X-Rays Spex

A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

Tampa Bay Rays enter the offseason with a ton of optimism for the future

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Rays skipper Kevin Cash has a lot to look forward to going into the offseason.

A day after the Tampa Bay Rays 2019 campaign came to an end, Vice President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom, General Manager Erik Neander, and Manager Kevin Cash met with the media for their annual post-season press conference at Tropicana Field. As the players cleaned out their lockers in ahead the off-season, Bloom, Neander, and Cash note of their optimism going into the 2020 season.

There is an expectation for the young core of players to get even better after gaining another year of experience, including another postseason berth. Moving forward, the likely focus for the Rays brain trust will be more on the now than on the future, as they tinker with the roster to make a really good team even better.

We’re more equipped to compete with what we have right now. As thick as we are right now, I think we’re satisfied with the talent we have.

But I think it’s kind of in our DNA and our mode of preparation that we have an offseason with months to play with and think about things, and we can’t help ourselves but to think about how to make the team better. That’s our job, and we’ll do that. We’ll be open to things. But we do like our starting position here going into the winter.

— Erik Neander

With a team that has gone from 68 to 96 wins over a four-year period, not to mention an organization that has one deepest farm systems in the game, Tampa Bay is positioned well for a successful run.

With that in mind, Juan Toribio (MLB.com) listed his four key takeaways from the press conference, which you can read below:

Rays ready to build on postseason appearance

After their first postseason berth since 2013, the Rays enter the offseason as one of the early favorites to contend for the AL pennant in ’20. While they have difficult decisions to make this winter, the front office will operate with the sense that next year’s team is set to contend for more than just a postseason berth.

I think it’s much more that we’re putting ourselves in the territory where we’re expecting to be one of the most competitive and one of the most talented teams moving forward in the American League. And with that, the balancing of your near-term versus your long-term, it shifts a little bit to the present. And, really, that’s the goal.

— Erik Neander

Payroll operations

It’s no secret that the Rays don’t have the same payroll flexibility as some of the other clubs in the Majors, but they’re going to continue to be resourceful with what they have. Neander said that the Rays have “an idea” of what the payroll will be next season, which will help them in the free-agent market, but it isn’t necessarily a set number.

It’s kind of more of a range, but not something that we’ve gotten into too deeply. I think it’s important to survey the landscape and what our needs are and what’s available, what’s the inventory and then work backwards from there.

— Erik Neander

Medical update on Honeywell

Brent Honeywell entered the season as the team’s top pitching prospect, but setbacks from Tommy John surgery ended his season in June. Honeywell has now missed two full seasons, but he’s currently on pace to begin throwing at the start of the year. Honeywell was the only member of the 40-man roster to not pitch for the Rays this season, but the club is optimistic that the right-hander will contribute at some point next season.

The plan all along was that he wasn’t going to throw until around the new year and that remains the case. This kid is as intense and strong of a competitor as anyone we’ve been around, and for him to not taste competitive baseball for a couple of years is tough. But he’s going to get through this and we’ll see how he does once he picks up a ball.

— Erik Neander

Staff changes?

With a throng of job openings around the Majors, there’s always a chance that the Rays could have some turnover on their coaching staff. Rocco Baldelli and Charlie Montoyo both took managerial jobs last winter — with the Twins and Blue Jays, respectively — and some clubs could inquire about bench coach Matt Quatraro this winter.

Cash said that there could be some interest around the league for some of his staff members and front office personnel, though he’s optimistic about keeping his staff intact.

I don’t anticipate any changes. We have a really good group and a great staff. I think they do a really good job of keeping a positive vibe while helping players get better. There’s probably a lot of discussions out there right now. I would imagine that we have some people on our staff and within our organization that are looked upon very highly. I can’t thank this staff enough for the work this season.

— Kevin Cash

The Rays now will prioritize their own needs, like a catcher (if Travis d’Arnaud leaves), a right-handed power hitter (should Avisail Garcia leave), and a key bullpen piece or two.

Still, there is the feeling that the future looks better than ever which is a good place to be as the team looks to build on the successes of the 2019 campaign.

We’re putting ourselves in the territory, where we expect to be one of the most competitive, one of the most talented teams going forward in the American League.

— Erik Neander

TNWN: Rays look to bounce back in season finale; Yandy Díaz to be activated from the IL

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  • Matt Duffy hit his first home run of the season Saturday afternoon, giving the Rays their only run of the contest against the Blue Jays. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

A day after clinching their first postseason berth in six years, the Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Saturday. With the loss, the Rays can only tie the franchise mark for the best regular-season record ever, set by the 2008 ballclub.

With the loss and the Athletics’ 1-0 win, the Rays will be heading to Oakland for the AL Wildcard game.

Ryan Yarbrough got off to his second consecutive slow start on Saturday, allowing base hits to each of the first four batters he faced and surrendering a home run to Teoscar Hernandez — his second homer in as many days. Yarbrough eventually settled in and allowed just one hit over his final four frames. All told, he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three across five innings. If the Rays advance to the ALDS, expect Yarbrough to pitch behind an opener. The southpaw enters the postseason with an 11-6 record, a 4.13 ERA and a 3.56 FIP, a 1.00 WHIP, and a 5.85 K/BB.

The Rays had nine base runners throughout the game, on three hits and six walks, but they couldn’t generate any offense, going 0-3 wRISP. Matt Duffy accounted for the only run of the day, slugging his first home run of the season in the top of the 7th inning, and cutting the Rays’ deficit to 3-1

Speaking of sluggers, Tampa Bay has activated Yandy Díaz from the 60-day Injured List. In order to make room for Díaz on the 40-man roster, reliever Cole Sulser has been designated for assignment.

Díaz appeared in an Instructional League game Friday and made six plate appearances, showing enough improvement to lead to his activation. He will be limited to DH/pinch-hit duties.

I saw some iPhone clips of it, and he looked pretty normal. The plan is for him to get on a plane. Get here this evening, and then we’ll see what we do with him tomorrow.

Yandy is not going to play the field, so he’s going to impact us, if we go that way, with his bat. Then we’ll decide if we run for him if needed, and stuff like that. But every day, we’re buying more time of him healing.

— Kevin Cask

Díaz hasn’t suited up since late July when he landed on the IL with a hairline fracture left foot. He was held out of baseball activities for nearly two months as a result of the injury.

With his return, Díaz could factor into postseason play for the Rays. The 28-year-old could be of value in the one-game matchup against the Athletics when southpaw Sean Manaea could start. Díaz has fared against left-handers all season, slashing .311 BA/.393 OBP/.583 SLG/.976 OPS with seven homers and a .272 ISO, when he has a platoon advantage.

The New What Next

The final game of the regular season is set for this afternoon with Blake Snell (6-7, 4.21 ERA) getting the start, pitching opposite of Clay Buchholz (1-5, 7.00 ERA).

Blake Snell allowed one run on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 1-2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Monday. Snell struggled with his command, allowing three free passes before being pulled in the second inning after allowing a run on a double. The Rays are still easing the left-hander back into his usual workload, and he was not expected to pitch more than a few innings. Snell has a 4.21 ERA with 143 strikeouts through 22 starts this season.

Clay Buchholz allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings against the Orioles on Monday. Buchholz was hit hard, allowing three home runs, including two in the fifth inning. The right-hander has a 1-5 record with a 7.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 11 starts this season. He is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two 2019 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-4, 2 2B), Austin Meadows (3-8, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-3), Joey Wendle (2-2)

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

TNWN: Rays vs. Blue Jays — one last regular-season series preview

Rays 9/29/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Diaz DH
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Garcia RF
  5. Kiermaier CF
  6. Robertson 2B
  7. Duffy 3B
  8. Zunino C
  9. Adames SS

Noteworthiness

— Eric Sogard said that he is making progress and he is taking some swings, and there is a possibility he could be available for Wednesday’s Wildcard game.

— Free on this afternoon? Join us at Golden Dinosaurs Vegan Deli for only last regular season watch party, as we celebrate the Rays playoff berth!

Let’s fill the patio with blue — both light and dark — grey, and sunburst yellow. Discounts for Rays fans…oh, and did I mention fun and camaraderie? Help cheer on OUR crew, hope to see you there!

Do they owe is a Wildcard? Of course they do, of course, they do!

LBWMF: Rays eliminate the Red Sox in extra-innings, 5-4

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Another orange roof. The Tampa Bay Rays officially eliminated the Boston Red Sox from playoff contention with the 5-4 extra-innings win last night. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

Back on April 10, an MLB Network analyst posed a question, “When would the Red Sox pass Rays” this season. He did not ask “if,” rather more presumptuously “when.” On Friday, some five-plus months later, the Tampa Bay Rays answered the question: never. Tampa Bay rallied from a 2-0 deficit, lost a late lead, and still survived, winning 5-4 over Boston.

By opening the final regular-season homestand with a tally in the win column, the Rays enter play still tied for the last AL Wildcard spot with eight games left to play.

Because of the win, the Rays inched up their chances to make the playoffs to 55.8% per FanGraphs. Baseball Prospectus gives them a more favorable, albeit diminished, 59.4% chance.

Charlie Morton was sharp over the first six frames, allowing just three hits — two on the infield — and a walk over that stretch while striking out six. However, he surrendered a two-run homer to Mitch Moreland in the seventh inning before exiting the contest. Even so, Morton is 2-0 over his last four turns, allowing three runs or fewer in each outing. The right-hander owns a 3.15 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, with a 4.3 K/BB across 188-2/3 innings this season.

Tampa Bay trailed Boston in the seventh inning thanks to right-hander Rick Porcello, who held the Rays in check. Porcello allowed just one a runner to make it past first in the first six innings, throwing shutout ball.

The Rays had their only scoring opportunity against Porcello in the third inning when Avisail Garcia and Matt Duffy singled to put runners on the corners. However, Willy Adames struck out, Joey Wendle flew out to left, and Auston Meadows fanned to end the threat.

Entering the ballgame, Porcello had a career 2.87 ERA in 16 starts at Tropicana Field, and he improved that number on Friday.

Yet, the Rays rallied against left-handed reliever Darwinzon Hernandez in the bottom of the seventh. After Ji-Man Choi struck out, Travis d’Arnaud singled to right-center. Pinch-hitter Jesus Aguilar walked and Michael Brosseau, pinch-hitting for Garcia who left the game due to illness, walked on four pitches to load the bases. Right-hander Marcus Walden entered for Hernandez, and pinch hitter Nate Lowe drove in a run on a 2-1 fielder’s choice to short.

The hot-hitting Adames was next, lining an RBI ground-rule double to right, scoring pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia and sending Lowe to third. Josh Taylor, the third pitcher of the inning, uncorked a wild pitch for the go-ahead lead.

Tampa Bay was able to add an insurance run against Andrew Cashner in the eighth inning. Meadows wasn’t able to extend his 16-game hitting streak although he did walk on four pitches. After Tommy Pham flew out to the wall in left, Choi ripped a double into the right-field corner, scoring Meadows for a two-run lead.

Nick Anderson entered the game in the eighth inning and made quick work of Mookie Betts. Christian Vazquez walked on a close full-count pitch, the first non-intentional walk Anderson has allowed with Tampa Bay. In spite of that, Rafael Devers went down on three pitches and Xander Bogaerts grounded to third, ending the frame.

But, all the heavy lifting would be for not, as Moreland tied things up in the ninth inning. Emilio Pagan entered the game tasked with preserving the 4-2 lead, however, Gorkys Hernandez tripled off the top of the right-field wall. And though Holt lined out to center for the first out of the inning, Moreland crushed a 97 mph fastball over the wall in left-center.

To his credit, Moreland hit a good pitch by Pagan, who was able to get the next two outs before Chaz Roe and Colin Poche combined for a perfect tenth, keeping Tampa Bay in the ballgame.

In the 11th inning, Trevor Kelley quickly retired the first two batters before he walked Brosseau and Daniel Robertson. The fleet of foot Johnny Davis pinch-ran for Brosseau and Adames lined a walk-off single to left, capping the second extra-inning game in as many contests.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 2.03 ERA) will get the start for the Rays in the second game of the series. Alex Cora has yet to announce a starter.

Tyler Glasnow didn’t factor into the decision on Saturday, giving up two hits and a walk across three scoreless frames. He struck out five. Glasnow got stretched out to 51 pitches (29 strikes, 57% strike rate) in his second outing since returning from the IL, and looked much sharper in this one than he did last weekend against Toronto. Glasnow has a 3.33 K/BB across five innings in September, and the team will continue gradually ramp-up his workload as it tries to lock down a postseason spot. This season he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox.

TBA

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

TNWN: Rays vs Red Sox — one last series preview

Rays 9/21/19 Starting Lineup

    null
  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. d’Arnaud C
  5. Lowe DH
  6. Duffy 3B
  7. Wendle 2B
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Adames SS

Noteworthiness

— Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Yonny Chirinos will return to the active roster as early as today or tomorrow.

The right-hander’s role, however, remains to be determined. Chirinos has thrown up to 40 pitches in simulated games over the last couple of weeks, although there’s not enough time to build up his arm as a full starter.

Cash said having him pitch out of the bullpen is an option.

He’ll most likely be available for us out of the bullpen over the next couple of days. He’s already thrown 40 pitches in a unique setting, but like we told Tyler (Glasnow), and like we told Blake (Snell), it’s going to be dependent on how he performs and how it’s looking.

— Kevin Cash

Chirinos told the media that the right middle finger inflammation that sidelined him for over a month is no longer a factor.

I feel good. I’m truly ready to go and now I’m just waiting to see what happens.

— Yonny Chirinos

— Eric Sogard continues to nurse right foot soreness and was not in the Rays lineup Friday night. Tampa Bay hoped that an off-day would help the infielder get back on the field, although that wasn’t the case. Sogard underwent more treatment Friday and the team hopes to get him back at some point during the four-game set.

Rays promote UTL Kean Wong; Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow rehab notes

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Utilityman Kean Wong was promoted to the big leagues on Thursday. (Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports)

On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays promoted utilityman Kean Wong, who made his big league debut a few hours later. To make room for Wong on the 40-man roster, the Rays moved southpaw Jose Alvarado to the 60-day Injured List.

Wong was selected as a second baseman in the fourth-round of the 2013 draft. He began to see some time at third before he expanded his defensive repertoire to include shortstop and all three outfield positions.

Because of his versatility, Wong will fit right into a Rays lineup that values multi-positional flexibility. Wong, like Brandon Lowe, is also a southpaw hitter, giving the team a more balance among the middle infield options.  Wong joins Eric Sogard and Joey Wendle who bat from the left side, and Matt Duffy, Daniel Robertson, and Willy Adames who are all right-handed hitters.

Prior to his promotion, Wong found himself in the midst of a breakout season, slashing .307 BA/.375 OBP/.464 SLG/.839 OPS with 10 homers, 71 runs, and 63 runs batted in over 506 plate appearances for Triple-A Durham. The surge in power is noteworthy, as Wong’s previous high in SLG was .406.

Wong’s breakout yields some proof that he will be able to hit big-league pitching. Considering his gaudy 2019 numbers, the utilityman boasts a modest .287 BA/.342 OBP/.383 SLG/.725 OPS slash line across 3052 Minor League plate appearances.

Noteworthiness

— Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will pitch for Triple-A Durham on Saturday. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow threw a bullpen session on Thursday, and Kevin Cash is debating whether he will make another rehab appearance or rejoin the team. Cash said they want to do right by him and the team.

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — one last series preview

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  • Nate Lowe, who rejoined the Rays on Sunday, hit a home run in the series finale against Cleveland. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After sweeping Cleveland in an important three-game series with postseason implications, the Tampa Bay Rays continue their homestand on Monday, when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles into the Trop for a two-day, three-game series. The Orioles took one of three from the Royals this past weekend.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Because of the sweep, the Rays enter play with a 0.5 game lead over Cleveland and Oakland in the AL Wildcard race. In spite of the fairly difficult schedule ahead, when the Rays play eight consecutive games against plus .500 teams (the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees), FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay a 73.3% chance of a postseason berth — up 25.8% in the last five days. Baseball Prospectus views their chances similarly, giving the Rays a 72.8% chance — up 9.8% from yesterday.

The Orioles have won four of their last seven games since they dropped a pair in last series against the Rays, which is impressive for a team that has struggled all season long. Even though they’ve held their own over the last 14 days, Baltimore hasn’t played well overall. The Orioles are 22nd in the league in batting average (.246), 23rd in the league in on-base percentage (.309), and 24th in the league in slugging percentage (.414) and runs scored (598).

On top of that, Baltimore’s pitching staff is one of the worst in the league. Opponents have tagged the Orioles with a .273 BA and a 5.77 ERA, while their 34 quality starts is 28th in the league.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

That doesn’t mean this will be a slam-dunk series. It should be remembered the Rays are 10-6 (62.5% WP) against Baltimore this season, which is good, not great, and the Orioles outscored them 15-4 in the final two games of the previous series. But, with 2/3 of the season left against sub .500 teams, Tampa Bay needs to pad the win column as much as possible before they face LA, Boston, and New York in the final two weeks of the season.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will throw Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.36 ERA), and likely Trevor Richards (4-12, 4.29 ERA), and Austin Pruitt (2-0, 4.78 ERA) over the next two days. Brandon Hyde will counter with Asher Wojciechowski (2-7, 5.12 ERA), a pitcher to be named before the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and John Means (10-9, 3.55 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryan Yarbrough allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over six innings against the Astros while striking out five. Yarbs kept Houston off the board for the first three frames before getting tagged for three runs in the fourth, yet the southpaw still delivered his third quality start in his last four turns. He carries a 3.36 ERA, an 0.87 WHIP, and an outstanding 7 K/BB across 115-1/3 innings on the season. Yarbrough has been tough on Baltimore over his career, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.86 ERA in six games (28-1/3 innings).

Asher Wojciechowski allowed five earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out three across four innings against the Nationals on Wednesday. Wojciechowski surrendered all five of his runs in the first inning, punctuated by a two-run homer off the bat of Kurt Suzuki. He was able to settle down, allowing only one hit across his final three frames, although the damage had already been done. Granted he’s had some success, yet Wojciechowski has allowed at least one home run in each of his past seven outings. His inability to keep the ball in the yard combined with a lack of command — he has a 3.6 BB/9 — has led to uneven results. He will wear a 5.12 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP with 61 strikeouts across 58 into the start on Monday. Wojciechowski is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three career games (two starts) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4, HR, RBI), Avisail Garcia (1-4, 2 RBI), Nate Lowe (1-1, RBI), Tommy Pham (3-9, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Eric Sogard (2-8, BB), Joey Wendle (1-1, 2B, BB)

Trevor Richards exited Thursday’s contest against Houston after hurling just 2-1/3 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks while striking out four. Richards entered with two Astros on base in the second inning and served up an RBI double to allow an inherited run to score. He also served up a leadoff homer in the third inning to George Springer and got himself into trouble with a pair of walks and a throwing error in the fourth before being pulled from the game. Although Richards has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 15 hitters in 11-2/3 innings since joining the Rays, Kevin Cash appears determined to keep his pitch count low; he has averaged a mere 72.3 pitches in his three outings. Richards blanked Baltimore on five scattered hits and a walk across six innings on August 23.

TBA

Austin Pruitt got the start against Cleveland on Friday because the Rays had used seven pitchers against Houston the day before. Contrary to his season numbers, “Cy” Pruitt set the tone with the best outing of his big league career. Pruitt surrendered four hits while striking out six across 5-1/3 scoreless frames. The right-hander threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes (68% strike rate) as well as 14 of 20 first-pitch strikes while coaxing 11 swinging strikes. He lowered his ERA by almost a full point — from 5.57 to 4.78 — and now carries a 1.27 WHIP and a 3.67 K/BB over 37-2/3 on the season. Color me surprised … I’ll take it.

John Means allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out four against the Royals on Friday. Kansas City got on the board first, but Means settled down after he served up a solo shot to Jorge Soler in the first inning. The lefty carries a 3.55 ERA and a 3.09 K/BB through 124-1/3 innings on the season, although he is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay in his campaign. Key Matchups: Avisail Garcia (4-10, 2B, 2 RBI), Nate Lowe (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Tommy Pham (3-9, 2 2B), Eric Sogard (2-3, HR, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Tampa Bay will make a roster move on Monday, adding right-handed reliever Cole Sulser (6-3, 3.27 ERA), who was on the taxi squad. It will be Sulser’s first-ever big-league promotion. He came to the Rays organization in the trade involving Jake Bauers.

— The Rays also promoted RHP Anthony Banda from Triple-A Durham.

— Tyler Glasnow is set to pitch two innings for Triple-A Durham in the final regular-season game. He could join the Rays thereafter pending the outcome of his outing.

— Juan Toribio (MLB.com) made his predictions of the Rays postseason roster.