Tampa Bay faces new season with lots of if ’s
ST. PETERSBURG — One thing that can be said about the Tampa Bay Rays’ 25-man roster heading into today’s home opener against the New York Yankees is that it’s not what they expected it to be.
Another is that because of the injury issues that sidelined reliever Brad Boxberger, shortstop Matt Duffy and outfielder Colby Rasmus, and the spring training additions of catcher Derek Norris and outfielder Peter Bourjos, it is even more difficult to know once they start playing for real today against the Yankees what should be expected.
Are they more likely to be the 77-win last-place team Vegas oddsmakers like Bovada predict? Or the 83-win wild-card contenders the computer nerds at fangraphs.com project?
Even the Rays — and that’s from principal owner Stuart Sternberg on down — don’t seem to know for sure what to think.
“I think we have the pieces in here,” veteran team leader Evan Longoria said. “I just don’t know how they fit together yet. It’s pretty evident by us signing Norris so late in spring training and now bringing Peter Bourjos in … we’re still trying to figure it out overall.
“I think there’s plenty of talent in this room. We’re going to have to stay healthy and get healthy the guys we need to be healthy, or as quickly as we can. And hope to get some breaks early on and get some momentum going in our favor. I think that’s the most important thing out of the gate. We’re either going to know what we’ve got, or what we don’t have, real quick.”
Starting pitching looks to be their strength, though there is a strong — and legitimate — counterpoint to say it’s time for Chris Archer and Co. to show it. The defense was supposed to be better, but having to sub in Tim Beckham at short for Duffy, and needing to see Brad Miller at regular-season game speed at second, raises questions.
The biggest concern — and it could be a huge source of anxiety, and even angina — is the bullpen, exacerbated by the loss of Boxberger into May, leaving Alex Colome’s setup crew to look like Xavier Cedeno, Erasmo Ramirez, Tommy Hunter and Danny Farquhar.
The biggest swing could come from the offense, Longoria can repeat his 2016 renaissance, Miller is a true 30-homer guy, Corey Dickerson carries over his lateseason progress and spring promise, well, you get the idea.
Rays officials Friday night seemed to be down to primarily two decisions in setting a roster that is going to be in steady churn:
Whether they can find a better option or should give the final spot in the bullpen to out-of-options Jumbo Diaz; and which three players to put on the bench from the foursome of Nick Franklin, Daniel Robertson, Bourjos and Mallex Smith.