The Tampa Bay Rays have started up their offseason, and with the general manager meetings ongoing, a plan for the team going forward is starting to take place.
While it may have been a surprising move by the team, the decision not to pick up the option for closer Pete Fairbanks does give them some more financial flexibility to start the winter. This was certainly an interesting decision made by the team, but if they didn’t feel like they could have dealt with him, they wanted to allocate that money to different areas to help improve the team overall.
While Fairbanks’ market in free agency appears to be robust, Tampa Bay may have ended up making the right decision depending on how they use that money. With the bullpen having some good options, there are a few other needs for the team to try to address. One of the most critical is in the starting rotation.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about starting pitching depth being one of the top needs for the team this winter.
Depth Is Important
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This is a unit that is going to look really good on paper with the anticipated return of Shane McClanahan after missing the last two years due to injury. When healthy, the southpaw is capable of being one of the best in the game. However, while the talent is there, Tampa Bay has to be careful with him after missing so much time.
It wouldn’t be fair to expect him to make 30 starts right away after missing so much time, and that will make having some quality depth in the rotation meaningful. Fortunately, there are going to be a number of options that the team can pursue this winter.
The market for veteran starting pitching is usually strong, with aging arms looking to take one-year deals. That fits well with what the Rays would like to do and wouldn’t lock up money long-term. One potential option for the team could be a reunion with right-hander Adrian Houser.
Tampa Bay brought in the veteran from the Chicago White Sox last year, but he wasn’t able to pitch as well with the Rays as he did for the White Sox. However, he can eat innings and has some upside, which is suitable for a depth piece in the rotation. Overall, starting pitching depth is undoubtedly an area that makes sense for the team to address this winter. Fortunately, they should have a number of options.
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