The Tampa Bay Rays began their Baseball Spring Training workouts Thursday morning at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, with a significantly overhauled roster amid a change in ownership. The Rays are expected to return to a repaired Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg in two months, according to the source. The organization is also pursuing a new stadium on the site of Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
Manager Kevin Cash said the roster changes have created a renewed energy as the team begins its work. “There’s a lot to be excited about. We’ve got to get on the field and do it, but feel good with the guys that we have. It’s refreshed energy coming in. You miss the guys that are not going to be here, but there’s a lot of new faces, a lot of new handshakes, a lot of new relationships to build. And I think everybody’s pretty excited by that.”
Tampa Bay Rays Enter Camp With Extensive Turnover
Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, Pete Fairbanks, Shane Baz and Jake Mangum are no longer with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the source. New veterans listed in camp include Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, Gavin Lux, Nick Martinez and Steven Matz. Ben Williamson and Jacob Melton are among the young contributors listed.
The personnel numbers show the extent of the changes. Of the 29 pitchers who appeared in a game for Tampa Bay last season, 16 remain in the organization. Of the 27 hitters who played for the Rays at some point last season, 10 are in camp this year.
The Tampa Bay Rays made several significant trades during the offseason, including three three-team transactions. Those moves mostly added younger, future-focused talent to the organization. The club also guaranteed $38 million in free-agent deals meant to keep this year’s team competitive.
Pitching Plan Lacks Traditional Closer
The projected starting rotation consists of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Nick Martinez and Steven Matz. Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour are listed among the pitching depth behind the rotation. The Rays will operate without a traditional closer after Pete Fairbanks joined the Miami Marlins.
Griffin Jax, Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker are identified as relievers capable of handling closing duties. The Rays entered camp with a pitching plan that includes a five-man projected rotation and several options behind it. The bullpen structure will not feature a traditional closer.
Rays Rely on Three Offensive Anchors
Third baseman Junior Caminero, first baseman Jonathan Aranda and designated hitter Yandy Diaz anchor the offense. Erik Neander described the trio as “three offensive studs” and said the lineup features “dynamic athletes and really good defense.” The rest of the lineup is a mix of young players and bounce-back candidates, according to the source.
Most preseason predictions project the Tampa Bay Rays to finish last in the American League East. FanGraphs projected the club for about 78 wins and gave it a 22% chance to reach the postseason. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projections viewed Tampa Bay as roughly a .500 team and gave it a 29.8% chance to reach the postseason.
“When our teams haven’t been given a lot of optimism out of the gates, that’s usually the recipe that tends to surprise. We’re going to do everything we can to support this group to make that happen,” Neander said.
The Tampa Bay Rays have not reached the postseason since 2023, according to the source. Ryan Pepiot said the club has full trust in Erik Neander, his staff and Cash as it prepares for the season. “The Yankees went out and spent money. Toronto went out and spent a bunch of money. Baltimore went huge. Boston made some big trades. And we quietly did our thing. We have full trust in Erik and his staff and Cash to get everybody right. We’re just gonna go out there and we’re gonna play our game. We’re gonna go pitch, we’re gonna go play defense, and we’re gonna have timely hitting.”
Pepiot also pointed to the team’s young returning All-Stars, offensive power, expected return to its home ballpark and lower expectations as reasons for optimism. “We’ve got some All-Stars that are coming back that are young, and we’ve got some power in the offense, and we’re back in our home ballpark. So I think there’s a lot of excitement to have with that, and with the [lower] expectations, we can really go out there and just kind of shock some people,” Pepiot said.
Source: Original report