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The Tampa Bay Rays brought major league baseball to the Tampa in the summer in 1998. The area was a hotbed for baseball during spring training, but every March the teams would leave.
The Rays quickly built teams around aging veterans like Wade Boggs, Jose Conseco, Vinny Castilla, Greg Vaughn, and Fred McGriff. The roster was impressive, but passed their prime. The Rays finished those early years in last place in the American League East, at times being the worst team in baseball.The team shifted its strategy in 2004 to try and develop young players instead. Aubrey Huff, Carl Crawford, and Rocco Baldelli made their bats felt and Scott Kazmar quickly established himself as one of the best young pitchers in baseball. The team, although young and exciting, still finished well below .500.
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The Tampa Bay Rays are proof that $200 million payrolls mean nothing in MLB. The Rays shocked everyone with a strong start in 2008. By the middle of the season everybody was waiting for the club to lose steam and fall to their rightful place in the standings. They did not. In fact, the Rays graced fans at Tropicana Field with their first winning season and an American League pennant.
Tampa Bay lost very little this offseason. They kept the top four starters from 2008’s amazing pitching staff. James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, and Andy Sonnanstine should be fine. Dan Wheeler replaces Troy Percival as the full time closer, but this transition was already well underway last season.
The Rays bats needed the most help. As much as Akinori Iwamura, B.J. Upton, and Willy Aybar shined during the postseason, they were mostly a dreadful hindrance during the regular season. The addition of Pat Burrell will do little to raise their average, but his power will surely help a team that finished ninth in runs scored in the American League.
