mitski wouldbeinteresting Andthen,obviously,theunicorn,TomWaits.
connection between the stadium and let’s call it the leftfield area, and then to the outside, to Second Avenue South. We’re designing the stadium around that experience It’s just going to be one massive, gathering, partying, fun, food andeverythingelsearea.
It’ll be as intimate as possible for something that has to fit 30,000 to 40,000 people. And what we’re planning to do with the game-day experience right outside the stadium. Something on a big scale that will be a natural place for people to be before or after games andtolingeraswell.
Aninventionyouwishyoucameup with?
People who know me pretty well have asked me, and the thing I’m most amazed by and I pretty much have with meallthetime,isasafetypin.
What’sbiggertowin anEmmy, Grammy,OscarorTonyaward?
I think the hierarchy is the Oscar, but I do think that the Tony (for Broadway theatre performance) is probably the one that’s most real in a sense, because it’s live and you’re out there. I find that thebravest.
Whattripwouldyouliketotakebut haven’tyet?
Whatarethreecoolfeaturesofthe newstadiumsite,plannedtobebuilt adjacenttotheTrop?
The biggest to me is going to be the
I’d like to go really far north on the longest day of the year just to have basically no night time. Like up to Finland or something in June andjustgothroughthat.
Ourannualwrapup: WhatSpringsteen songbestdescribes lastseason?
“Tougher Than the Rest.
Andforthisseason?
“Thunder Road.” We’re going to go withaclassic.
Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com
Follow @TBTimes_Rays
30. Colorado Rockies
In2018,theRockieswereaplayoffteamwithDJ LeMahieu,TrevorStoryandNolanArenadointhe lineup.That’sthreeAll-Starsintheir20swithGold Gloveabilityand.900OPSseasonsbehindthem.All intheinfield.AndyetColoradohasnothadawinning seasonsincethen.Theywon58gameslastyear,and maybeevenworsein2024.Ifyou’reaRockiesfan, nowmightbeagoodtimetofindanAustralianrugby teamtofollowthissummer
29. Washington Nationals
Theperfectexampleofthequestion:Whatareyou willingtopayforaring?TheNationalswentall-inwith atop-10payrollin2019andcameawaywiththefranchise’sfirstWorldSeriestitle Sincethen,they’vehad somebadluckwithinjuries,tradedawaymostoftheir starsandhavehada.397winningpercentageacross fourseasons.Wasitworthit?Um,yeah.Andnowthe nextgenerationofstars JamesWoodandDylan Crews shouldbearrivingsoon.
28. Chicago White Sox
Whentradingyouraceinspringtraininglookslike thehighlightoftheseason,youknowyou’reinfora longsummer.TheWhiteSoxareclearlyinrebuilding modesoitmadesensetodealDylanCeasetothe Padresforadecenthaulofprospects.Newgeneral managerChrisGetzmadeitclearinNovemberthat Chicagowouldbebuildingforthefuturewhenhetold theChicagoSunTimes,“Idon’tlikeourteam.”CenterfielderLuisRobertJr.betternotgetcomfortable
27. Oakland Athletics
Justforgiggles,Itriednamingthelineupsforthe1974 A’sandthe2024A’s.Igoteightoutofninefrom1974 (forgotRayFosse)andoneofninefrom2024(yay, BrentRooker).Thissaystwothings:No 1,Iamoldas dirt.No.2,thecurrentA’sareintrouble Yes,Oakland isinbettershapethanlastseason,butthatain’tsayingmuch.TheAthleticslost112gamesin2023.Avoiding100losseswhilewaitingforanevictionnoticeis notanidealwaytospendthesummer.
And now there are five. With Texas winning the World Series last October, only five of the 30 MLB franchises are without a ring The Rangers who began life as the second version of the Washington Senators in 1961 had been the oldest franchise to have never won the final game of a season.
Now, that ignominious honor falls on the Padres and Brewers (1969), followed by the Mariners (1977), Rockies (1993) and Rays (1998). Colorado will need to wait a little longer, and the Padres and Brewers aren’t likely to end the streak this year, either The Mariners and Rays are long-shots, but at least they have hope.
With that in mind, here’s a totally random, occasionally snarky, and mostly reliable look at the fortunes of all 30 teams in reverse order for 2024.
26. Kansas City Royals
Yes,theRoyalshaveapotentialsuperstarinBobby WittJr.Yes,theRoyalswillfalldrasticallyshortofcontentionin2024.Buthere’swhatreallyfascinatesme: HunterRenfroeisnowinKansasCity.Since2018,Renfroehasaveraged34homerunsevery162gameswith a.776OPS.Andyethe’sbeentradedbythePadres, RedSoxandBrewers,waivedbytheAngels,released bytheRedsandnon-tenderedbytheRays.What’sa dudegottodotogetsomelove?
25. Detroit Tigers
BarryBondswalked232timesatage39 JavyBaez walked182timesfromage21to29.I’mnottryingto blameDetroit’sentire2022-23malaiseonthesix-year, $140millionfree-agentcontracttheTigersgaveBaez, butitdoesseememblematicofwhythey’vebeen stuckinlimboforaslongastheyhave.They’verushed prospects,misfiredonfreeagentsandsuffered throughthemostexpensivefarewellinhistorywhile waitingforMiguelCabrera’scontracttorunout.
24. Miami Marlins
FormerRaysgeneralmanagerPeterBendixdeserved ajobrunninghisownfrontoffice.Healsodeserved anownerbetterthanBruceSherman.Inconsecutive years,DerekJeterandKimNgvoluntarilyleftthe Marlins,presumablybecausetheywereunhappywith Sherman’svisionofthefuture.Now,it’suptoBendixto keeptheMarlinstrendingintherightdirection,using alotofthesamephilosophiesthatworkedinTampa Bay.
Letthedebatebegin.IsMikeTroutthegreatesthitter toneverplayinaWorldSeries?Obviously,Troutisonly 32andstillhastimeremainingbuttheoddsarenotin hisfavorifhedoesn’tgetoutofAnaheimsoon.NohitterhasahighercareerWAR(85.2)thanTroutwithout aWorldSeriesappearanceonhisresume.Thenext closestareKenGriffeyJr.(83.8)andRodCarew(81.2). TheAngelsmadeasolidmovehiringRonWashington asmanager,buttheorganizationisstillamess.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
ThePirateshavepieces.OutfielderBryanReynoldsis RandyArozarenawithouttheswag.ShortstopOneil Cruzisastarwaitingtobustout.HenryDavisandPaul SkenesarebothformerNo.1pickswithbrightfutures. AndyetPittsburghisagainacandidatetofinishinlast place.Why?Becausethereneverseemstobeacommitmentbyownershiptotakethenextstep,whether that’sthroughpayrollorevenalevelofexpectation.
21. Cincinnati Reds
Foraboutamonthlastyear,EllyDeLaCruzwasall anyonecouldtalkabout.Ashortstop/thirdbaseman switch-hitterwithablow-your-mindcomboofpower andspeed,hehit.307witha.523sluggingpercentage andninestolenbaseshisfirstmonthinthemajorsat age21.Butafterweturnedourheads,hehit.213witha .377sluggingpercentagetherestoftheyear.Ifhefiguresouthowtobemoreconsistentfromtherightside oftheplate,theRedscouldcontend.
20. Chicago Cubs
AgooddealofChicago’shopesrestonwhetherCody Bellingercanrepeathisbounce-backperformance oflastseason.Andthemetricsaredoubtful.Bellinger hada.525sluggingpercentagewithahard-hitpercentageof31.4.Thosenumbersdonotmatchup ManuelMargot,forinstance,hadahard-hitrateof 38%buthissluggingpercentagewas.376 Therewas somethingfunkyaboutBellinger’sseason andthe Cubshadbetterhopeitwasn’tafluke.
19.
Ifyouhaven’tbeenpayingattention,RedSoxfansare cranky.Andjustifiablyso.SincewinningtheWorld Seriesin2018,Bostonis356-352.FormerRaysexec ChaimBloomoverhauledtheorganization,lowered payroll,rebuiltthefarmsystemandwasrewardedby beingfired.BoSoxexecspromisedtheywouldoperate “fullthrottle”thisoffseasonandthendidverylittle spending.What’stheover/underonhowmanytimes wehear“fullthrottle”atFenwayin2024?
18. New York Mets
SoPeteAlonsois88plateappearancesshyof3,000for hiscareerandhehas192homeruns.Doyouknowwho hitmorehomerunsintheirfirst3,000plateappearances?NotBarryBonds.OrHenryAaronorBabeRuthorWillieMaysorKenGriffeyJr.Thatdoesn’tmeanAlonsowill betheall-timehomerunking basedonageandsize, hemaystruggletoreach500 butwearegettingtowitnessaprettyawesomepowerhitterinhisprime And,oh yeah,he’ssixmonthsawayfromfreeagency.
17. Milwaukee Brewers
Coveryoureyes,Raysfans.Thisisthenightmarescenario youdonotwanttoentertain.TheBrewershavemade theplayoffsfiveofthelastsixyearswithsmallishpayrolls andforwardthinkingbutmayfinallybeheadingtowarda reckoning.TheylostmanagerCraigCounselltotheCubs, theytradedaceCorbinBurnestotheOrioles,Brandon Woodruffisoutfortheyearaftershouldersurgery,andMilwaukeenoislongerlookinglikethenerdswhooutsmart thebulliesforplaygrounddomination.
16. San Diego Padres
A.J.PrellertookoverasGMbeforethe2015season.Since then,thePadreshavehadfivemanagers,threewinning seasons,twoplayoffappearancesandnopennants despitethreeseasonswithatop-10payroll.ErikNeander tookovertheRaysfrontofficetwoyearslater.Sincethen, theRayshavehadonemanager sixwinningseasons,five playoffappearanceandonepennantdespitenoseasons inthetop-10payroll.Justsaying
15. San Francisco Giants
Onthelistofpitcherswithatleast550inningsandanERA+ of130ormoresince2021,you’llfindtheusualsuspects. There’sSandyAlcantara,GerritCole,CorbinBurnesand ZackWheeler.Youknowwhoelseisonthelist?Logan Webb.TheGiantsright-handerisn’tflashyanddoesn’tget alotofstrikeouts,butheconsistentlyprovidesaround30 startswithanERAjustasmidgeabove3.00.TheGiants willflirtwith85-90winsbecauseofWebb.
14. Cleveland Guardians
Here’sonestatthatrevealstwoveryimportanttruths:Jose Ramirezhasledthemajorsinintentionalwalksinbackto-backseasons.ThattellsyouRamirezisoneofthemost underratedhittersinthegame ItalsotellsyouCleveland’s lineupprovideshimnoprotection.TheGuardianscontinue totakeadvantageofthelackofcompetitionintheALCentralbyfieldingateamthatoccasionallywins90gamesbut usuallyfallsshortinthepostseason.
13. St. Louis Cardinals
TheCardinalsfinishedinlastplacein2023,theirfirsttrip tothecellarsince1990.Inbetween,theycollected17postseasonappearances,fourpennantsandtwoWorldSeries titles.Thatmayexplainwhytheydidnotsitontheirhands intheoffseason.St.Louiswentpitchershoppingand cameupwithstartersKyleGibson,SonnyGrayandLance Lynn.They’reallintheir30sbuttheyeatinnings.Andthey maymakeSt.LouistheteamtobeatintheCentral
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
YoumaybetemptedtowriteoffArizonaasadecentteam thatgothot/luckyinOctober.Andthereissometruthto that.ButitwouldbeamistaketodismisstheDiamondbacksasaflashinthepan.StartwithaCyYoungcandidate (ZacGallen)intherotation,anMVPcandidate(CorbinCarroll)inrightfieldandaGoldGlovecatcher(GabrielMoreno) andyou’vegotateamworthwatching.Theyprobably won’twinanotherpennant,butdon’twritethemoff.
11. Minnesota Twins
TheTwinshadthesixth-lowestERAinthemajorslastseason.Prettyimpressive,no?Butifyoufactorinthatincluded39gamesanda3.08ERAagainstALCentralfoesChicago ClevelandandKansasCity,whiletheirERAagainst therestoftheleaguewas4.12,itdoesn’tseemlikequite thesameaccomplishment.Still,evenwithSonnyGray jettingofftoSt.Louis,theTwinsshouldbeokaywithPablo Lopez,BaileyOberandJoeRyanintherotation.
10. Seattle Mariners
LotsandlotsofhypeabouttheBlueJaysinrecentyears, andthat’sunderstandable.YoubringupVladimirGuerreroJr.andBoBichettearoundthesametimeandpeople aregoingtonotice.ButtheMarinershavewonalmostas manygames(268)astheBlueJays(272)intheregular seasonandsweptTorontointhe2022WildCardSeries. JulioRodriguezmightbebetterthaneitherBichetteor Guerrero,andSeattlehasalsoassembledanenviable homegrownrotation.
9. Texas Rangers
Thereareonlysixmanagersinbaseballhistorywithfour ormoreWorldSeriestitles.Ofthosesix,onlyoneguided twodifferentfranchisestothecrown.And,yes,thatwould beBruceBochy.Hecameoutofretirementlastseasonto taketheRangerstotheirfirstWorldSerieschampionship upsettingtheRaysalongtheway.Bochyalsomovedinto thetop10forall-timemanagerialvictories,andcemented hisfutureenshrinementinCooperstown.
8. New York Yankees
Ofalltheamazingstatstocomeoutofabaseballseason, thisonebogglesmymind:TheYankeeshadtwohitters (AaronJudge,GleyberTorres)withanOPS+above100 in2023 Ifyou’renotaware,100isleagueaverage.That meansNewYork,withitsgazillion-dollarpayroll,hadtwo above-averagehitters.Justforcontext,theRayshadnine MaybeJuanSotochangesallofthat.Maybethepitching staffovercomesit.MaybeGMBrianCashmanisintrouble.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
NoWanderFranco?Noproblem.NoShaneMcClanahan. Noworries.NoTylerGlasnow?Nobigdeal.Someofthe biggestnamesintheRaysclubhousewillnotbeavailable in2024foravarietyofreasons,andyettheRaysarestill expectedtocontendforaplayoffspot,ifnottheALEast crown.AdvancedmetricssuggesttheRayscanstillbea 90-winteam,buttheirmarginforerrorissmallerthanusual. AninjurytoZachEflinorAaronCivalecouldbecurtains.
Contact
Thisteamiskindofold.Andexpensive.Theirtopthree pitcherslastseasonintermsofinningsarenowbetween31 and34.Morethanhalfthelineupisbetween31and33.And theyhavemoremoneycurrentlycommittedtotheir2027 payroll($121million)thantheRayshavefortheircurrent payroll.Butalongwithbeingoldandexpensive,thePhillies arealsoreally,reallygood.Still,theclockisticking.Anything lessthanaWorldSeriesappearancewillbealetdown.
Jays
Timeisrunningshort,andbillsarerunninghigh.TheBlue JayshavebeenatrendyWorldSeriespickrecently,but havelostsevenconsecutivepostseasongamessince 2016.WhileVladimirGuerreroJr.andBoBichetteare homegrownstars,Torontohasdevoted$340millionin contractstoacquireandsignKevinGausman,ChrisBassitt,JoseBerriosandYuseiKikuchifortherotation.Maybe nowthatexpectationsarestartingtowane,theBlueJays willfinallycomethrough.
4. Baltimore Orioles
SoAdleyRutschmanfinishedsecondinALRookieof theYearvotingin2022.AndGunnarHendersonwon itin2023.AndJacksonHollidayisoneoftheleading contendersin2024.AndBaltimorejustacquiredCorbin Burnes,the2021NLCyYoungAwardwinner,fromMilwaukee.So,yeah,notabadtimetobeanOriolesfan.One warningsign?TheOrioleshadan18-winimprovement to101in2023 Thatkindofdramaticuptickhistoricallyis followedbyabackslide.
3. Houston Astros
Everybody’sfavoritevillainisbackformore.BothFangraphsandBaseballProspectushastheAstrosasthetop teamintheAmericanLeague.Houstonhaswon90or moregamesinsixconsecutive(full)seasons,including four100-wincampaignswhilemixinginfourpennants andtwoWorldSeriestitles.Theirsustainedsuccess makesthe2017cheatingscandallookevenworse becauseitwassounnecessaryforsuchatalentedteam.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
First,aquestion:Howdoyouspendmorethan$1billion intheoffseasonandthengettospringtrainingandrealize somebodyforgottobuyashortstop?Realizingthisflaw, theDodgershaveplacedMookieBettsatshortstop,which isastrangemoveforaplayerhalfwaythroughaHallof Famecareer.But,ofcourse,itdoesn’tmatter.TheDodgers willwin100gameswhetherBettswinsaGoldGloveor whetherLAneedstoacquirearealshortstopinJuly.
1. Atlanta Braves
Thisfranchiseonceplayedinaballparkknownasthe LaunchingPad.Oneofthegreatesthittersinhistoryworea Bravesuniformfor21years.OfthefourMLBthirdbasemen withmorethan400homers,twowerelongtimeBraves. Andyet,they’veneverhadabetteroffensethan2023. Atlanta’s947runswerethethirdmostinNLhistoryinthe expansionera.TheBravesarebringingbackthatsamelineupandaddedChrisSaletotherotation.SeeyainOctober.
John Romano Sportscolumnist
Kristie Ackert Beatwriter
AL
NL
NL
NL
NL Division Series DodgersoverReds, BravesoverPhillies BravesoverGiants, PhilliesoverDodgers PhilliesoverBraves, DodgersoverCardinals
NL Championship Series DodgersoverBraves BravesoverPhillies PhilliesoverDodgers World Series DodgersoverOriolesBravesoverBlueJays PhilliesoverOrioles
AL MVP
JulioRodriguez, Mariners JulioRodriguez, Mariners JuanSoto,Yankees
AL CyYoung CorbinBurnes,OriolesCorbinBurnes,OriolesCorbinBurnes,Orioles
NL MVP
FreddieFreeman, Dodgers AustinRiley,Braves MookieBetts,Dodgers
NL CyYoung SpencerStrider,BravesLoganWebb,Giants ZackWheeler,Phillies
For all fans
March 28 vs. Blue Jays: Schedulemagnet
March 31 vs. Blue Jays: JoseSirireplicanecklace
April14 vs. Giants: DaveWillstropicalshirt
May 24 vs. Royals: Skateboarddeckart
June 8 vs. Orioles: Pridejersey
June 30 vs. Nationals: YandyDiazbobblehead
July12 vs. Guardians: RandyArozarenastreetwearshirt
July 28 vs. Reds:PeteFairbanksbobblehead
Aug. 9 vs. Orioles: FlappyBoizip-uphoodie
Aug.16 vs. Diamondbacks: DevilRaysSherpabuckethat
Sept.1 vs. Padres: FredMcGriffbobblehead
For fans 14 and under
May 5 vs. Mets:RandyArozarenaluchadormask
May12 vs.Yankees: Friendshipbraceletkit
May 26 vs. Royals: JoshLowesunglasses
June 9 vs. Orioles: IsaacParedessocks
July14 vs. Guardians: Sneakerkeychain
Aug.11 vs. Orioles: Shoecharms
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