Philly Sports Post - Home of the PSP Podcast

On our second to last day of team previews, we cover the defending American League Champions, The Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays

Last Season’s Result: 97-65, 1st Place in the AL East, American League Champions.

Major Offseason Changes

• Added OF Matt Joyce (Trade from Detroit)
• Added LF Pat Burrell (Signed from Philadelphia)
• Added RP Brian Shouse (Signed from Milwaukee)
• Added RP Jason Isringhausen (Signed from St. Louis)
• Added RP Joe Nelson (Signed from Florida)
• Added OF Gabe Kapler (Signed from Milwaukee)
• Lost RF Rocco Baldelli (Signed with Boston)
• Lost LF Cliff Floyd (Signed with San Diego)
• Lost RF Eric Hinske (Signed with Pittsburgh)
• Lost RP Trevor Miller (Signed with St. Louis)
• Lost RF Jonny Gomes (Signed with Cincinnati)
• Lost SP Edwin Jackson (Traded to Detroit)

Letter Grades

• Offseason Moves: B The Rays did a fine job of fine tuning a good team that has its core in place. Burrell gives the team a nice right-handed power bat, and the combo of Joyce and Zobrist gives the team both depth and a fine replacement for Baldelli and Hinske.

• Rotation Grade: B The Rays had the second best staff in the AL last season, and they are poised to improve on that once David Price works his way into the rotation. This is definitely the team’s strength.

• Bullpen Grade: B The Rays had the third best bullpen in 2008, and they stand to improve on that in 2009 with a handful of free agent acquisitions, to go with Balfour, Wheeler, Howell, and Percival. Percival’s frail health is this groups weakness.

• Lineup Grade: A- An exciting young team, featuring some of the best young talent in baseball. If they play to their potential the Rays have three guys in Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and Bossman Junior Upton that could be potential MVP candidates.

Player most closely linked to team’s 2009 hopes: Troy Percival. If the veteran closer can stay healthy and stabilize the back of the Rays’ bullpen, it will help the Rays again have one of the league’s better bullpens. If Percival is often injured then the rest of the crew would have to continuously shift roles, weakening the overall quality of the unit.

Biggest Breakout Star Potential: David Price, the best pitching prospect in all of baseball will finally get a lengthy stay in the majors this season, when he does he’ll instantly have among the game’s best stuff. If he can channel that stuff into a pitching rather than throwing, he may end up the best pitcher in the AL East come September.

Best Case Scenario: The Bossman gets the power surge many expect. The pitching staff repeats last season’s success, and they find a reliable closer among their bullpen bunch. Best case is a few more wins than last year.

Worst Case Scenario: The worst case is that last season was a fluke, which is likelier than you might think. If these guys regress as feared then they could return to a team that struggles for .500.

Prediction for 2009: 93-69, 2nd place in the AL East, Wild Card entry into playoffs.

Local Thoughts

We have another twosome today, Tommy Rancel and Erik Hahmann from D Rays Bay.

By: Tommy Rancel.

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: I may be a little biased, but I would have to give Andrew Friedman and his front office an A on offseason moves. The Rays needed a right handed power bat that could handle left handed pitching and they got that in Pat Burrell at a reduced salary. Friedman also understood that a bullpen in the most volatile group on a team. Instead of being
complacent and keeping together the bullpen that was so successful in 2008, he was very aggressive in making upgrades to the pen by adding Brian Shouse and Joe Nelson. He also moved a player from a position of strength in Edwin Jackson to address a position of weakness, right field and got back a player in Matt Joyce, who could be the Rays everyday right fielder starting in 2010 and beyond.

• Most Essential: Evan Longoria. Longoria adds a 30 HR bat from the right side with gold glove caliber defense. If the Rays were to lose him to an injury, it would be really hard to replace his production, although Willy Aybar
is a very good player. It would be equivalent to the Mets losing David Wright in my opinion.

• Breakout Potential: While he already had sort of a breakout in 2007 and the 2008 playoffs, I think B.J. Upton is really going to take that next step in 2009. Upton is returning from offseason surgery, which was very similar to
Hanley Ramirez's injury in 2008. I don't think 30 home runs and 30 steals is a bad estimate for Upton in 2009 if he's 100%.

• Prediction for 2009: 96-66, 2nd place wild card.

By: Erik Hahmann

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: I'd give it a B

• Most Essential: I don't think you can peg any one player as being the most essential. The team won the American League last year with many of
its best players having down seasons.

• Breakout Potential: I believe B.J. Upton is poised to have a breakout year. He's still very young and was poised to breakout in 2008 before injuries zapped all of his power.

• Prediction for 2009: I'll say 95-67 with a second place finish and the wild card.