After years of usually exceeding expectations caused by their low payrolls and reliance on unproven expertise and/or reclamation initiatives, the 2024 Rays have lastly had a tough season. At 74-78, they have been out of playoff competition for fairly a while and have uncharacteristically been outscored by 60 runs. This will probably be their first playoff miss since 2018, though even that season noticed them win 90 video games. That is shaping as much as be Tampa Bay’s first sub-.500 season since 2017 — a exceptional feat when contemplating the entrance workplace’s perennially restricted finances and the next roster churn that brings about.
The Rays operated as sellers on the deadline, buying and selling their most established energy bat (Randy Arozarena), two beginning pitchers (Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale), their All-Star third baseman (Isaac Paredes), considered one of their greatest relievers (Jason Adam) and a sequence of helpful function gamers (Amed Rosario, Shawn Armstrong, Phil Maton, Tyler Zuber).
Oftentimes, deadline gross sales of that magnitude function a portent for an offseason devoted to rebuilding, as not too long ago illustrated by the 2023 White Sox and the 2021-22 Nationals. That sort of rebuild, nevertheless, appears largely pointless in Tampa Bay. Even with a lineup consisting of unproven journeymen and a bunch of light-hitting, glove-first regulars (e.g. Jose Siri, Ben Rortvedt, Jose Caballero), the Rays already appear like a staff that would soar again into competition as early as subsequent season.
Let’s check out the explanations for that.
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