The Tampa Bay Rays have entered the offseason, and their plan of attack is still a bit unclear.
Coming into the winter, the team figured to have the ability to go in a couple of different directions this winter, with a lot of unknowns due to new ownership taking over. While the hope was that the team would start to increase their payroll a bit, that might not happen this winter.
Even if the Rays don’t spend a ton of money, they have proven to be able to put competitive teams on the field with their ability to identify and grow talent. That isn’t an easy thing to do to sustain success, but they have a history of being able to do so.
With free agency underway, Tampa Bay has a couple of needs that the team might look to address. They should have the ability to accomplish this, but they might not be the most desirable destination.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently ranked the top teams for free agents to sign with based on multiple factors. Not surprisingly, the Rays ranked in the bottom half of the league in this category.
Making a Splash Seems Unlikely
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While there are a lot of financial benefits to signing with a team in Florida because of the state tax law, Tampa Bay has historically been a low-payroll team. However, with new ownership taking over, the hope is that things will start to change.
This winter, Tropicana Field is getting revamped a bit with a new roof put on, and the expectation is that the stadium will be ready for Opening Day. However, while getting back to Tropicana Field will be good, the new ownership will be seeking to build a new field in the near future.
Long-term, that should be beneficial for the team financially, but that is going to be years away. In terms of being competitive, that is still a bit of a grey area for the franchise. They elected to let their closer, Pete Fairbanks, go to free agency rather than pick up his team option, which won’t make them better.
Furthermore, if they elect to trade other veterans, the team would likely be going into a bit of a rebuild. However, they do have a star in Junior Caminero to build around, and that is more than a lot of other teams can say. While they might not be the best free agent destination, they certainly aren’t the worst, with the ability to be competitive.
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