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The New What Next: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview, part two

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Oriole Park at Camden Yards, site of the upcoming four-game series between the Rays and the Orioles. (Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun)

So it begins, the Tampa Bay Rays are set begin the most important stretch of their season on Friday, a period of action that finds them playing 40 games in 41 days. First stop Baltimore, where they are set to take on the Orioles in a four-game, three-day series starting Friday.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The American League East rivals met late last month in Baltimore, and the Rays took each of the two encounters that occurred. Unfortunately the first game of that series was rained out, hence the doubleheader on Saturday. Tampa Bay’s offense has fallen off the last few games, although the team is batting .259 (fifth in MLB) and boasts a .331 on-base percentage (sixth in MLB). The Rays are hovering around .500 but have lost three in a row.

Meanwhile, Baltimore is the worst team in baseball but at least they managed to put an end to an eight-game losing streak by beating Kansas City both on Wednesday and Thursday, consequently winning the series. The Orioles are 29th in batting average, 30th in on-base percentage, 27th in slugging percentage, and 29th in runs scored.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will turn to Jake Faria (3-1, 4.15 ERA), the bullpen (6-10, 4.35 ERA), Chris Archer (2-2, 5.32 ERA) and Blake Snell (4-2, 2.40 ERA). Buck Showalter will counter with Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.30 ERA), Alex Cobb (0-4, 7.61 ERA), a pitcher to be named later, and Dylan Bundy (1-5, 5.31 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Jake Faria allowed one run on three hits and a walk over 5-1/3 innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday. He struck out out four. The right-hander has now allowed no more than one run in five of his seven starts this season, although he has only lasted long enough to produce two quality starts thanks to the Rays reluctance to allow certain hurlers to face batters three times through the order. Faria is 1-0 with a 4.78 in five games (four starts) against Baltimore.

Kevin Gausman allowed just two hits and two walks while fanning six across nine scoreless innings on Saturday. He, however, did not factor into the decision. Gausman’s line is slightly misleading, as only 66 of his 113 pitches went for strikes. He also threw a low percentage first pitch strikes, although it did not come back to haunt him via walks or hard contact. Since getting knocked around for six earned runs in his season debut, Gausman has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his following six starts, and now owns a neat 3.30 ERA over 43-2/3 innings. This season he has relied on his 93 mph four-seam fastball with arm-side run and an 83 mph worm killer splitter, while also mixing in an 81 mph 12-6 slider. He is 5-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (3-10, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Wilson Ramos (2-8, HR, RBI), Rob Refsnyder (3-8, 2B, BB), Mallex Smith (3-7, 3B, BB), Denard Span (4-9, 2 2B, 3 RBI), Jesus Sucre (2-6, 2 2B, RBI)

I will update this piece when Saturday’s starter for the Rays is announced.

Alex Cobb allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk, while striking out five over six innings in a loss to the Athletics on Sunday. Cobb has put together back-to-back quality starts, although he is bereft of his first win of the season. His offense failed him Sunday, as the Orioles were able to push across just one run. In spite of solid performances in his last two outings, Cobb still sits with a 7.61 ERA/5.32 FIP and 2.03 WHIP as a result of a disastrous start to the season. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Brad Miller (4-9, 2B, 2 RBI, BB), Daniel Robertson (1-2, 2B), Mallex Smith (1-2), Denard Span (2-3, 2B), Joey Wendle (2-3, RBI)

Chris Archer fanned six, walked none and scattered five hits over seven strong innings on Sunday. Previous to this start, Archer had performed to a 6.05 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP, but he notched his second consecutive quality start and his third in his last four outings. His current peripherals still aren’t pretty, and he hasn’t been striking out batters at quite as prolific a rate as he had in the past, but he appears ready to move past his early season struggles and start to hack away at those ugly peripherals. Archer is 6-8 with a 4.92 ERA in 17 starts against Baltimore, including a 5-1/3 inning, four-run outing on April 26th.

I will update this piece when Saturday’s starter for the Orioles is announced.

Blake Snell allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 6-1/3 innings on Tuesday against the Braves. He struck out five. The southpaw threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 25 batters and induced 13 swinging strikes, allowing him to Atlanta’s lineup off balance for most of the night. His only real mistake came on a solo home run from Ronald Acuna in the third inning, on a slider that hung up over the middle of the plate. His loss was of the hard luck variety, as it was due to a lack of run support. Otherwise, Snell has been outstanding over his last six starts, allowing two runs or fewer in each while posting a 4.78 K/BB over that span. Snell is 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against Baltimore,

Dylan Bundy allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks while not recording an out in the 15-7 loss to Kansas City on Tuesday. Bundy allowed four home runs over over a seven batter span, and managed to do so with only 28 pitches. Over his last three outings, Bundy has allowed 22 runs (19 earned) on 23 hits (including nine home runs) across just nine innings. Bundy started the season with a fantastic 1.42 ERA across 31-2/3 innings — with 40 punch outs and only one home run allowed — but has recently looked like a completely different pitcher. Bundy has relied primarily on his 92 mph four-seam fastball and an 82 mph slider, while also mixing in a 75 mph curveball, 84 mph changeup and 92 mph sinker. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.61 ERA in six career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Carlos Gomez (1-4), Brad Miller (4-11, 2B, HR, RBI), Mallex Smith (4-7, RBI, BB), Joey Wendle (2-3, 2B, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Left-hander Anthony Banda will be promoted at some point this weekend. It is not immediately clear whether he would be added to the roster Friday (someone would need to be optioned to make room) or if he is being added as the 26th man for Saturday’s doubleheader.

Banda is 4-2 with a 3.50 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Durham, with 44 strikeouts and 16 walks over 36 innings. He was 2-3 with a 5.96 ERA in eight games last season for the Diamondbacks.

— The Rays have suffered another dent to their depth, as 21 year-old RHP Jose Mujica has been sidelined with a forearm strain. Mujica had shown well over his first six starts with Triple-A Durham, working to a 3.13 ERA with 32 punch outs against ten walks in 31-2/3 innings of work. His anticipated timeline is not yet known.

— The Orioles received another blow, as RHP Darren O’Day was placed on the 10-day DL with a hyper-extended right elbow. Steve Adams (MLB Trade Rumors) wrote about the injury, saying:

Eduardo A. Encina provides some insight into the injury that sent righty Darren O’Day to the 10-day disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow. O’Day explains that a “freak accident” occurred during the middle innings of Tuesday’s game as he began stretching and getting loose. A teammate inadvertently ran into his arm while he was stretching it, hyperextending the right elbow and initially causing O’Day to fear that he’d suffered a serious injury. An MRI revealed no structural damage in O’Day’s right arm, and manager Buck Showalter actually said that the MRI was “remarkably good” for a pitcher in his mid-30s.

LBWMF: Rays extend winning streak to five with 8-4 win over B’More

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Down 3-1 in the third, Adeiny Hechavarria was caught planning to ambush pitcher Miguel Castro with a 1-0 sixth inning solo shot on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak to five on Wednesday — knocking former teammate Alex Cobb out of the game after a four-run fifth inning — en route to an 8-4 victory over Baltimore.


Source: FanGraphs

The Rays took the initial lead in the first inning, when Denard Span led off the game with a double to left-center. After C.J. Cron grounded out to third for the first out of the frame, Carlos Gomez moved Span up 90 feet on a single to right. Ever the eloquent base runner, Brad Miller drove in the first run on a ground ball out to short. Even though it appeared that Miller, again, turned his ankle stepping on the bag, the infielder stayed in the game following a visit by Paul Harker and Kevin Cash.

After the game, Cash never did say whether he called for a run-and-hit on the run scoring play. Either way, that Gomez charged into second — thus breaking up a potential double play — instantly paid dividends for the Rays.

Yet Jacob Faria, essentially matching Cobb’s mediocrity pitch-for-pitch, allowed Baltimore to immediately answer in the bottom half of the frame. Trey Mancini led things off with a foreboding walk in the home first, then scored on a two-out double into the left-field corner by Adam Jones. It certainly didn’t help that the ball got stuck in the padding at the bottom of the wall, forcing Span to literally dig it out.

Faria continued to struggle in the second, when the Orioles took a two-run lead. Pedro Alvarez worked a one out walk before Anthony Santander and Jace Peterson went back-to-back with doubles, giving Baltimore a 3-1 advantage. That would be the last hit Faria would allow until Chance Sisco tee’d off on the hurler in the home half of the fifth, chasing him in favor of the bullpen.

Meanwhile, down by two in the top of fifth, Adeiny Hechavarria sparked the go-ahead rally with a single to right-center. Span followed with a bunt single up the left side, before Cron doubled down the left field line, scoring both runners and tying the game at three.

After Cron moved up to third on a Gomez fly-ball out to right, Miller plated his second productive-out RBI on a sacrifice-fly to right. After Daniel Robertson doubled to left, Joey Wendle capped the rally with an RBI single to center, giving the Rays a lead they’d never relinquish.

Cobb’s night was done after he walked Wilson Ramos. All told he gave up 10 hits, a walk and hit a batter over 4-2/3 innings. Cobb didn’t record a single strikeout.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Alex because he is a bulldog, a smart pitcher, and has meant a lot to the fan base and organization. However, the Rays offense deserves credit for putting together a good approach at the plate, knowing that Cobb — as a two pitch pitcher — needs to get ahead of batters early in counts … and because of it, he tends to be aggressive within the zone. Moreover, Alex isn’t right, and Tampa Bay pounced. As Orestes Destrade said during the post game broadcast, Cobb shouldn’t be pitching in the big leagues at the moment, especially after a shortened spring.

After Faria was pulled in the fifth, Andrew Kittredge got the final two outs of the inning, setting up another rally.

Hechavarria answered in the top of the sixth, clubbing a homer to left off Miguel Castro, pushing the team’s lead to a pair.

But the coolest moment of the game came in the bottom of the inning, when Jonny Venters made his triumphant return to the big leagues — his first appearance since 2012 or 2,028 days. Venters coaxed a Chris Davis ground out to lead off the frame.

The LOOGY departed in favor of a beast mode-like Matt Andriese, who put down the next two batters on four pitches.

In the seventh, Wendle singled home a run off southpaw Tanner Scott befpre Ramos drove him home on a double, capping the scoring at eight. All told, the Rays collected 14 hits (including three from Wendle) while Robertson reached base four times. They have now scored eight runs or more in four consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.

Andriese returned in the seventh and retired the five batters in order before allowing a two-out hit in the eighth; that included a three strikeout seventh inning. Jose Alvarado closed out the game with a perfect ninth, as Tampa Bay’s bullpen allowed just one base runner over the final 4-2/3 innings, and needed just 55 pitches to do so.

The New What Next

The Rays wrap up a rain-soaked two-game set on Thursday with Chris Archer (1-1, 6.59) on the mound. He’ll start opposite of Dylan Bundy (1-2, 1.42).

Chris Archer allowed a second inning homer in his last start, then settled down from that point on.

Archer got better depth on his slider and paired it with a lively fastball, as well a changeup which he largely threw to southpaw hitters. In fact, Archer threw 14 changeups on the night (10 for strikes, two whiffs) — a rarity of sorts. Archer notched a of whiffy strikeout of Kepler, and coaxed a ground ball out from Morrison in the seventh, both via the changeup.

All told, Archer went 6-2/3 innings and allowed just two runs on four hits, while walking one and fanning five. He threw 92 pitches (62 strikes, 67% K/BB).

Dylan Bundy allowed one run on five hits and struck out nine over six innings to earn his first victory of the season against Cleveland on Friday. Cleveland’s lone run came on a bases-loaded HBP to score Jason Kipnis, yet Bundy scattered three hits and a walk over the next five frames. The right-hander has been very good at the onset of the season, and now owns a 1.42 ERA to go along with a 1.11 WHIP and 40 punch-outs across 31-2/3 innings. This season he has relied primarily on a 92 mph four-seam fastball with good “rising action”, and a whiffy 82 mph slider. He also has mixed in an 84 mph changeup with slight armside fade, a 92 mph sinker, and a 75 mph curveball with a lot of bite. Key Matchups: Brad Miller (2-8, HR, RBI), Mallex Smith (2-5, RBI), Denard Span (1-3, 2B, RBI)

You can read more about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview

Rays 4/26/18 Starting Lineup

Span LF
Cron 1B
Gomez RF
Miller DH
Robertson 3B
Wendle 2B
Ramos C
Smith CF
Hechavarria SS
Archer RHP

The New What Next: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview

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The Tampa Bay Rays leave the confines of the Trop, where they went 5-4 over their last nine-game home stand. (Photo Credit: Anthony Ateek/X-Rays Spex)

The Tampa Bay Rays left the Tampa Bay area in favor of a nine-game road trip following their series finale with the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. First stop Baltimore, where the Rays will face the Orioles in a rain shortened two-game series, starting Wednesday. Tampa Bay is coming off a three-game sweep of the Twins, and has won four consecutive games overall — five of their last six. Meanwhile, Baltimore dropped the final three games of a four-game set against Cleveland.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Both teams have struggled over the first month of play, although the Rays have turned it around thanks in large part to the offense, which has put up six runs per game (on average) over their last six games. The offense should chug along against an Orioles team that has allowed 6.11 runs per game (on average) over a nine-game stretch.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

One thing is certain, when the Rays have put the ball in play, they have been successful (at least as it relates to BABIP. The series number runs across the X-Axis, while the BABIP climbs up the Y-Axis (see below).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Orioles have been abysmal, if I may be so blunt. A series win against Baltimore, which would be their third series win in a row — and the fourth in five tries — would go a long way in building momentum ahead of their jaunt into that crappy, sardine can of a stadium also known as Fenway.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will lean on Jacob Faria (1-1, 5.82 ERA) and Chris Archer (1-1, 6.59 ERA) over the first two games of the set, and the bullpen (3-7, 5.14 ERA) in the series finale on Thursday. Buck Showalter will counter with Alex Cobb (0-2, 15.43 ERA), Dylan Bundy (1-2, 1.42 ERA), and Chris Tillman (0-4, 9.87 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Jacob Faria picked up a win over Texas on Wednesday after he allowed just one run on five hits and a walk over six innings, while fanning six. He threw 53 of 80 pitches for strikes (66% strike ratio), with his only real mistake resulting in a third inning solo shot by Shin-Soo Choo. It was Faria’s first quality start of the season, as well as his first victory since last July 25 — a stretch of eight starts and two relief appearances since his last win.

Alex Cobb allowed seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits and one walk over 3-1/3 innings on Thursday against the Tigers. He stuck out four batters. Suffice it to say, Cobb’s tenure with the Orioles is off to a rocky start, as he’s now allowed 15 runs (12 earned) in just seven innings across his first two starts. He’s struggled immensely thus far — allowing 10 hits and failing to make it past the fourth inning in both outings — although he could still be working out some kinks after signing late in Spring Training. This start will mark his first against his former team, which he spoke about in an interview with Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times):

It will be a little odd seeing the jersey, Cobb said. Been part of the family for so long. …It’s always sad to see whenever an organization breaks down the core of a team, especially one a fan base got to enjoy and to watch for a long time. You never want to see it. They found it was the right time to experiment with some things. And we know the financial constraints they’re up against. …But it’s tough to see. It took a long time to build it up. And to see it get broken down pretty much overnight, it’s strange to see.

Chris Archer allowed a second inning homer in his last start, then settled down from that point on.

Archer got better depth on his slider and paired it with a lively fastball, as well a changeup which he largely threw to southpaw hitters. In fact, Archer threw 14 changeups on the night (10 for strikes, two whiffs) — a rarity of sorts. Archer notched a of whiffy strikeout of Kepler, and coaxed a ground ball out from Morrison in the seventh, both via the changeup.

All told, Archer went 6-2/3 innings and allowed just two runs on four hits, while walking one and fanning five. He threw 92 pitches (62 strikes, 67% K/BB).

Dylan Bundy allowed one run on five hits and struck out nine over six innings to earn his first victory of the season against Cleveland on Friday. Cleveland’s lone run came on a bases-loaded HBP to score Jason Kipnis, yet Bundy scattered three hits and a walk over the next five frames. The right-hander has been very good at the onset of the season, and now owns a 1.42 ERA to go along with a 1.11 WHIP and 40 punch-outs across 31-2/3 innings. This season he has relied primarily on a 92 mph four-seam fastball with good “rising action”, and a whiffy 82 mph slider. He also has mixed in an 84 mph changeup with slight armside fade, a 92 mph sinker, and a 75 mph curveball with a lot of bite. Key Matchups: Brad Miller (2-8, HR, RBI), Mallex Smith (2-5, RBI), Denard Span (1-3, 2B, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— The Rays can match their longest winning streak (five games) under the management of Kevin Cash with a win on Wednesday.

— Medical Matters…

Matt Duffy had what had been called “a really good workday” on Tuesday, with plans to play in a simulated game in Port Charlotte on Wednesday. He is slated to advance to a rehab game with either the Class-A Charlotte Stone Crabs, or Triple-A Durham Bulls on Thursday, and he can return as early as Friday.

Nathan Eovaldi continued his recovery from March 30th surgery to remove pieces of loose cartilage from his elbow, tossing a 25-pitch bullpen session at Tropicana Field.

Pretty remarkable, but knowing him not surprising, Rays manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times. That’s great. We’ve got to do a good job of managing him simply because he’s so eager to get back, and he puts a lot of pressure on himself and his rehab.

At this point it isn’t known whether Eovaldi would be slotted back into the starting rotation, with the potential for a five-man crew, or if he would he throw out of the ‘pen. The relief staff could either use some help or some extra rest, performing to a 5.14 ERA and 4.47 FIP on the season.

Questions linger for the Rays going into the second half of the offseason

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While the Rays are still expected to deal a hurler or two, it appears that Chris Archer is off the hot-seat for the moment. (Photo Credit: Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire)

40 days remain until pitchers and catchers report to camp, and all is quiet on the eastern front for the Tampa Bay Rays, at least for the moment. Talks around the league are expected to pick up as teams prepare for the start of the new season, and the Rays still have pitching depth to deal from — with Alex Colome and Jake Odorizzi the likeliest trade targets.

While Chris Archer was dangled on the market, it appears that his spot on the trade hot-seat has become cold and dusty — this in spite of a recent spate trade rumors around the Rays’ ace and Miguel Sanó … although sexual assault allegations tend to put the kibosh on things (and for good reason, seriously fuck that guy).

Make no bones about it, the Rays will enter Spring Training in the midst of a well needed reset/reboot, and likely as non-contenders in 2018 because of it. Yet a few questions lay in the wake, which Bill Chastain (MLB.com) enumerated on Sunday:

  1. Can Matt Duffy make a successful return after injuries cost him all of the 2017 season?
  2. Is Jake Bauers the answer at first base?
  3. Will Blake Snell continue on the track he followed in the second half of the 2017 season after a disappointing first half?
  4. Can Steven Souza Jr. elevate his performance to a higher level in 2018 after showing great improvement in ’17?
  5. Is Brent Honeywell a lock to find a spot in the Rays’ rotation?

My goal is to answer those questions with a little help from the experts.

…On Matt Duffy

After a wasted 2017 campaign, spent recovering from a pair of surgeries, Duffy is expected to enter Spring Training 2018 healthy and ready to compete for a spot at the hot-corner as the heir apparent to Evan Longoria. Duffy performed to a 4.9 fWAR at the hot corner in 2015, and it stands to reason that there should not be a reduction in performance at third base if he, indeed, is healthy.

Other experienced infielders like Ryan Schimpf, Daniel Robertson, Joey Wendle, and Micah Johnson could contribute in 2018.

For what it’s worth, the Rays view Wendle favorably for his history of hitting and quality glove work.

(Wendle is) really a high-quality defender and is about as reliable as they come said general manager Erik Neander.

…On Jake Bauers

The Rays have not yet named their first baseman now that Logan Morrison and Lucas Duda became free agents at the end of the season. Moreover, the direction the team takes — either toward a complete overhaul or the slow rebuild the team has been on since 2014 — will likely determine whether the Rays will sign any veteran free agents, like Mitch Moreland. Another intriguing possibility is Jake Bauers, who is already in the Rays organization at Triple-A Durham.

Bauers made a big impression on Kevin Cash during Spring Training last season, slashing .371 BA/.392 OBP/.465 SLG/.857 OPS. Bauers not only hit for power, but he also showed great plate discipline and put together quality at-bats.

He didn’t take off like many expected him to with Durham last season, although Bauers still showed a quality approach at the plate. His ability to hit the ball the opposite field also makes him a real threat.

The 22 year-old recovered from a slow start in 2017, ending his campaign with a respectable .263 BA/.368 OBP/.412 SLG/.780 OPS line, with 13 homers and 20 steals — something Cash made mention of during the Winter Meetings this past December.

You look at what Jake Bauers and Willy Adames did in Triple-A at a very, very young age, said the Rays skipper. I personally kinda like the fact that they got off to slow starts and you look at where their season ended up it was really impressive. From all reports … they really matured throughout the year. Both guys like to play a lot. They want to come up to bat in that big spot. They’re going to get to play a lot in spring training. … Solid guys.

The ever evolving Brad Miller, positionally speaking of course, could shift back to first base — the position he played at the end of 2016 — or Miller could platoon the spot with Bauers.

…On Blake Snell

It would be safe to say that Snell, who went 0-5 with a 4.85 ERA in 10 starts before the All-Star Break, had an abysmal first half last season, which resulted in a trifecta of demotions to Triple-A Durham. To be fair his stuff played well, although the southpaw struggled with command and control which prevented him from pitching deeply into ball games. Snell made a few adjustments after the break — moving to the center of the pitching rubber for one, and attacking the zone with his fastball for another — and enjoyed better results, going 5-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 starts.

Without Alex Cobb (and potentially Jake Odorizzi) in 2018, the team hopes Snell’s early struggles last season were an anomaly rather that the rule.

…On Steven Souza Jr.

According to Chastain:

After an injury-plagued 2016 campaign (120 games), Souza showed a lot of improvement in ’17. The power-hitting right fielder batted .239 with 30 home runs and 78 RBIs. He seemed to run out of gas late in the season, hitting .183 in August and .152 in September. The slow finish could be attributed to Souza’s not being able to fully condition himself for the season since he spent the previous offseason rehabbing from hip surgery. If he can get a little bit closer to his early months of ’17 and find more consistency, the Rays’ chances for success will be greatly enhanced.

That said, Souza and Kevin Kiermaier are locks in right and center next season, leaving a question mark hanging over left field. Both Corey Dickerson and Denard Span have become the subject of trade speculation, with one or the other potentially not getting the opportunity to attend camp in Port Charlotte.

Nothing would surprise me if I get traded or flipped or whatever the terminology is. I guess until I show up to spring training then it will probably sink in that I’m a Ray, Span told Roger Mooney (Tampa Bay Times). There are so many possibilities, but I definitely would love to put on this hometown uniform. It would be a dream come true. It was something I always imagined.

Playing devils advocate, should both players break camp at the end of March, Dickerson will likely get some playing time in left, although he’d likely be the main DH. To his credit, Span has some value to the team on the field and in the clubhouse, so the Rays could begin the season with Span in a corner outfield role.

…On Brent Honeywell

The number of open slots in the starting rotation could help determine where Honeywell starts the season. One spot opened when Cobb left for free agency, and that will likely be battled over by Honeywell, Ryan Yarbrough, Austin Pruitt and Nathan Eovaldi — the latter of which both have big league experience. The team is expected to deal at least one starter elsewhere, which would open up at least another spot in the rotation.

My gut tells me that Honeywell will start the season in Durham, where he can work on command without accruing big league service time. How much additional time he would need in Triple-A fails to be seen at them moment.

In Conclusion

Next season likely will not be pretty. The roster will be composed of players on expiring contracts and others playing out their rookie contracts with an eye toward contention in 2019 and beyond.

Chastain summed things up well, saying:

At this juncture, the Rays are solid up the middle with catcher Wilson Ramos, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, with the second-base position to be determined.

As usual, the Rays have a stable of quality pitchers in their starting rotation, though one or more of that group might be used in trades to bolster the organization. So even if the Rays are active during the remainder of the offseason, they should still have a solid group of starters for 2018 — provided they live up to expectations.

Alex Colome trade rumors, Upton interested in returning, Cobb set to decline offer

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The St. Louis Cardinals have reported interest in right-handed pitching reliever Alex Colome. (Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

As expected, the Tampa Bay Rays front office staff left the 2017 GM Meetings without making any big deals, although they are more educated about the possibilities that lay before them.

For the most part, we’re exiting here with a better understanding of what teams are trying to address, so it’s certainly helpful to have that information in hand, said Rays GM Erik Neander. Now it’s a matter of processing it, figuring out what kinds of fits in to where we are and what we want to accomplish, and see where things go from there.

Three possibilities rose to the surface Wednesday afternoon.

St. Louis is in need of arms — which makes Tampa Bay a popular target — and is flush in young position players. Because of it, there is reported speculation about the two clubs matching up at different levels.

Jon Morosi (MLB Network) broke the news of one discussed trade scenario that could send right-handed relief pitcher Alex Colome to the St. Louis Cardinals — a team in need of a closer after they released Trevor Rosenthal following Tommy John surgery.

Colome is projected to earn $5.5-Million and can be retained for two additional seasons through the arbitration process. While he led the AL in saves last season, Colome regressed from his prior campaign. After performing to a 1.91 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 2016, the right-hander’s ERA rose 133 points to 3.24 in 2017 with just a 7.8 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 (2.52 K/BB).

Who might the Rays be targeting? Tampa Bay is in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder; aside from Steven Souza Junior, the team doesn’t have any realistic big league ready options available for the foreseeable future.

JT Morgan (DRaysBay) made mention of five players that the Rays could target: Dexter Fowler, Tommy Pham, Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Jose Martinez.

Whether something will get done between the two fails to be seen at the moment, although the groundwork for a potential deal has been laid.

Former centerfielder Melvin “BJ” Upton spoke with teams at the meetings hotel Wednesday, as he continues his search for a job after missing all of last season due to injury. Upton told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) he would be interested in coming back to the Rays.

The Rays had rumored interest in Jose Bautista in 2016, and surprise surprise, those rumors have continued into the 2017 offseason. Morosi reported the Rays are interested in adding the veteran outfielder to the fold for the 2018 season. If a deal were to get done, Bautista would likely be relegated to DH duty.

Noteworthiness

— Per Topkin, Alex Cobb is set to decline the Rays’ one-year, $17.4 million qualifying offer by today’s 5 p.m. deadline. That allows him to pursue a longer and more lucrative deal elsewhere, with the Cubs and Twins most rumored, and the Rays to get a compensatory draft pick when he does.