The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

The series started off great, but didn't end that way as the Rays dropped 2 of 3 to the Yankees and saw the division tighten up considerably as a result, as they now lead the Red Sox by 1/2 game, the Yankees by 1, and the Orioles by 1 1/2.

James Hays' early-season struggles have become a distant memory as he was once again outstanding in a 7-0 Rays rout of the Yankees in the opener. Hays was 7 6 0 0 1 8 to improve to 6-3, 3.22 and leads MLB in pitcher WAR at 2.9. He held up his end of the hyped duel with Gerrit Cole, but Rays hitters made sure Cole didn't as Corey Collins, whom I put in the lineup on a hunch, blasted a 3-run homer (#2) in the 2nd. Jose Aguilar added HR #3 and Alex Kirilloff keeps raking with 2 more hits and 2 more RBI.

Joe Ryan had a nightmare outing and the Yankees beat the Rays 10-6 in a game that really wasn't that close. The homer bugaboo reared its ugly head again for Ryan as he was hit for 4 homers in a rough 3.2 10 7 7 0 2 outing which saw his record drop to 6-4 and his ERA rise to 4.58. Ed Howard had a 2-run single in a 4-run 8th which made the final score more respectable. Adding injury to insult was the fact that Dom Scavone had to leave with elbow tendinitis and will miss a month, a blow as he was on pace for a 4-WAR season.

Transaction: Placed Dom Scavone on the 10-day IL with elbow tendinitis, purchased the contract of IF Brendan Rodgers from AAA Durham. We had signed Rodgers to a minor league deal about a month ago and he raked at Durham to the tune of 380/441/550. The veteran was 266/329/465 at Boston last year and we'd take that over the next month as he should take over for Scavone.

The bullpen let things get away in the finale although it may not have mattered as the bats were dominated in a 5-1 loss that saw Yankee pitchers combine for 13 whiffs. Pablo Lopez (5-2) pitched well, getting past a rough first inning to go 6 5 2 2 2 7 and deserved a better fate. But Robinson Ortiz came in and walked 3 straight Yankees in the 7th to force in a run, and Landon Knack allowed a 2-run single to Luke Voit to break it open. Brendan Rodgers did not have a great debut, going 0-4 with a GIDP.

Team record: 36-28. Next up: An off-day then we head down I-95 to our nation's capital to play Washington for 3 in some interleague action. The Nats are 37-26 and atop the NL East and feature Kian Manmano, possibly the most feared hitter in the NL these days as last year he hit 318/424/618 with 47 HR and 131 RBI, and has a .998 OPS this year. They no longer have Juan Soto, who signed with St. Louis as a free agent last year, but they did sign free agent Luis Robert and feature former Rays Joey Bart and Yoelqui Cespedes in the lineup, as well as DL Hall in their rotation and we're scheduled to face him in the third game.

[Art Deco]

A rough series for the Rays who squeaked one out in the finale to avoid a sweep. They were playing the team with the best record in MLB as the Nats are 39-27, which shows you how compressed the big leagues are right now. In the division the Rays are third, but only 1/2 game behind the Yankees and Red Sox who are tied for first. It's all a jumble.

Corbin Burnes had his first real dud as a Ray, losing the plate in an 11-4 loss to Washington in the opener. He walked 5 and didn't fan anyone in a 3.2 8 6 6 5 0 and fell to 1-3. Wander Franco had a solo shot (#11) for the Tampa Bay highlight.

Shane Panzini kept the Rays in the game at 2-1 down but the bullpen let it get away as they dropped a 6-1 decision to the Nationals. He dropped to 5-5 but went 5.2 3 2 2 6 5 in a decent outing except for the walks but Osvanni Gutierrez and Christian Chamberlain were pretty bad allowing Washington 4 runs in the 7th. Jose Aguilar was the only hitter who showed up, going 3-4 with a double and a solo homer (#4).

Tampa Bay salvaged the finale 4-3 in 10 innings, recovering after Yasunari Uehara blew a win for James Hays in the 9th. Brendan Rodgers led off the 10th with a double and came home on Victor Robles' 3rd hit of the day. The fans were treated to the sight of Diego Cartaya's 2-run inside-the-park homer (#3) in the 3rd off old friend DL Hall, now a starter with Washington and doing quite well at 6-1, 3.45. Andrew Greckel added his 10th homer and Hays was in fine form at 8 5 2 2 1 7 despite allowing a couple of solo homers. Uehara (5-2) vultured the win and saved it for himself with a scoreless 10th.

Team record: 37-30. Next up: Our interleague sojourn continues with 3 games in Miami.

[Art Deco]

A good time in South Florida for the Rays as they took 2 out of 3 from the Marlins. The AL East remains a jumble, with the top 4 teams separated by a game as Baltimore has gone on a 9-1 run to join the party. The Rays are tied for second 1/2 back of the Yankees.

The Rays rode the longball in the opener, hitting three solo homers to erase a 3-1 deficit and take a 4-3 win at Marlins Park. Alex Kirilloff (#9) and Kelly Crumpton (#20) went back-to-back in the 5th and Heston Kjerstad had the big one, his 12th of the year in the 9th inning. That made a deserved winner of Wennington Romero (1-1), who went 3 1-hit shutout innings with 3 whiffs after he took over for Joe Ryan who struggled some at 5 9 3 3 0 3. Tylor Megill got the Marlins 1-2-3 on 9 pitches for his 2nd save.

Pablo Lopez returned to the mound where he started his major league career and was right at home, twirling a 4-hit complete-game shutout to lead the Rays to a 4-0 win over Miami. Lopez (6-2) went 9 4 0 0 0 7 on 109 pitches in the gem and he was backed by Wander Franco, who drove in a pair including his 12th homer and Kelly Crumpton, who was 3-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.

The Rays weren't able to complete the sweep as they dropped the finale 6-3 to the Marlins as both Corbin Burnes and the defense struggled. Burnes (1-4) was too hittable at 5 8 6 4 0 2 and errors from Jose Aguilar and Brendan Rodgers cost them runs. As a result a fine game from Victor Robles was wasted as the CF went 4-4 with a double and 2 RBI.

Team record: 39-31. Next up: We head across Alligator Alley and up I-75 to return to the Trop to face Seattle for 3.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays and no matter how congested things are in the AL East (they remain so with the top 4 separated by a game), winning 2 out of 3 in every series going forward will do just fine and that's what they did against Seattle.

The opener was a Rays rout until it wasn't and then it was again as they ultimately downed the Mariners 13-6. They jumped out to a 7-1 lead into the 6th when Shane Panzini couldn't handle prosperity and gave up 5 runs in the 6th to allow Seattle back within one. JT Ginn got him out of the inning and he still picked up the win to go 6-5 despite going 5.2 8 6 6 1 5 with two more homers allowed. Kelly Crumpton got things started with a 2-run homer in the first off former Ray Reggie Lawson (#21) while Ed Howard and Brendan Rodgers had huge games. Howard was 3-4 with 4 runs scored, 2 steals, a HBP, a homer (#5) and 2 RBI while Rodgers was 4-4 with a walk, double, 3 runs scored, and a solo homer, his first as a Ray. Heston Kjerstad added HR #13 for good measure.

James Hays dominated in the second game and the Rays took a tidy 5-2 win over Seattle. Hays has become Mr. Reliable again and won his 4th start in 5 with a 7 4 2 2 3 10 outing which saw him improve to 7-3, 3.09. Yasunari Uehara handled the 9th for save #9. Ed Howard came up big again, going 3-4 with a steal and an RBI, Diego Cartaya had a 2-run single, and the revived Victor Robles doubled and drove in a pair as he's over the .300 mark.

Like their last series against Miami the Rays had a chance to sweep and couldn't as Joe Ryan was battered once again and they dropped a 10-6 decision to the Mariners that really wasn't that close. Ryan has reverted to his 2026 homer-happy form and gave up 2 more in a 3.2 8 6 4 0 4 outing which dropped him to 6-5, 4.88. Wennington Romero gave up 4 more in relief as they fell behind 10-1. Brendan Rodgers continued to rake going 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI while Jose Aguilar was 3-4 with an RBI.

Team record: 41-32, 1/2 behind the Yankees and tied for 2nd in the AL East. Next up: An off-day then we travel to Chicago to play 3 against the White Sox.

We made another big trade! He didn't know it but Shane Panzini was pitching for his spot in the rotation on Monday and he failed the test as his ERA sits at 5.57 with 14 homers allowed in 72 IP. We can't have two Joe Ryans in the rotation. So we dealt starter prospect A.J. Kelsey whom OSA likes better than our scout and who drew a lot of interest from other teams to get us another starter, one we can keep for a while. Here are the details:



Baumeister is the key and while his numbers with the Reds aren't eye-popping he's a rare starter who boasts 70 stuff (yes with 45 control and 45 movement) and is under team control for three more years. And we aren't just mortgaging the future either as we acquired a pair of teenage prospects with interesting upside, especially the 17-year-old Ortega. This is an interesting hitting profile, especially in the plate discipline department:



He also projects to be an average outfielder defensively.

Gutierrez:




This looks like the profile of a speedy leadoff guy, or at least an very useful middle infield backup. Chavero, the other guy we sent to make the deal work, has potential 55 stuff but only 30 movement and 40 control and doesn't look like much.

Panzini is out of options so he'll move to long relief and as a result Slade Cecconi will go to Durham since he has one left, while Baumeister of course goes into the rotation and will make his debut over the weekend in Chicago.

[Art Deco]

The Rays stayed hot and actually completed a series sweep this time, moving into first by 1/2 a game over the Yankees and actually now hold the best record in the AL at 44-32, and are only 1/2 game off the best record in MLB held by Washington and San Francisco in this year of parity in the majors. They're also now #1 in the power rankings. It wasn't all wine and roses though as they lost a member of the starting rotation for the season.

Tampa Bay lost a 3-0 lead in the opener but immediately took it back and held on for a 6-4 win over the White Sox in Chicago. Brendan Rodgers continued his ridiculous run, going 4-4 and making it 11-16 over the last 4 games. He tripled and scored 3 times with Ed Howard's 2-run single restoring the Rays lead in the 6th. Pablo Lopez was cruising until he had a bad sequence where he allowed 4 runs capped by a 2-run homer, but hung in there to improve to 7-2 after going 6 7 4 4 1 3. Yasunari Uehara recorded save #10 with a clean 9th.

Chicago's home stadium was more like Guaranteed Rake Field for the Rays today as they slugged 6 homers in a 13-3 rout of the pale hose. Kelly Crumpton led the way with a 2-run shot in the 4th to get them on the board and added a 3-run dinger in the 7th to give him 23, and Andrew Greckel also found the seats twice, going back-to-back with Crumpton in the 4th and blasting another in the 9th, his 12th. Ed Howard (#6, a 2-run shot) and Heston Kjerstad (#14, solo) went deep as well. Brendan Rodgers was held to only 2-5 today. The home run derby was dampened by the exit of Corbin Burnes after 3 innings and it turned out he tore his labrum and will be lost for 10-11 months. Shane Panzini, who lost his spot in the rotation, went 4 2/3 in relief with 2 runs allowed to go to 7-5 and looks like he'll be getting it back.

Jackson Baumeister made his Rays debut in the finale and exceeded all expectations with a dominant performance in a 3-0 win. The righty made a tremendous first impression with a 6 4 0 0 1 9 outing and is 6-5 overall for the year. Yasunari Uehara finished up again for save #11. Brendan Rodgers (2-4 again) and Alex Kirilloff singled in runs and Heston Kjerstad added a solo shot (#15) for some insurance.

Team record: 44-32. It's 2-game series time again with a quick trip home to the Trop to play Baltimore, which is only 1 game back.

Transaction: Burnes was placed on the 60-day IL and we recalled Kendall Williams temporarily as Slade Cecconi had just recently started for Durham, but the plan is to bring Cecconi back in a few days when rested.

[Art Deco]

It was only a short 2-game set with Baltimore at the Trop, but it was a big series with the Orioles only 1 game back in the ridiculously-tight AL East, and the Rays rose to the occasion by taking both games including a marathon in the second.

The Rays took the opener from Baltimore behind another sterling performance from James Hays 5-2. After a Wander Franco error, Hays gave up a 2-out homer in the first and that was it for the night as he finished 8 4 2 0 0 9 and improved to 8-3, 2.84. A Cy Young repeat is a real possibility. Yasunari Uehara loaded the bases in the 9th but got a double play the end the game for save #12. The bats responded immediately in the first with 3 runs, keyed by a 2-run Andrew Greckel single and Alex Kirilloff added an RBI double as part of a 2-run 8th for insurance.

It took 16 innings but the Rays finally took the mini-sweep from Baltimore with a 2-1 win on Kelly Crumpton's 444-foot blast to dead center, his 24th homer of the year. Joe Ryan was solid in regulation (6 4 1 1 1 2), and while both teams had chances in extras neither could convert until Crumpton came through. Kendall Williams (2-0) got the win with three solid innings of relief, allowing only 2 hits and fanning 4.

Team record: 46-32. Next up: Another 2-game quickie series, this one at Fenway Park where we're slated to face two former Rays, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May.

[Art Deco]

The Rays went into Fenway and came away with a split of the two games, including perhaps their most dramatic win of the season.

The opener was a pitchers' duel between Pablo Lopez and longtime former Rays ace Tyler Glasnow, and Glasnow got the better of it in a 2-1 Boston win. Alex Kirilloff's 10th homer in the 4th gave the Rays the early 1-0 lead, but the Sox equalized in the bottom half of the inning and then Ryan Ober took Lopez deep in the 7th for the winner. Lopez (7-3) pitched a great game at 7 3 2 2 1 5 but didn't have the support as Glasnow went 7 1/3 allowing only 5 hits and the 1 run.

The second game featured the Rays' most clutch comeback of 2028 as they trailed 4-2 going into the top of the 9th only to tie it up and then score 3 in the 10th to take a 7-4 win. Shane Panzini struggled with the longball again in his return to the rotation, giving up a 2-run homer to Nomar Mazara in the 5th after Alex Kirilloff had tied the game at 2 with another solo shot (#11), and finished 4.2 6 4 4 2 3. He's going to be on a short leash going forward and we have several other starting options to look at. But they put two men on in the 9th and Jose Aguilar came off the bench to deliver the biggest hit of his young career, a 2-run pinch-double to tie the game. Then in the 10th the Rays loaded the bases with one out before Michael Busch was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run and Corey Collins, who had come off the bench himself, delivered a 2-run single to put it away. Robinson Ortiz (2-0) picked up the win after a scoreless 9th and Yasunari Uehara shut the door in the 10th for his 13th save.

Team record: 47-33. They're now 2 games up on the Yankees, 4 up on Baltimore and 4 1/2 on Boston as things have become less jumbled in the division. Their 47-33 record is now tied for the best in MLB with Atlanta. Next up: The road trip will continue with 3 at Rogers Centre against the Jays.

Transaction: With the bullpen a bit fried from the 16-inning Baltimore game, Kendall Williams was sent back to Durham and Elvis Garcia was recalled. Garcia ended up pitching in both games in this series and turned in a total of 2 1/3 scoreless.

[Art Deco]

The Rays keep on winning and they keep on suffering injuries as they swept the Jays in Toronto but lost a starting pitcher and a starting outfielder.

Jackson Baumeister made his second Rays start after his brilliant debut but it was unfortunately cut short after 4 innings when he left with a strained forearm. The injury will keep him out for about a month but it didn't slow down the team as they won the opener 5-3. Baumeister gave up a 2-run homer to Vlad Jr in the first to put them behind and he finished 4 4 2 2 1 1 but JT Ginn (3-2) took over and went 3 solid innings for the win, and Tylor Megill pitched the final two for his 3rd save. Heston Kjerstad was the star on offense, going 3-4 with 3 RBI including a pair of solo homers to give him 17. His second was a back-to-back job in the 7th with Andrew Greckel, whose 13th of the year put the Rays ahead to stay.

Transaction: Baumeister was put on the 15-day IL while Kendall Williams came back up once again from Durham.

The Rays rode the longball to another 5-3 win over the Jays, although this one took 13 innings. They trailed 2-1 going into the top of the 9th when Heston Kjerstad continued on his recent homer tear with #18 to tie it up. Andrew Greckel homered for the second straight day (#14) in the 11th to put them up 3-2, but Yasunari Uehara gave up a Rowdy Tellez shot to let the Jays equalize. It only delayed the victory though as Jose Aguilar blasted a 2-run shot (#5) in the 13th, making a winner of Robinson Ortiz (3-0) with Landon Knack picking up his 1st save. James Hays started and went 6 6 2 2 2 10 while Kelly Crumpton also went deep with his 25th.

Transaction: After pitching 3 scoreless innings in relief again, Kendall Williams' reward was another ticket back to Durham, and Slade Cecconi was brought up to start the next game and take Jackson Baumeister's spot in the rotation.

There was no need for a comeback or extra-inning heroics in the finale as the Rays blasted the Jays 12-1. Ed Howard had a monster game, going 3-3 with 3 walks, two doubles and 5 RBI while Wander Franco drove in 3 and Alex Kirilloff a pair. Slade Cecconi pitched well for the win, going 5 4 1 1 3 7 and improving to 3-3. It wasn't all fun and games though as Victor Robles fractured a finger after being hit by a pitch and will be out 5-6 weeks.

Team record: 50-33, the best record in MLB and now 3 games up on the Yankees in the AL East. Next up: We celebrate the July 4 holiday with 3 games in Texas, and since we've reached the halfway point of the season the next post will be our midseason review.

[Art Deco]

The Rays forgot their bats for the first two games, scoring a total of 2 runs, but then had them shipped to Texas for the finale as they scored 14 to salvage one game from the series. The Yankees took 2 of 3 so they moved to within 2 in the division and only 1 back in the loss column.

Transaction: Victor Robles went on the 10-day IL with his fractured finger and since we needed someone to play center we called up Mo Hampton Jr. from AAA Durham. He was acquired with Brayden Jobert last year in the deal which sent Heliot Ramos to Colorado. The former Rockie 1st round pick has a great glove and speed, but is iffy with the bat.

Joe Ryan struggled with the longball again in the opener, giving up 2 homers in a 5-2 loss. He dropped to 6-6 after a 5 4 4 3 2 3 outing, while Heston Kjerstad brought home both Rays runs with a solo homer (#19) and an RBI single.

Pablo Lopez pitched decently in the second game but the bats were dominated by Texas's Josh Koskovich in the second game as they fell 3-0. Lopez (7-4) was 6.1 6 3 3 2 4 but 2 of the runs against came after he left the game, while Koskovich went 7 3 0 0 0 10. And to add injury to insult, Jose Aguilar broke a bone in his elbow on a double, and is out for a year. Not the year, but a year as in 12 months. Just when he was starting to get to play more and be a contributor, too.

Transaction: Aguilar was put on the 60-day IL and the aforementioned Brayden Jobert was recalled from Durham. We also signed veteran OF Ryan McKenna to a minor league deal - he still has a good contact tool and is a 70-rated LF, so he could make a good backup while we deal with all the injuries.

All of their offensive frustrations were taken out in the finale as they pummeled the Rangers 14-1. Half of their runs were driven in by Heston Kjerstad, who had a 3-run homer in the first and a grand slam in the 6th to give him 21 on the year, and he struck such fear into the hearts of Rangers pitchers that he walked in his other 3 plate appearances. Also walking thrice was Andrew Greckel, who drove in 3 on a 2-run double and a bases-loaded free pass while Kelly Crumpton was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Shane Panzini (8-5) turned in his best start in a long time, going 6.1 5 1 0 1 5 with all the support.

Team record: 51-35. Next up: An off-day then we return home to face Cleveland for 3.

[Art Deco]

The Rays headed into the All-Star Break with another lost series, although they did take the finale to salvage a game. The hitting was the culprit, as their recent spate of injuries may be taking their toll. They were fortunate that the Yankees also dropped 2 of 3 to Houston so the division lead remains at 2 games.

James Hays had his first really bad start since April and veteran Shane Bieber shut down the Rays bats at the Guardians gored the Rays 8-1. Hays (8-4) went 4.2 7 4 4 3 6 and never really looked comfortable as he heads to the All-Star Game. Bieber lost his shutout when he wild-pitched a run in with two out in the 9th.

Slade Cecconi was outstanding again, making it two great starts in two since joining the rotation, but the bullpen and the bats let him down in a 6-1 loss at Tropicana Field to Cleveland. Cecconi didn't allow a hit until the 5th inning and left a 1-1 game after going 6.2 4 1 1 1 4. But the pen imploded in the 8th when Robinson Ortiz (3-1) left a man on for Tylor Megill who loaded the bases, allowed Ortiz's man to score and then gave up a grand slam to Nolan Jones. The lone Rays run came on an Alex Kirilloff solo shot (#12) in the 1st inning.

The Rays snapped back to salvage the series finale 5-0 over Cleveland thanks to a combined shutout from Joe Ryan and JT Ginn. Ryan (7-6) was outstanding at 6 1 0 0 3 7 and Ginn went the final 3 scoreless with 4 whiffs for his 3rd save. Brendan Rodgers just hasn't stopped raking since taking over for the injured Dom Scavone and was the hitting star today, going 2-3 with a 3-run homer (#2). Mo Hampton Jr. had a nice game as well, singling in the first run and then tripling and scoring later.

Team record: 52-37. Next up: The All-Star Break with the Game being held this year at Tropicana Field. No, really! When we return we'll play 4 at home against the Orioles.

[Art Deco]

I was supposed to post this two series ago when we were at the true midway point of the season but I forgot and I guess the ASB is as good a time as any. The standings/leaders:



Yes that's Lewin Diaz 3rd in the AL in homers. He finally lived up to his ratings. Incidentally I adopted the new 2022 IRL playoff format for this season with three wild cards and the best-of-3 series. Oakland and Baltimore are the other 2 wild cards in the AL right now. The Rays' team stats:



This is by far the best offense I've had in this save, and the pitching is great when it comes to walks and strikeouts, but they're homer prone and the defense is downright horrible which is why we're 8th in ERA. The pitching seems to have stabilized from its early-season problems though, even as we battle injuries. The individual hitting stats:



Just when I had written off Victor Robles' 6/120 contract as a sunk cost he goes and has a great comeback season, which unfortunately was derailed with his broken finger. Plenty to like here with the Scavone/Rodgers combo at 3B adding up to 3 WAR already, but catcher is a black hole with Diego Cartaya unable to hit at all, and Corey Collins not quite as productive in limited at-bats as he'd been in previous seasons. The pitchers:



As you can see we've gone through a lot of pitchers trying to find a staff that's effective, and I think we've finally done so despite injuries to the likes of Baumeister and Burnes. Pablo Lopez has been a godsend since being acquired, helping to stabilize the rotation, and the bullpen has been pretty good of late despite a few hiccups. Despite being at the bottom of this list ranked by WAR, JT Ginn has pitched very well the last 4-6 weeks out of the pen after an absolutely horrific start to the season in the rotation.

[Art Deco]

They said it would never happen, but lo and behold the 2028 All-Star Game and all its related festivities are happening at Tropicana Field. Here are the rosters, including Rays James Hays, Yasunari Uehara, Kelly Crumpton (who came from behind to upset Vlad Jr at 1B), and Wander Franco. It was the first appearance for Uehara and Crumpton and the 2nd for Hays and Franco:



We had the Home Run Derby which included hometown favorite Kelly Crumpton:



At least he made it to the second round before losing to eventual champion Ronald Acuna Jr. It appears the homer totals suppressed by the Trop.

The game itself:



The Trop is known as a park which suppresses offense, but tonight we got one of the higher-scoring All-Star Games in recent memory, complete with 6 homers. Rays hitters were 1-5 with Kelly Crumpton 1-3 and Wander Franco 0-2 off the bench, but in a game in which the pitching wasn't great James Hays and Yasunari Uehara acquitted themselves well with perfect innings.

[Art Deco]

While the Rays organization was busy hosting the All-Star Game and related festivities, the front office couldn't enjoy it because we were too busy having the draft. Once again it was a poor draft for pitching so we went exclusively bats in the early rounds, and the two guys listed as relievers above were actually drafted for their bats.

Edwards:



High school 1B are inherently risky, but he's projected to a beast at the plate.

Stack:



Well if taking a HS 1B is risky, taking two of them with your first two picks is really crazy, but like Edwards Stack is projected to be a great contact and power hitter, so if they both work out we trade from excess (or make Edwards a DH).

Sharratt:



How about a HS catcher who can really hit? Sure, sign me up. Of course the question is whether he can catch, but a bat like that will play anywhere if he pans out.

Baggs:



Another of my "listed a reliever, is secretly a hitter who can really rake" picks, he looks like a top 10 overall pick as an outfielder based on those potential defensive ratings and his speed to go with those hitting ratings.

Flynn:



How about *3* high-school 1B? You take what the draft gives you, and it was giving me one HS 1B after another. Since the position has been such a black hole for us over the years (although Kelly Crumpton is getting it done after sliding over from 3B this year), we're going to throw everything we have at it.

Wright:



Another high-schooler who at least not a 1B, although Wright doesn't seem like much an OF either.

Powell:



I haven't signed him yet so I can't change his position to the OF, but yet another of my listed-as-pitcher but really a potential great hitter types.

This was a high-ceiling, low-floor draft full of high school guys, so we won't know for about 5 years how it turns out, but if even two of these guys become the hitters they're projected to be it'll be worth it. And we'll just trade for pitching.

[Art Deco]

We got off to a slow start after the All-Star Break despite spending it at home and opening with a 4-game home series, dropping the first two to Baltimore but two wins over the weekend meant a split. The Yankees have pulled to within one game of the division lead, and they're even in the loss column with us.

Pablo Lopez wasn't sharp and the Rays dropped an 8-3 decision to the Orioles in the opener. Lopez (7-5) was 5.1 10 5 5 1 5 and although they got back within 5-3 on a 2-run Heston Kjerstad homer (#22) and a solo shot from Wander Franco (#13), Elvis Garcia was hit for 3 runs by his old team and that was that.

The Rays wasted a great start from Slade Cecconi and blew a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 loss to Baltimore in the second game. Cecconi, who has looked great since returning to the rotation, went 5 4 0 0 1 5 on 89 pitches but Christian Chamberlain gave up 2 runs in the 6th to get the Orioles back in it, and then JT Ginn (3-3) probably shouldn't have been pushed to a third inning as he allowed 2 in the 8th to provide the margin of defeat. A couple of more runs would have helped as the offense seems to be in a mini-funk.

It was Joe Ryan to the rescue as he threw 7 strong innings to help the Rays arrest their recent losing skid and take a 7-2 win over Baltimore at the Trop. Ryan (8-6) went 7 5 1 1 1 4 and kept the ball in the park. One guy who didn't keep the ball in the park was Corey Collins, who blasted his 3rd homer to go with a triple and Kelly Crumpton drove in 3 including a 2-run double in the 3rd to get them going.

Shane Panzini, like the somewhat similarly-named Slade Cecconi, is another guy who's turned things around since rejoining the rotation and today he was outstanding in a 6-3 Rays win which bought them a split of the series. Panzini was dominant at times, going 6.1 4 1 1 3 8 and improving to 9-5. Heston Kjerstad had a 2-run homer (#23) against his old team and Kelly Crumpton blasted #26 while driving in a pair. After Tylor Megill, who has struggled of late, gave up a couple of runs in the 8th Yasunari Uehara took the 9th for save #14.

Team record: 54-39. Next up: We conclude the homestand with a 2-game mini-series vs Toronto.

[Art Deco]

The Rays swept the 2-game series with Toronto, eking out a pair of one-run wins which count the same as all the others in the standings. Meanwhile the Yankees dropped a pair to Baltimore so the division lead has grown to 3 games.

James Hays was in dominant form again and the Rays squeaked out a 3-2 win over the Jays at Tropicana Field. The righty improved to 9-4, 2.97 after a 6 5 2 1 0 12 outing, with one of the runs scoring after consecutive passed balls by Corey Collins. Robinson Ortiz ended up with his 2nd save after a scoreless 9th. All the offense came on homers via Andrew Greckel's solo shot (#15) and the game-winner, a 2-run blast from Alex Kirilloff (#13).

Transaction: Brayden Jobert was optioned to AAA Durham so we could activate 3B Dominic Scavone off the IL. Brendan Rodgers has hit so well covering for Scavone that for at least while Victor Robles is out, Andrew Greckel (who was the primary DH) will take over LF and Scavone will DH to keep Rodgers in the lineup at 3B.

The second game was a back-and-forth affair which saw the Rays come from 3-0 down to take the lead, lose it, tie it up and then finally win it in the bottom of the 12th 6-5. Pablo Lopez started and pitched well at 6 7 3 2 0 5 and the Rays tied it up in the 6th on a 2-run Kelly Crumpton blast (#27). They went ahead 4-3 in the 7th on Ed Howard's RBI triple but Tylor Megill's struggles continued as he allowed 2 for Toronto in the top of the 8th, the third straight outing in which Megill has allowed at least 2 runs. Heston Kjerstad's sac fly in the 8th tied it back up at 5, and the Rays had multiple runners on throughout extra innings but it took until the 12th when Dominic Scavone, up to that point 0-5 in his return to the lineup, delivered an RBI single to walk it off and make a winner of Landon Knack (2-2).

Team record: 56-39. Next up: Another short 2-game series, this time in Baltimore. The Orioles are tied with Oakland for the 2nd wild card at the moment.

[Art Deco]

With the trade deadline looming in 12 days and plenty of parity around MLB (no team playing .600 ball) I felt it was time to address a couple of the team's weaknesses and make a real run at things.

First we start with the bullpen, which has been up and down outside of closer Yasunari Uehara and perhaps lefty reliever Robinson Ortiz. To address that we picked up the closer for the fire-saling Dodgers, who are for a change out of it at 44-50:



Crespo was an international free agent out of Cuba a few years back, and he's been a mainstay of LA's pen. He's 31, making $2.8M and is projected at $4.1M next year in arbitration. He has 75 stuff, 55 movement and 50 control and has saved 16 games this year after spending his previous years as a setup man. That's the role he'll take with us, the 8th-inning guy to Uehara's closer. The price was not high at all in Mack, our 7th round pick in 2026 who looks like a 5th starter at best and pitched to a 6+ ERA at two stops this year and is recovering from a rotator cuff injury.

And now, the big one. It's no secret that after the departures of Adley Rutschman and Joey Bart over the last couple of years catcher has become a black hole for the team with touted rookie Diego Cartaya failing both with the bat (215/288/311) and the glove (a -6.1 frame rating and a catcher ERA of 4.23, which is a half-run higher than Corey Collins'). Collins meanwhile at least has some pop but isn't a full-time answer. So we went out and got one of the best catchers in baseball, even if he is a bit long in the tooth at 37:




Philly was another team out of the running this year, and they made Realmuto available. Of course he has a hefty contract that runs through 2029 with a vesting option for 2030, but the Phillies are picking up $9M of the $16M he's owed each season. That vesting option for 2030 kicks in if he gets 480 PA in 2029, so we'll see how he holds up next year to see if we want to risk that. For now though he's still rated at 75 defensively, and while his current 244/318/411 slash line isn't terribly exciting, it's a damn sight better than what we've received from our catchers and he's still rated 55 for contact and power. He does have 10 HR and 50 RBI. We can pay him $7M next year and see where it goes from there.

Cunningham and Clarke are a couple of B-/C+ starter prospects. Cunningham was our 6th round pick last year and he's a low-ceiling guy with 40 stuff and only 45 potential. Clarke meanwhile has excellent stuff and movement (60 in both) but only 35 control. The 2021 draft pick is a MiLB free agent after this year so the Dodgers will have to decide on him right away, but I can see him as an MLB lefty reliever.

To make room on the 40-man, we're waiving C Juan Mendez and RP Shane Baz, both at Durham, and to make room on the active roster we're optioning Cartaya and Elvis Garcia to Durham.

For what it's worth, the fan reaction to the Realmuto acquisition is "amazing".

[Art Deco]

The Rays took a split of the two games in Baltimore while the Yankees did likewise with Boston so the division lead remains at 3 games.

Slade Cecconi was hit for 3 homers in the opener and the Rays dropped a 5-2 decision to the Orioles. Cecconi (3-4) went 5.1 6 4 4 2 4 in the loss. Heston Kjerstad had a consolation solo shot (#24) in the 9th while JT Realmuto made his Rays debut and went 0-4.

The Rays homered their way to a 6-4 comeback win over Baltimore with Dominic Scavone's 3-run blast in the 9th (#12) giving them the win, Scavone's 2nd game-winning hit in 3 games since returning from an extended IL stay. The first three Tampa Bay runs came on solo homers with a pair from Andrew Greckel (#16 & 17) and Heston Kjerstad again (#25). Joe Ryan wasn't very sharp in his start (5 6 3 3 5 3) while JT Ginn (4-3) picked up the win despite allowing a go-ahead homer to Baltimore in the 8th. Yasunari Uehara dispatched the O's 1-2-3 in the 9th for save #15.

Team record: 57-40. Next up: Back to the trop for 3 vs Boston.

[Art Deco]

A good series for the Rays as they took 2 of 3 from Boston (and nearly swept but lost one in extras) while the Yankees did likewise with Seattle so it's status quo with a 3-game lead.

The Rays were matched up against a mainstay of their rotation the last several years as Dustin May took the Tropicana Field mound in enemy colors and they did enough to beat their old friend in a 5-2 win. And it was a couple of brand-new Rays who figured into the decision as JT Realmuto endeared himself to the Tampa Bay faithful by homering in his first home at-bat as a Ray off May in the 3rd and Jose Crespo went the final two innings for the save in his Rays debut. But the star of the show was Shane Panzini, who was excellent for the third straight start at 6.2 4 1 1 3 5 and improved to 10-5. Andrew Greckel also homered off May (#18) and Ed Howard had a key RBI triple.

Tampa Bay mounted an impressive comeback to force extras in the second game but Boston scored 4 times off Robinson Ortiz (3-2) in the 11th to take an 11-7 win. Things started off very poorly as James Hays struggled mightily at 5.1 7 5 5 2 6 while JT Ginn provided no help for him, allowing two of Hays' runners to score and two of his own as the Rays' two most enigmatic pitchers combined to put them behind 6-2 at one point. But thanks to the longball the Rays stayed in and eventually came all the way back with Andrew Greckel (#19), JT Realmuto (#2/#12), Dom Scavone (#13, a 3-run shot), Heston Kjerstad (#26) and Kelly Crumpton (#28) all going deep; Kjerstad and Crumpton's shots came in the bottom of the 8th to tie it up. The Rays had a good chance in the bottom of the 9th to win but couldn't take it, and brought Crumpton to the plate as the tying run with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th, but he hit a fly ball on a 3-0 pitch to end the game.

The Rays took the series from Boston with a 4-2 win behind a strong outing from Pablo Lopez and a timely hit from Ed Howard. Lopez was 6.2 6 1 1 2 8 but just missed out on the win when Howard broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 7th with an RBI double and then scored on Wander Franco's single. Kelly Crumpton added HR #29 in the 8th for insurance and Landon Knack (3-2) picked up the win, going the final 2 1/3.

Team record: 59-41. Next up: An off-day then a huge 3-game series at the Trop against the Yankees, which could either give them more breathing room in the division or tighten (or tie) it up.

[Art Deco]

The biggest series of the season didn't go the Rays' way as Yankee pitching shut them down in the first two games, but the offense did erupt in the finale to salvage one game from the series and therefore maintain a 2-game lead in the AL East.

Slade Cecconi gave them a fine start in the opener and they led 1-0 after 6 on a JT Realmuto homer, his 3rd at the Trop and as a Ray, but the game got away from them in the 7th and the Yankees took it 4-2. Cecconi (3-5) left with men on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out and new Ray Jose Crespo couldn't get the job done, allowing those two to score and one of his own, and then one more of his own in the 8th. Cecconi deserved a better fate at 6.1 4 2 2 1 2. Wander Franco got one back in the bottom of the 8th with HR #14, but that was it.

Another low-scoring affair went New York's way as a 5th inning homer off Joe Ryan held up and the Yankees beat the Rays again 1-0. Ryan (8-7) was the hard-luck loser after going 5.2 4 1 1 2 3 as his teammates were held to a measly 3 hits. Two-time former Ray Diego Castillo walked Ed Howard and Wander Franco to start the 9th, but Alex Kirilloff grounded into a double play and Kelly Crumpton hit a weak grounder to first to end the game.

The Rays' bats finally came alive in the finale as they hit former Ray and now two-time Yankee Jonathan Loaisiga hard in a 7-3 win. Andrew Greckel had a big day, hitting an RBI double in a 4-run 4th and adding a 2-run homer (#20) in the 6th. After that RBI double tied it in the 4th, Heston Kjerstad launched a 2-run jack (#27) to put Tampa Bay ahead to stay and Dom Scavone went back-to-back with him for his 14th. The Rays were forced into a bullpen day of sorts when Shane Panzini left in the 3rd after going 2.2 1 1 0 1 5 so Tylor Megill (3-0) ended up with the win after going an impressive 2 1/3 scoreless with 6 whiffs. Panzini had some back stiffness, but it won't keep him from making his next start.

Team record: 60-43. Next up: Another tough opponent comes to town as the Angels visit for 3 over the weekend.

[Art Deco]

A good series for the Rays as they took 2 of 3 from the Angels while the Yankees were losing 2 of 3 in Texas so the division lead is back up to 3 games.

Things didn't start off so great in the opener though as James Hays had his second straight bad start and the Angels broke open a 4-2 game against the pen to take a 7-2 win at the Trop over the Rays. Hays (9-5) went 5 6 4 4 4 4 and left down 4-0 before the Rays cut it to 4-2 when Heston Kjerstad launched a solo shot (#28) in the 7th. But Wennington Romero coughed up 3 runs in the 8th and the game was over.

The Rays got a scare in the second game when Pablo Lopez had to leave in the 2nd inning but the bullpen did a great job the rest of the way and Lopez's injury turned out to be minor as the Rays took a 4-1 win over the Angels. JT Ginn (5-3) took over and went 3 2/3 with only 1 run allowed and 6 whiffs for the win and Yasunari Uehara finished up for his 16th save. Lopez suffered a mild oblique strain but won't miss his next start. Andrew Greckel supplied a pair of solo homers (#21 & 22) and Alex Kirilloff drove in the other 2 runs with a single and a double.

Ed Howard's 8th-inning solo homer (#7) broke a 4-4 tie and the Rays came back to take the finale and the series from the Angels with a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field. Slade Cecconi was in and out of trouble but limited the damage at 5 7 2 2 3 3 before LA broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run homer off Osvanni Gutierrez in the 6th. Andrew Greckel's 2-run single in the 7th tied it up, and Howard's homer made a winner of Tylor Megill (4-0), who pitched two perfect innings to set up Yasunari Uehara for another save (#17).

Team record: 62-44. Next up: A week of interleague action begins with 3 games at CitiField against the Mets, who are 1/2 game behind Washington in the NL East at 60-44.