Rays 2024 Season Preview

ZACH EFLIN

YANDY DIAZ

KEVIN CASH

Is there a secret sauce to the Rays’ recent run of success? Good people, forward thinking and no fear of failure are the right recipe.

RANDY AROZARENA

Photo illustration by RON BORRESEN | Times

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

Face of the modern MLB manager looks a lot like Cash

B

ST. PETERSBURG y now, he should be leathery. Face lined, eyes hardened, humor expunged.

He should be rounded as Lasorda, cranky as Weaver and bald as Francona. Instead, the skipper seems refreshed, if a little sweaty, after throwing batting practice to his 11-year-old son J.D. while Rays players are getting dressed in the visiting clubhouse before a recent spring game in North Port.

If Kevin Cash is dated, it is only by accomplishment.

When hired in December 2014, he was the youngest manager in the majors. Now, at 46, Cash is baseball’s longest continuously serving manJOHN ager. He is beginning his ROMANO 10th season in charge of Columnist the Rays and is a handful of wins from passing Joe Maddon as the franchise’s all-time leader. Seniority never looked so boyish.

“It’s a little surreal,” said Cash, wiping his brow on the dugout bench at CoolToday Park, “given how volatile the job is.”

For an organization that thrives on innovation and calculated risk, Cash is a rare constant. He is the bridge between a front office unafraid of change, and the group-think that has ruled clubhouses and dugouts for more than a century.

Turns out, his is the stubbled, amiable and perceptive face of the modern manager.

“He’s the same guy that he was when we first hired him, except now he has the experience and the credentials,” said Rays president Matt Silverman, who was in charge of baseball operations at the time Cash was hired. “He has the humility necessary for this job. He has the energy, consistent energy, that’s contagious. And there’s always been a curiosity and a desire to learn and understand everything around him.

“When we were asking people in the industry about him when we were making a list of candidates, the feedback

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Why is Kevin Cash laughing? Maybe it’s because he has been in the same job longer than any other current MLB manager.

on Kevin was that he was respected by everyone. You’re talking about a backup catcher with the respect of everyone in the clubhouse for a winning organization like the Red Sox. That says a lot about his ability to interact with people.”

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Or, at least, it wasn’t part of some master career plan.

Cash spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues as a light-hitting catcher — “Hanging by a piece of dental floss,” is how he describes it — before taking jobs as an advance scout in Texas and Toronto and eventually ending up as the bullpen coach in Cleveland for two years.

If he was marginal as a player, he was in demand as a leader. There was an oldschool vibe about Cash around players, but with the intellect to grasp new See ROMANO, 3X

Elite company Kevin Cash was 37 when he managed his first game for the Rays in 2015. Since then, he has led Tampa Bay to five playoff appearances, one pennant and more than 700 regular-season victories. Here’s how he stacks up against recent Hall of Fame managers before they turned 46.

Manager

Team

W-L

Pct.

HOF Election

Kevin Cash

Rays

739-617

.545

NA

Jim Leyland

Pirates

398-410

.493

2024

Tony La Russa

White Sox, A’s

954-805

.542

2014

Braves, Blue Jays

621-615

.502

2014

Bobby Cox Joe Torre

Braves, Mets

543-649

.456

2014

Whitey Herzog

Rangers, Royals

280-248

.530

2010

Dick Williams

Red Sox, A’s, Angels

597-521

.534

2008

Sparky Anderson

Reds, Tigers

919-636

.591

2000

Tommy Lasorda

NA

0-0

.000

1997

Orioles

780-531

.595

1996

Earl Weaver

Tampa Bay Times

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Sunday, March 24, 2024 |

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Kevin Cash and his 11-year-old son, J.D., hang out with starting pitcher Zack Littell in the dugout during a recent spring training game in North Port.

ROMANO

continued from 2X ideas. The Rays were reinventing themselves after Andrew Friedman left for Los Angeles and Maddon had gone to the Cubs, and were eager to head off in innovative directions.

The marriage was risky for both parties. For Cash, he was a 36 year old with no managing experience who could be kissing his future prospects goodbye if the team’s radical ideas flopped. And for the Rays, who did their best to provide reassurance by handing a novice manager a five-year contract.

Owner Stuart Sternberg’s philosophy is that character and intangibles are more important than experience. Get the right person, and everything else can be learned. It’s not coincidental that Silverman, Friedman, Maddon, Cash and Erik Neander were new to their roles when promoted by Sternberg.

And, yes, those early years were a bit shaky while the team rebuilt following a six-year run with four playoff appearances — the Rays were below .500 in each of his first three seasons — but Cash benefited from having Evan Longoria’s stamp of approval.

“I was a first-year manager doing things that a 15-year manager would never do,” Cash said. “I was incredibly fortunate to have Longo around. He was already an established superstar — the best player in franchise history — and he could have really made it difficult on me. And maybe even on Erik and Chaim (Bloom) because we were all just coming into our own. But he was just

incredibly supportive. He understood what we were doing.

“There were jokes and he would laugh at times.

I remember taking Jake Odorizzi out of a game after he had gone five innings and given up one hit. Longo stood on the mound and looked at me like, ‘Are we really doing this right now?’ I would just say, ‘Yup, we are.’ “ This is the part that casual fans never get.

Because of the revenue gap, Tampa Bay cannot follow the same philosophies as New York or Boston.

That would be competitive suicide. So the Rays look to gain advantages in other ways. And that’s where Cash’s talents excel.

He gets players to understand and buy into unorthodox strategies. He gets hitters to accept platoon roles. He gets pitchers to understand they’re not going to face a lineup a third time in a game.

He’s open, he’s honest and he heads problems off long before they arrive.

Players don’ t always agree, but they respect the way they’re kept in the loop.

“He’s a player’s manager,” said second baseman Brandon Lowe.

“Every single player that’s come in has great things to say about him. No one has butted heads with him. No one has left the organization and said, ‘Man, I really don’t like that guy.’ That speaks volumes.”

By season’s end, Cash will have managed the Rays for as long as Joe Torre managed the Yankees and Tony La Russa was in Oakland. Longer than Sparky Anderson managed the Reds and

longer than Billy Martin’s five stints in New York combined.

And Cash’s job is completely secure. Word around the game is that Cash’s contract extension runs through 2030.

In the last half-century, only five other managers (La Russa, Anderson, Earl Weaver, Tom Kelly and Eric Wedge) have won more games before age 46 than Cash’s 739. And, with his contract, his kids still in school, and his relationship with ownership, Cash sees no reason to consider leaving anytime soon.

“It’s certainly not lost on me that people are taking time off from their day jobs to come watch us today,” said Cash, with a wave of his hand toward the bleachers. “And this is my day job. That’s unbelievable. I’m sitting here just waiting for BP to start. My only stress is whether we can get 150 innings out of a guy as opposed to 120.

“How cool is that?

That’s my job.”

Contact John Romano at jromano@tampabay.com.

Follow @Romano_TBTimes.

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Harold Ramirez gets welcomed to the dugout by Kevin Cash after scoring a run. “He’s a player’s manager,” says Brandon Lowe.

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

24THINGS

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

ABOUT THE RAYS’ 2024 SEASON

BY MARC TOPKIN | Times Staff Writer

From the absurd (move over, DJ Kitty; Flappy Boi is ready to take your throne) to the significant (approval for a new stadium has a pair of important votes coming up in May), we’ve got your checklist covered: THE COMPANY YOU KEEP The Rays head into 2024 with a streak of five consecutive playoff appearances, matched by only the Astros (seven straight), Braves (six) and Dodgers (11). Further, the Rays have advanced to the postseason nine times since 2008. The only teams with more appearances in that span are the Dodgers (13), Yankees (11) and Cardinals (10). The Braves also have nine.

WILL YANDY STEAL A BASE?

JEFFEREE WOO | Times (2023)

Yandy Diaz attempts to steal second base but is tagged out by Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia during a July game at the Trop.

A NEW HOME?

Associated Press (2023)

This rendering shows a new stadium for the Rays in the Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg.

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Randy Arozarena gestures after hitting a solo home run.

Obviously a World Series championship is the biggest goal for the Rays this season, but you can posit that the most important accomplishment for the franchise overall will be getting approval to build the new stadium, planned as part of a massive redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District at and around the current site.

Votes by the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission are expected by May. The head Ray, principal owner Stuart Sternberg, said the project has been his primary point of attention.

“Nobody’s letting me focus on the baseball this year,” he said. “I have to focus on getting the stadium approved.”

Yandy Diaz did a lot last season hitting leadoff, what with the AL batting title, a Silver Slugger award, his first All-Star appearance and a sixth-place finish in the AL MVP voting, matching the team high.

One thing he did not do was steal a base, caught in his only attempt July 7.

How rare is that? Only one other player in major-league history had more plate appearances in the leadoff spot during a season than Diaz’s 598 last year without stealing a base. Pete Rose. As a 34-year-old for the1975 Reds, Rose made 764 plate appearances at the top of the order without a theft.

Only four other players have had even 400 leadoff plate appearances without a steal: Eddie Waitkus,1951 Phillies; Kyle Schwarber, 2023 Phillies; Vic Power,1955 A’s; and Wade Boggs,1990 Red Sox. Diaz has eight career steals, last on Sept. 7, 2022.

IN A RELATED MATTER ...

One of the Rays’ projected benefits from a new stadium is larger crowds. Between how they played on the field, the IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023) introduction of lower-priced tickets (some for $10 a game and an all-games, standing-room-only pass for $49 a month/$249 all season) and other factors, they saw a nearly 30% increase last season from 2022. That was one of their largest year-over-year hikes, and the total of1,440,301 was their best since 2014.

AROZARENA’S 20-20 VISION

10-MINUTE WARNING

He takes different paths to get there, but Randy Arozarena has been a model of consistency since joining the Rays to stay in 2021, reaching the 20-homer, 20-steal mark in each of his three full seasons. He was the first player to do so as a rookie and in each of his next two seasons, and is one of only three players majors-wide to go 20-20 the last three seasons, joining Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez and Philadelphia’s Trea Turner. The MLB record for consecutive 20-20 seasons is nine, by Barry Bonds (1990-98).

After moving weekday game times up from the previously standard 7:10 to 6:40 last year, the Rays are splitting the difference for this season, shifting to 6:50. Team officials are hoping the extra10 minutes on the front end help people coming from Tampa and elsewhere, but doesn’t impact the early return home that fans said they enjoyed.

JEFFEREE WOO

CASH IS KING

IVY CEBALLO | Times

No current manager has stuck with one team longer than Kevin Cash.

HELP ON THE WAY

JEFFEREE WOO | Times (2023)

Times (2023)

AND YOU ARE?

Kevin Cash is only 46, and on good days doesn’t look it, prompting some of his colleagues to joke that he must have had work done.

But Cash is an old man by standards of his job. By entering his10th season, he is the longest-tenured manager with his current team in the majors.

Come Thursday’s opener, he also will have managed the Rays longer than Joe Maddon, who went 754-705 (.517) and made four trips to the postseason in his nine seasons.

Cash has a better record — 739-617 (.545), with five postseason appearances — though he has managed103 fewer games, primarily due to the abbreviated 2020 season.

With his16th win this season, Cash will surpass Maddon as the winningest manager in franchise history. The other three are Lou Piniella, Hal McRae and Larry Rothschild.

Drew Rasmussen should be back in the rotation by the second half of the season.

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Fans will have a little longer to make their way into Tropicana Field for night games during the week.

Taj Bradley’s spring pectoral muscle strain didn’t help, but a narrative for the Rays pitching staff through the first half or so of the season will be to try to hang on. That’s because the Rays are expecting — with surgery rehabs there always has to be a qualifier — to get three pretty good pitchers back during the second half of the season: Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs.

If so, it will be similar to a bountiful trade-deadline haul.

There are a couple of new faces in the Rays dugout. Michael Johns takes over as first base coach, after one year as Triple-A manager, as Chris Prieto was let go. Also new are Bobby Kinne, who moved from advanced scouting to the new position of pitching strategist, and Kris Goodman, who moves up from the minors to become process and development coach and handle mental performance matters. Missing are process and analytics coach Jonathan Erlichman, who moved back to the front office, and assistant hitting coach Dan DeMent, who was let go.

THE WORLD’S TEAM

Depending on the roster moves during the season, the Rays could have players from11 countries besides the United States. Among them: Australia: Curtis Mead Canada: Trevor Brigden, Tristan Peters Colombia: Harold Ramirez Cuba: Randy Arozarena, Yandy Diaz Dominican Republic: Junior Caminero, Francisco Mejia, Amed Rosario, Ronny Simon, Jose Siri

Japan: Naoyuki Uwasawa Mexico: Jonathan Aranda, Isaac Paredes, Manuel Rodriguez Nicaragua: Erasmo Ramirez Panama: Jose Caballero Taiwan: Yu Chang Venezuela: Osleivis Basabe, Rene Pinto

See 24 THINGS, 5X

Tampa Bay Times |

Sunday, March 24, 2024

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

24 THINGS continued from 4X FOR MORE OPENERS

FOR OPENERS

Zach Eflin will be the16th different opening day starter the Rays have used in 27 seasons.

Here’s the list, with the number of times they did it: 4: Chris Archer, James Shields 3: David Price 2: Wilson Alvarez, Scott Kazmir, Shane McClanahan 1: Dewon Brazelton, Tyler Glasnow, Joe Kennedy, Albie Lopez, Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, Tanyon Sturtze, Steve Trachsel, Victor Zambrano

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Zach Eflin gets the nod to start on opening day, the 16th player to do so for the Rays.

WHITHER WANDER

Associated Press (2023)

Star shortstop Wander Franco’s status remains in limbo for the season.

Though they will be missing a few speedsters at the start of the season due to injury, the Rays plan to spend a lot of time on the run. They stole 160 bases last season — fourth most in the majors, third best in franchise history behind a couple of the Carl Crawford/BJ Upton years — with a 79.6 success rate that was their second best ever.

With Arozarena, Jose Siri and Amed Rosario ready to run, and Josh Lowe, Taylor Walls and Jonny DeLuca expected back from injuries relatively soon, they should be on the fly.

JUNIOR PARTNER

Every team talks about getting off to a good start each season. The Rays turned action into words last year — despite the disruption of splitting spring training among four sites — in winning their first13 games. That tied the1982 Braves and1987 Brewers for the best start in modern major-league history, and was behind only the 20-0 performance by the1884 St. Louis Maroons.

BACK LOADED The Rays’ early-season schedule doesn’t seem too taxing — except for the packing conundrum of an early April trip to Denver and Anaheim — getting13 days off while playing 96 games before the All-Star break.

But they had better be rested from there, playing their final 66 games in 73 days, including their final 42 in 45 days (plus any potential makeups). That stretch includes back-to-back three-city trips, to Oakland-Los Angeles-Seattle on Aug.19-28, then to Baltimore-Philadelphia-Cleveland on Sept. 6-15.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Junior Caminero likely will have more staying power in his next callup to the bigs.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The Rays will make their first visits to face the Dodgers and Rockies since 2019. With the advent of the schedule format last season, there will no longer be any such extended gaps, as teams will visit opposing-league cities every other year.

The Rays won’t see the Yankees (or the Red Sox for that matter) at the Trop in April, which is kind of unusual. But then it will be New York, New York time as the Mets visit May 3-5 and the Bronx Bombers May10-13.

EXPANSION BATTLES

This will be the 27th season of Rays baseball. Through 26 seasons they are 2,011-2,097 (.490) with nine playoff appearances and two American League pennants but no World Series championships.

Here’s how they stack up against the other expansion teams through their first 26 seasons: Team, first year

W-L

Pct.

Playoffs

Pennants

WS

Royals,1969

2123-1972

.518

7

2

1

Blue Jays,1977

2025-2063

.495

5

2

2

Nats,1969

2022-2074

.494

1

0

0

Rays,1998

2011-2097

.490

9

2

0

D’backs,1998

1998-2112

.486

7

2

1

Angels,1961

2088-2138

.484

1

0

0

Astros,1962

1999-2150

.482

3

0

0

Brewers,1969

1977-2123

.482

2

1

0

Rockies,1993

1962-2189

.473

5

1

0

Mariners,1977

1924-2163

.471

4

0

0

Marlins,1993

1933-2209

.467

2

2

2

Mets,1962

1886-2257

.455

4

3

2

Senators/Rangers, 1846-2286 1961

.447

0

0

0

Padres,1969

.446

1

1

0

1830-2273

In celebrating their first 25 seasons, the Rays last year launched a team Hall of Fame, inducting an inaugural class of Don Zimmer, Carl Crawford and Wade Boggs. They will add two more members this year: former radio broadcaster Dave Wills, who died last year, on April14, and original Ray and Tampa native Fred McGriff, who was inducted into Cooperstown last year, on Sept.1.

FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES

Among former Rays who were traded or left otherwise, here is a list with their new teams (as of March 20): Jalen Beeks, Rockies; Christian Bethancourt, Marlins; Vidal Brujan, Marlins; Yonny Chirinos, Marlins; Jake Diekman, Mets; Calvin Faucher, Marlins; Josh Fleming, Pirates; Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers; Andrew Kittredge, Cardinals; Manuel Margot, Twins; Luke Raley, Mariners; Robert Stephenson, Angels.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Jose Siri steals third base during a spring training game against the Blue Jays.

LUCKY 13

WELCOME BACK

FAME GAME

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Brandon Lowe has been entrenched at second base.

OFF AND RUNNING

In an ideal world, Wander Franco would be heading, at just 23, into his third full season, seeking to make a second straight AllStar appearance and establish himself as one of the game’s best all-around players. Instead, his status for this season, and maybe any season, remains uncertain. He faces legal issues in his native Dominican Republic stemming from an alleged relationship with a14-year-old girl, and there’s the potential for a suspension by MLB pending the outcome of the case.

The Rays have one of the game’s next potentially great young players in Junior Caminero, a 20-year-old infielder with an explosive bat. Caminero was sent down in mid March to get ready for the Triple-A season, having been called up in September straight from Double A, with a focus on improving his defense.

His timeline to return to the majors will be based on injuries at the big-league level as well as performance — his and the current Rays. Whenever he does come up, the Rays will expect him to stay for a long time

Brandon Lowe is in line to make his fourth straight opening day start at second base, which would be the most in franchise history.

Only a handful of players have made more (and not necessarily consecutively) at any position: Evan Longoria, third base, nine; Carl Crawford, leftfield, eight; Kevin Kiermaier, centerfield, seven; Toby Hall, catcher, five.

‘WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE BROADCAST …’

Though there has been discussion about a future deal with Amazon Prime, Rays games will be shown on TV and streaming this year just as they have IVY CEBALLO | Times (2022) in the past, via Rays broadcaster Bally Sports Dewayne Staats Sun cable and returns this season. the Bally app.

And the faces doing the talking will be pretty much the same, with the crew led

by Dewayne Staats, who is heading into his 49th season in the majors, and Brian Anderson.

Also on TV will be Tricia Whitaker, Doug Waechter, Rich Hollenberg, Matt Joyce, Denard Span and Ryan Bass. The radio teams returns intact, with Andy Freed, Neil Solondz and Chris Adams-Wall on the call.

The Spanish radio team is also the same, with Enrique Oliu and Ricardo Taveras.

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com.

Follow @TBTimes_Rays.

BOI’S CLUB Among17 promotional giveaways planned this season, the highlight looks to be the Flappy Boi zip-up hoodie. It’s easier to see than explain, but it has that cult following vibe like when the Rays gave out DJ Kitty onesies.

The Flappy Boi hoodie, a fabulous fashion find or faux pas?

Tampa Bay Rays

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5X

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

H

PORT CHARLOTTE istory dictates that the start of a revolution can be hard to define.

Eduardo Pérez believes he was not only a witness, but a participant.

It was the start of the 2005 season for the struggling Devil Rays, who had lost 90-plus games in each of their first seven seasons.

Andrew Friedman, one of three employees embedded in the front office representing the new Stuart Sternberg-led ownership group that would assume control after the season, took his a walk through the Tropicana Field clubhouse packed with the players.

“People don’t know this, but I actually remember saying to him, ‘Look, we have no (cell phone) signal in here — is there any way we can get WiFi?’” Pérez recalled. “So the first thing he did was put in WiFi. I was like, ‘This is cool.’ That was a game MARC changer for the players.”

TOPKIN And Pérez — then a veteran Rays reserve infielder/outfielder, currently an ESPN broadcaster — quickly realized it was just the start of things to come.

“That was the first time that we saw a difference in the era,” he said. “From there, we knew that it was going to be more advanced when it comes to the metrics, more advanced where the information was coming from, that they were going to listen to the players. It was going to be different. It had to be a different formula to try to compete against the big boys in this division.”

Sternberg’s group took over from original owner Vince Naimoli in October 2005 and needed a couple seasons to implement its extensive plan. “To re-jigger,” Sternberg called it, admitting now “we were the first tanking team, basically.”

In 2008, they made a very public declaration that things had changed, at least cosmetically, rebranding the entire franchise in terms of name, colors, logos and attitude.

Then under quirky new manager Joe Maddon and a low payroll squad of mostly unheralded players tired of losing, they showed things were also different on the field, making a stunning run to the World Series.

The Rays era had begun.

And the game has never been the same.

“Since 2008 — so it’s not like we’re cherry picking a few years here — we’ve had the third-best record in all of baseball. Better than the Cardinals. Better than the Red Sox. Better than the Astros,” Sternberg said. “Now, we’ve got no championships, I get it. But the Dodgers have won one in the last, what, 36 years? And they beat us (in 2020). Maybe we’re a healthy (reliever) Nick Anderson away from being World Series champions at this point.

“It’s crazy. Just crazy.”

IS THERE A SECRET SAUCE? What the Rays have done, with a payroll annually among the game’s smallest — often barely a third of their big-market rivals — and a regularly rotating roster is remarkable enough.

Their 1,355-1,1,25 (.548) record over the last 16 seasons is behind only the Dodgers and Yankees.

Their nine postseason appearances in that span, including two pennants, match the fourth most.

They’ve had two Cy Young award winners, four Rookies of the Year and four top managers.

But the better story, the one that may never be fully shared, is how.

What is the Rays Way? There is no simple answer.

From interviews with more than 20 baseball executives, staff and players, there do seem to be some general themes.

How they collect, process and implement data.

The way they treat people and create a relaxed culture. A willingness to try different things and be pliable in their plans.

One area that stands out is the quality of the information the Rays gather — analytical, statistical, scouting, background — and how they interpret and apply it.

As teams have caught up to the Rays, upgrading technology and building out staffs, much of the data has become somewhat similar league wide and commonly shared.

But the Rays still have advantages in how they apply it, specifically in the final stage of getting it to the players in usable form.

“Guys from other organizations always ask, ‘What’s the secret sauce?’ ” said reliever Shawn Armstrong. “I tell them, ‘There’s no secret sauce.’

It’s just the personalization from top to bottom. The simplicity of the things they give each individual.

And the culture they built here is special. Everyone’s on the same page.”

Another edge is how the Rays, through data and scouting, routinely identify overlooked and undervalued players, from the lowest levels of the minors to major-league free agents and trade candidates, and find ways to maximize their talent and production. “They’re master evaluators,” starter Zach Eflin said.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sees their use

RAYS

Yandy Diaz shares a moment with third-base coach Brady Williams after hitting a home run this spring. Diaz says the suppor

THE

Communication, camaraderie and culture go a long

of information as one of their distinct edges.

“I think that the Rays have used analytical tools probably more effectively than any organization in baseball,” he said. “They have focused on efficiency because of their limited economic resources and have done a phenomenal job with the resources they have available.”

Several former and current Rays employees say the bigger advantage may be in the people they have, and the way — from Sternberg down — they do their business.

“The Rays Way is people and culture,” said Peter Bendix, who worked his way from intern to general manager during 15 years in the front office, then left in November to run the Marlins.

“Truly. It is having really good people, and a really good culture and putting those people in position to succeed, to develop and to grow.”

And that leads to winning games?

“Absolutely,” Bendix said. “Everything stems from that. If you don’t have good people, and you don’t have a good culture, you’re going to have all sorts of things that prevent you from winning games. That’s the Rays Way, the secret sauce.”

A CARING, CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT Those people, and that culture, impact the team in different ways.

Stability is one.

Though the roster is churned regularly, team executives like Friedman (who went to the Dodgers after 2014) and Bendix have been poached, and several coaches have been hired away as managers,

the top tier of management — Sternberg and team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman — have remained in place.

As have their guiding principles, such as being patient rather than reactionary, remaining loyal and promoting from within. For example, Erik Neander, the current baseball operations president, started as in intern in 2007.

“That stability is something that I think a lot of organizations strive for,” said Derek Shelton, the Rays’ hitting coach from 2010-16 and now the Pirates manager.

“I think since Stu took over that’s been the Rays Way. I can speak from experience — we went through some lean years there offensively and the fact that I was there seven years. They are very loyal to their people, and I think that starts at the top.

That’s probably the gold standard of the Rays Way.” There are other identifying threads that wind through the organization.

Communication and collaboration. Positivity and humility. Honesty. A family atmosphere. Open dialogue and office doors.

“It’s a special culture we have here,” said bench coach Rodney Linares, who spent 21 years with the Astros before coming to Tampa Bay. “It’s unique.”

Some of the methodologies get all the way to the players, many of whom talk often about how things are different with the Rays.

“Nothing against Cleveland, that organization there is good. But when I was there, I didn’t feel the family environment that we have here, or even more than family, whatever that word is,” said team MVP Yandy Diaz, acquired in a December 2018 trade, via Rays communications director Elvis Martinez.

“They make you feel re and then they make you player in the world. And th In creating that positiv sphere, the Rays also find duction by determining th talent they have at the tim Rather than force a pla going to work well, they w tion. Or, if the personnel o style of play.

“The team has an exce trying to accomplish, and ing those problems, and b ball teams,” said Twins m former Rays player, execut “They don’t have a part It’s many, many, many diff decide which one is goin instance.

“The Rays Way is whate

A SYSTEM TO AD AND ENVY

Neander encourages the to toss out different ideas sion. “It’s that mindset of allowed to fail if you’re tryin Kevin Cash said. “It’s OK. If win that one time, we learn Sternberg espouses a s both a “no-blame approa bragging over individual c He considers the tea

Tampa Bay Times |

Sunday, March 24, 2024 |

Times (2008)

Principal owner Stuart Sternberg raises the American League Championship Series trophy after the Rays beat the Red Sox in 2008 to clinch their first World Series berth.

S WAY IVY CEBALLO | Times

rt and family atmosphere the Rays foster are unlike any other team.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Randy Arozarena, left, and manager Kevin Cash chat while watching a bullpen session.

g way toward keeping players content and building continued success.

eally comfortable first off, u feel like you’re the best hey support you that way.” ve and supportive atmod ways to maximize prohe best ways to utilize the me. ayer into a role that isn’t will change the job descripon hand warrants it, their

An exceptional era

ellent idea of what they’re they’re really good at solvbuilding really good basemanager Rocco Baldelli, a tive and coach. ticular path that they take. ferent paths. And they just ng to work in each given

ever is going to work.”

DMIRE,

he baseball operations staff s with no fear of repercusf showing people you are ing to get it right,” manager If we fail nine times and we n something from it.” similar philosophy, citing ach” for mistakes and no credit for success. am “a flat organization”

Since their unexpected 2008 breakthrough, the Rays have been among the best teams in the majors: Team

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1458-1032

.586

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1419-1071

.570

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.548

9

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1360-1128

.547

10

2

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1334-1156

.536

7

2

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1329-1159

.534

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where employees don’t feel they are rungs below the decision makers. More “horizontal, not vertical,” he said.

And he believes strongly that while they change methodologies and adjust their practices, the team philosophy and approach remain consistent overall. “We haven’t wavered off it,” he said. “We don’t change anything dramatic. We make tweaks, tweaks, tweaks, tweaks.”

He models it more like a Japanese style of management.

“They ask everybody to just improve things by .01% or .1%, and if you do a lot of that it adds up to a good amount of change over time,” he said. “As opposed to the American way, which is necessary a

lot of times, where it’s just one big ‘That’s it, we’ve got to switch lanes, switch gears.’ ” Understandably, the success the upstart Rays have had becomes a major topic within the industry.

Big-market teams don’t like how the Rays take their revenue sharing money and beat them. Other small-market teams want to be more like the Rays.

Twins top executive Joe Pohlad, in a radio interview last month, addressed his team’s reduction in payroll by mentioning the Rays and pointing out “there are other ways to win.”

Players union chief Tony Clark, whose charge includes maximizing pay for his constituents, naturally isn’t a fan of that approach, noting that teams ultimately need to pay for good players to win.

“It’s always interesting when one organization sees another organization do something and assumes that it can be mimicked in a short period of time,” Clark said. “There are people that are very good at certain things that for others, no matter if you think you have the secret sauce, doesn’t manifest itself the same way. …

“There’s a reason that the Rays have succeeded and no one else has in the same type of conversation. History would suggest that staring from the outside in and this belief that in a copycat league you can simply cut and paste, it just doesn’t work that way.”

Even some of the Rays’ division rivals admire what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.

“I think it’s incredible,” said Orioles general manager Mike Elias, a former Astros executive. “They have a culture, being loose, playing hard, not worrying about who’s coming and going on the roster, whether it’s injury or free agency, or making an uncomfortable trade at a deadline.

“Cash has those guys just playing without any of that stuff on their mind. And they’ve done it for so long that I think it’s the kind of thing that’s it’s a culture that they’ve built up. It’s almost the mindset that they have.

“You know when you’re going in to play them, regardless of who’s on the team — and it’s often somebody that they picked up the night before — that they’re going to just play well that day. It’s pretty impressive.”

Or, you could say, it’s the Rays Way. Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com.

Follow @TBTimes_Rays.

7X

8X

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

RAYS REVELATIONS

Which Tampa Bay staffer was a first-round draft pick in 1999? Player who has been with the team the longest? Reliever who holds an MLB strikeout mark?

Rays outfielder Richie Palacios has an older brother also kicking around MLB.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Brothers-in-law act

BY MARC TOPKIN

A

Times Staff Writer

When the Rays are playing the Twins, infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario has some family business to attend to. Minnesota infielder Willi Castro is married to Rosario’s sister, Aniana. Rosario and Castro had some extra bonding time when the 2020 pandemic shut down spring training, as they shared an apartment in Tampa, taking turns cooking and playing video games.

s the Rays embark on their 27 th season, here are 27 trivia-ready tidbits about their players and staff, culled from the team media guide and previous reporting:

Boston bias

Aaron Civale, who grew up in New England and still lives there in the offseason, has been in the majors for parts of five seasons and has pitched against the Red Sox in Cleveland, the Dominican Republic, Fort Myers and St. Petersburg, but still not in Boston. When he faced them in Fort Myers in a 2015 spring-opening exhibition, he was a sophomore at Northeastern and struck out Mike Napoli, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez.

Brothers act, Part I

Outfielder Josh Lowe jokes that he has some catching up to do, as older brother Nathaniel beat him to the majors (both were drafted by the Rays in 2016), earned Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards first, and got to celebrate a World Series championship first. They played together in 2017 in the Rays’ minor-league system, and faced off in the majors twice during the 2023 regular season, then again in the Wild Card Series that Texas won.

Brothers act, Part II

New reliever Phil Maton has two younger brothers who play pro ball. Jacob is a minor-league pitcher in the Texas organization; Nick is an infielder who has played in the majors for the Phillies and

Circle of life, Part I

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Will this be the season starter Aaron Civale finally takes the mound against the Red Sox in Boston?

Tigers, and was in camp this spring with the Orioles. They have squared off once in the majors, with Nick singling off Phil on Oct. 5, 2022.

Kyle Snyder was a promising right-handed pitcher at Sarasota’s Riverview High when the Rays took a flyer by drafting him in the 27th round. He opted to go to college at North Carolina, as expected, and it paid off as he was a first-round pick by the Royals in1999. Though injuries limited Snyder’s pro career, he made his way back to the Rays, signing on as a minor-league coach in 2012 and climbing to the major-league pitching coach job for the 2018 season. He enters his seventh season with a reputation as one of the game’s best.

Jose Caballero grew up in Panama, which has produced 80 big-leaguers, most notably Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Mariano Rivera. He also played basketball, soccer and volleyball, but baseball was his passion, and eventually — after a stint at Chipola College in the Florida panhandle — his profession.

Director of directing

The Rays tend to be creative in many facets of the game, and that includes creating interesting titles for some of their personnel. Here are five that stand out on their roster of team officials: Applied physiologist: Jillian Hawkins Biomechanical analyst: Dylan Crocker Chief people & community officer: Jennifer Lyn Tran Coordinator, vision science: Vishnu Sarpeshkar Director, predictive modeling: Taylor Smith

First love

Pitcher Zach Eflin grew up in the Orlando area as a Rays fan, making occasional trips over to see games. He was excited by the possibility of playing for his favorite team after working out for the Rays at the Trop prior to the 2012 draft, and he admitted to being “a little heartbroken” when they instead took Richie Shaffer with the No. 25 pick. Eleven years later, Eflin got his wish, signing a three-year deal with the Rays before the 2023 season.

Brothers act, Part III

New outfielder Richie Palacios has baseball in his blood, with uncle Rey playing in the majors and dad Richard in the minors. Older brother Josh has played in the majors with the Jays and Nationals, and he was on the Pirates’ 40-man roster this spring. They played together on the Netherlands team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and against each other in the majors last August, when Richie was with the Cardinals.

Different path

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Tampa Bay pitching coach Kyle Snyder was a first-round draft pick by the Royals in a former life.

Circle of life, Part II

Pitcher Jacob Waguespack made his major-league debut at Tropicana Field on May 27, 2019, pitching for Toronto and capping a climb through the minors after signing with the Phillies (going undrafted in 2015 out of the University of Mississippi). After spending the last two seasons in Japan pitching for Orix, he is set to mark his return to the majors at the Trop, with the first four games against the Jays.

Girl dad x 4

Reliever Jason Adam makes no pretense, and plenty of jokes, about being in the minority at home, as he and wife Kelsey now have four daughters 5 and under: Kinsley, Joelle, Selah and Raelynn. Kelsey chronicles many of their family adventures on her Instagram account, @thetravelingwife_ See REVELATIONS, 9X

Did someone mention Casper?

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

It’s probably for the best that we don’t know what brothers Josh, left, and Nathaniel Lowe were saying to each other during this game last June.

First baseman Yandy Diaz is the most physically intimidating Ray, standing 6-2 and 235 pounds with bulging biceps and chest muscles he works on daily.

But don’t bring up the subject of ghosts around him, because he may get up and run. Diaz’s fear became well known in 2022 when the Rays made a trip to Milwaukee and stayed at the Pfister Hotel, where players previously have claimed to experience paranormal activity.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Yandy Diaz isn’t scared of anything at the plate, but the paranormal … that’s another story.

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Tampa Bay Times |

Sunday, March 24, 2024

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9X

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

REVELATIONS continued from 8X

Hey, old-timer

Brandon Lowe is the longest-tenured player on the big-league team, having made his debut for the Rays on Aug. 5, 2018, after being a 2015 draft pick. But the player on the 40-man roster who has been in the organization the longest is catcher Rene Pinto, who signed as a16-year-old out of Venezuela on Oct.1, 2013. He didn’t play in his first big-league game until April 26, 2022.

Golden Knight

Hitting coach Chad Mottola was the first player in UCF history to be drafted in the first round when the Reds in1992 took him fifth overall — one pick before the Yankees drafted a guy named Derek Jeter. Mottola hit only four homers in the majors, the last one, for the Orioles, off current Rays TV analyst Brian Anderson (on June 30, 2004).

Hey, Siri

Centerfielder Jose Siri is a pretty flashy player as it is, with his shiny jewelry, dazzling speed and swaggy attitude. He has the nickname to back it up: El Rayo, which translates simply, and appropriately, to lightning.

Another form of March Madness

Ryan Pepiot played basketball because he had to; he did grow up in Indiana after all.

He stayed local to attend Butler University and is one of seven Bulldogs to reach the majors. When the Dodgers made him a third-round pick in 2019, he became the highest-drafted Bulldog, surpassing Pat Neshek, a sixth-round pick in 2002.

I’ll be right there …

The Rays acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Brewers’ Triple-A team in an Aug.1 deadline day trade for pitcher Evan McKendry, who was with Triple-A Durham.

Conveniently, the teams were playing each other in Nashville, so the players just changed clubhouses.

It’s all Randy’s Land

Outfielder Randy Arozarena had several brushes with fame during the offseason. He was name-dropped by world-wide rap sensation Bad Bunny in the song Nadie Sabe, traveled to Miami to attend Travis Scott’s concert and meet with him about a secretfor-now collaboration, was photographed with Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (both with their arms crossed in “The Randy” pose) in what looked to be an ad photo, hosted a “Randy Fest” event in Mexico with several bands, did a snazzy fashion shoot as one of GQ Mexico’s Men of the Year, met with Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and did TV work at the Caribbean Series.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

No current Rays player has been with the organization as long as catcher Rene Pinto, who joined the franchise at 16.

K club

Left-hander Tyler Alexander doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but that didn’t keep him from setting a major-league record that would be more befitting of a fireballer. Pitching for Detroit in 2020, he struck out the first nine Reds batters he faced, the most in a row by a reliever.

Man from Down Under

Infielder Curtis Mead is in a small group, one of only 37 Australians to play in the majors. Even rarer is just12 others have been position players. Only catcher Dave Nilsson was considered an impact player.

Nerd alert

Reliever Pete Fairbanks has no problem with some of his hobbies — building LEGO sets, reading old comics and collecting Pokemon cards — being described as a bit nerdy. After all, he scored 34 (out of a possible 36) on his ACT and studied mechanical engineering at Missouri with hopes, if he didn’t play pro ball, of working for Boeing designing aircrafts.

So SoCal …

Outfielder Jonny DeLuca grew up in Southern California, rooting for the Dodgers (with whom he played before being traded to the Rays in December), and doing all kinds of other native things, like surfing, golfing, biking, snorkeling and playing guitar. He also earned the nickname Quadzilla based on his lower-body strength.

IVY CEBALLO | Times

Taj Bradley’s high school near Atlanta has a knack for producing major-leaguers.

Rays’ managing tree

Kevin Cash, who spent part of 2005 as a Devil Rays catcher, is among seven former Tampa Bay players to go on to manage: • Ozzie Guillen (with Rays in 2000): managed White Sox (2004-11), Marlins (2012) • Mickey Callaway (1999-01): managed Mets (2018-19) • Gabe Kapler (2009-10): managed Phillies (2018-19), Giants (2020–23) • Dave Martinez (1998–2000): manages Nationals (2018–current) • Rocco Baldelli (2003-08, 2010): manages Twins 2019-current) • Stephen Vogt (2012): manages Guardians (2024-current) Former Rays coaches who became managers include Charlie Montoyo, Matt Quatraro and Derek Shelton.

Veep alert

IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

Randy Arozarena strikes his signature pose after hitting a two-run homer in September versus the Angels. His celebrity status was in full force in the offseason.

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The Rays’ staff directory lists18 vice presidents. That includes VPs of accounting (Patrick Smith); administration (John Higgins); baseball systems (Brian Plexico); broadcasting & communications (De Anna Sheffield Ward); communications & baseball information (Jason Wallace); communications & public affairs (Devin O’Connell); corporate partnerships (Anthony Rioles); creative & brand (Warren Hypes); diversity, equity & inclusion (Stephen Thomas); fan experience (Eric Weisberg); marketing (Patrick Abts); planning & development (Robbie Artz); process & analytics (Jonathan Erlichman); ticket sales & service (Jeff Tanzer); and four assistant general managers (Will Cousins, Kevin Ibach, Chanda Lawdermilk, Carlos Rodriguez).

Wave maker

The Rays pride themselves on hiring staff with diverse and non-traditional baseball backgrounds. High atop that list has to be vice president and assistant general manager Will Cousins. He came to the Rays after earning a math degree at Pepperdine and a PhD in applied math at North Carolina State, and spending three years at MIT researching ocean waves.

Well-schooled

Pitcher Taj Bradley grew up in Georgia, attending Redan High outside Atlanta. If that sounds familiar, it may be because it has produced six other major-leaguers, including All-Stars Wally Joyner, Brandon Phillips and Domonic Brown (though the latter spent three years at Pasco High).

Another was Milt Hill, who pitched parts of four seasons in the majors and then became a scout, working for the Rays.

Among the players he signed? Bradley.

You can call me Chris or …

Reliever Chris Devenski has at least two nicknames. One is “The Dragon,” which current Rays bench coach Rodney Linares gave him when both were in the Astros’ minor-league system. The other is “Devo,” for the New Wave band that was popular in the1980s. There is also a nickname for Devenski’s impressive changeup, which past teammates have called the “Circle of Death.”

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com.

Follow @TBTimes_Rays.

10X

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

SLICING UP ’

ALS BEAST

THE

The Rays’ division competition is fierce, but where do each of the five franchises stand entering the new season?

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

GERALD HERBERT | Associated Press

Jackson Holliday, the Orioles’ next breakout star?

2023 RECORD: 101-61

(PECOTA* projects 86.2 wins) KEY ADDITIONS: RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Craig Kimbrel LOSSES: RHP Kyle Gibson, OF Aaron Hicks, 2B Adam Frazier, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Shintaro Fujinami With Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez and Gunnar Henderson coming of age last season to lead the Orioles to the AL East title, when will Jackson Holliday be their every-day second baseman?

The son of former big-leaguer Matt Holliday is forcing the issue this spring. The first pick of the 2022 draft, he’s the latest of a core of position players who should have Baltimore in the mix for a division title for years.

The Orioles added Corbin Burnes to the top of their rotation and Craig Kimbrel to try and step in for closer Felix Bautista, arguably the best pitcher in baseball last season before he tore his ulnar collateral ligament.

BY KRISTIE ACKERT | Times Staff Writer

THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST is considered the toughest division in baseball

by many. With a mix of top prospects, hefty payrolls, high expectations, legacies and overachievers, it feels like a heavyweight battle from the beginning of the season to the end.

Still, this division was wiped out early in the playoffs last season and hasn’t had a World Series champion since the Red Sox won in 2018. As we head into opening day, a snapshot of where each of the five stand:

BOSTON RED SOX

CHARLIE NEIBERGAL | Associated Press

NEW YORK YANKEES

CHARLIE NEIBERGAL | Associated Press

TAMPA BAY RAYS

JEFFEREE WOO | Times (2022)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

CHARLIE NEIBERGAL | Associated Press

Boston needs Triston Casas to swing a mighty bat.

Starter Gerrit Cole won’t be on the mound for a bit.

Starter Shane Baz is working his way back.

Can Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Co. get over the hump?

2023 RECORD: 78-84

2023 RECORD: 82-80

2023 RECORD: 99-63

2023 RECORD: 89-73

KEY ADDITIONS: INF Vaughn

KEY ADDITIONS: OF Juan

KEY ADDITIONS: RHP Ryan

KEY ADDITIONS: DH Justin

(PECOTA 79.2)

Grissom, RHP Lucas Giolito LOSSES: LHP Chris Sale, LH James Paxton After a quiet offseason, can Boston emerge from the cellar? Lucas Giolito, the Sox’s only big free-agent signing in the winter, already has had an internal brace procedure this spring and will miss the season. He was supposed to step into the role vacated by veteran Chris Sale, who was dealt to Atlanta for promising young infielder Vaughn Grissom.

With a core of impressive hitters led by Rafael Devers and Triston Casas, Boston has to hope its offense will be enough to avoid a third straight last-place finish in the division, which last happened in 1930.

(PECOTA 94.7)

Soto, RHP Marcus Stroman, OF Alex Verdugo LOSSES: RHP Frankie Montas, C Kyle Higashioka, RHP Michael King, INF/OF Isiah Kiner-Falefa After missing the postseason for the first time since 2016, the Yankees were the most active AL East team in the winter. Yet the biggest question will be the same as the last few years: Can they stay healthy?

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole will miss the first few months with an elbow issue. Aaron Judge, the 2022 AL MVP who missed 56 games last year because of a toe injury and has a history of health issues, already has been slowed by an abdominal injury this spring.

(PECOTA 86.9)

Pepiot, INF Jose Caballero, INF/OF Richie Palacios, OF Jonny DeLuca, INF/OF Amed Rosario LOSSES: RHP Tyler Glasnow, C Christian Bethancourt, RHP Robert Stephenson, OF Manuel Margot The Rays continue to put together dangerous teams without big payrolls. Can they do it again?

After trading Tyler Glasnow and with Shane McClanahan expected to miss the season after 2023 Tommy John surgery, the Rays don’t have a proven starter behind Zach Eflin. They are hopeful that Aaron Civale will bounce back and Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, received in return from the Dodgers in the Glasnow trade, will establish themselves as a dominant rotation.

Shane Baz, who has pitched 40 innings in the last three years, will be a later-in-the season return, and they should get Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen back at some point. Taj Bradley, shut down with a pectoral strain in mid March, could be a possibility in May.

(PECOTA 88.6)

Turner, INF/OF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, RHP Yariel Rodriguez LOSSES: INF Brandon Belt, LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, INF Matt Chapman, RHP Jordan Hicks The Blue Jays have tons of talent, but will they ever put it all together?

After chasing but failing to land Shohei Ohtani and trying to deal for Juan Soto, Toronto will seemingly have to find a new gear internally.

On paper, Toronto has looked like a contender with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer and Alejandro Kirk in the lineup, but the results don’t match the star power. The Blue Jays last won a pennant in1993.

Contact Kristie Ackert at kackert@tampabay.com. * PECOTA, which stands for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm, is Baseball Prospectus’ proprietary system that projects player and team performance. It takes past performance and projects the most likely outcome for the following season.

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Tampa Bay Times |

Sunday, March 24, 2024

|

11X

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

Q&A: Stuart Sternberg

Bagels, baseball and The Boss IVY CEBALLO | Times (2023)

It’s a good thing for Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg that Tampa Bay is low on hills but high on outdoor thrills. He can trade his hiking boots in for kayak paddles.

BY MARC TOPKIN

Times Staff Writer

Stuart Sternberg is entering his 19th season as principal owner of the Rays, with considerable success on his resume but still seeking two major goals: a World Series championship and a new stadium. He took a few minutes during spring training for our annual offbeat Q&A (some answers have been edited for brevity and clarity).

WhatdidyouwanttobewhilegrowingupinNewYork?

A centerfielder. That didn’t go out the door until I was probably 14.

Whatsportswereyoubestand worstat?

Definitely best at baseball. And worst?

I couldn’t skate, and I still can’t. Anytime I tried to get on roller or ice skates, that just wasn’t happening — four wheels, two wheels, blades, didn’t matter.

Asportoranactivitythatyou’ve wantedtotry,buthaven’t?

Kayaking. Amazingly I haven’t tried it.

I keep threatening to do it. I’m not much of a swimmer, but that part doesn’t concern me. Especially being down here in St. Pete for the last four years, we need to get out and kayak.

Whatsportoractivitydid youtryandwishyouhadn’t?

Hiking. I don’t love hiking.

Steep hiking is not my thing.

Somethingthatyouneedhelpfrom yourkidstodo?

Definitely some tech stuff. The analog tech, like phones and remotes, is good.

It’s more like really making good use of Google Maps, for all it has got buried in there. That can be really helpful. Ella (the youngest of his and Lisa’s four kids) is my go-to.

What’ssomethingthatyoustillgetto showthemhowtodo?

Everything else? Other than (youngest son) Jake, teaching them about finances.

Even Jake (who works in market investment research) some.

Yourlatestfavoritewebsite/app?

There’s two. One is Perplexity, which is my only foray into the AI chatbots. Perplexity seems to be one that it’s almost like cheating; it really boils everything down for you. The other is A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. It’s the most amazing compilation (via podcast). He’s up to Episode 173; I started at 120 and never thought I’d listen to them all, but I’m caught up. I tell anybody I come across to try it. I’ve learned so much about music.

Bestnewmusicyou’veheardlately?

Mitski. LCD Soundsystem. The Magnetic Fields.

Newtimekilleronyourphone?

Looking at how many steps I take every day. I’m shooting for 10,000.

Lastbookyou’veread?

(Biographer) Robert Caro’s (memoir) “Working.” It’s about how he goes through his whole process.

Lastmovieyousawina theater?

Oddly enough, “Barbie.” One of the kids wanted to go, so if the kids want to go, I go.

On TV, I try to take in all the Academy Award movies as they’re going along. The most recent — I got it under the wire — was “Oppenheimer” (left), which was really, really great.

Must-seeTV? There’s a Christian Dior show, on Apple — “The New Look.” We’ve been watching that. And we really liked “Slow Horses” (a spy drama), and the new season that just came out.

Anyconcertsyou’relooking forwardto?

I just saw Bob Dylan (in early March in Clearwater). He was amazing. … I’ve seen him probably four times in the last 10 to 15 years, and this is by far the best he was. I was stunned. We’ll certainly see Bruce Springsteen at some point this summer.

Anynewhobbiesorskillstobrag about?

I’ve actually been ironing more, how’s that?

Yourlastgreatmeal?

Fish at the Dewey Beach Bar & Grill on St. Pete Beach. We sat outside; it was really a perfect night.

HaveyoutrackeddownrealNew YorkpizzayetintheSt.Petearea?

I still haven’t found anything better than the Old Northeast Tavern.

I’ve heard about some reviews of Joey Brooklyn’s and Toby’s Original Little Italy. … I will take any recommendations.

HowaboutNewYorkbagels?

There’s two places — Bella’s Bakes, which does a really good job, and St. Pete Bagel Co. That’s the only thing that touches a N.Y. bagel.

AnynewfavoriteSt.Petespots?

We’ve gone a bunch to Jack’s London Grill. They do a great job — fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, a good burger, and they make fresh desserts every night.

Threepeopleyou’dliketo seesingtheanthematthe Trop?

James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem (right). Mitski would be interesting. And then, obviously, the unicorn, Tom Waits.

Whatarethreecoolfeaturesofthe newstadiumsite,plannedtobebuilt adjacenttotheTrop?

The biggest to me is going to be the

connection between the stadium and let’s call it the leftfield area, and then to the outside, to Second Avenue South.

We’re designing the stadium around that experience. It’s just going to be one massive, gathering, partying, fun, food and everything else area.

It’ll be as intimate as possible for something that has to fit 30,000 to 40,000 people. And what we’re planning to do with the game-day experience right outside the stadium. … Something on a big scale that will be a natural place for people to be before or after games and to linger as well.

Aninventionyouwishyoucameup with?

People who know me pretty well have asked me, and the thing I’m most amazed by and I pretty much have with me all the time, is a safety pin.

What’sbiggertowin—anEmmy, Grammy,OscarorTonyaward?

I think the hierarchy is the Oscar, but I do think that the Tony (for Broadway theatre performance) is probably the one that’s most real in a sense, because it’s live and you’re out there. I find that the bravest.

Whattripwouldyouliketotakebut haven’tyet?

I’d like to go really far north on the longest day of the year just to have basically no night time. Like up to Finland or something in June and just go through that.

Ourannualwrapup: WhatSpringsteen songbestdescribes lastseason?

“Tougher Than the Rest.”

Andforthisseason?

“Thunder Road.” We’re going to go with a classic.

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com.

Follow @TBTimes_Rays.

12X

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

Rank & review

Surprise! The Dodgers and Yankees spent big, but are they the best teams in the majors?

And where do the Rays fit in?

Ryan McMahon

ROSS D. FRANKLIN | Associated Press

30. Colorado Rockies

In 2018, the Rockies were a playoff team with DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado in the lineup. That’s three All-Stars in their 20s with Gold Glove ability and .900 OPS seasons behind them. All in the infield. And yet Colorado has not had a winning season since then. They won 58 games last year, and may be even worse in 2024. If you’re a Rockies fan, now might be a good time to find an Australian rugby team to follow this summer.

Dylan Crews

JEFF ROBERSON | Associatede Press

29. Washington Nationals

The perfect example of the question: What are you willing to pay for a ring? The Nationals went all-in with a top-10 payroll in 2019 and came away with the franchise’s first World Series title. Since then, they’ve had some bad luck with injuries, traded away most of their stars and have had a .397 winning percentage across four seasons. Was it worth it? Um, yeah. And now the next generation of stars — James Wood and Dylan Crews — should be arriving soon.

Luis Robert Jr.

CAROLYN KASTER | Associated Press

28. Chicago White Sox

When trading your ace in spring training looks like the highlight of the season, you know you’re in for a long summer. The White Sox are clearly in rebuilding mode so it made sense to deal Dylan Cease to the Padres for a decent haul of prospects. New general manager Chris Getz made it clear in November that Chicago would be building for the future when he told the Chicago Sun Times, “I don’t like our team.” Centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. better not get comfortable.

Brent Rooker

MATT YORK | Associated Press

27. Oakland Athletics

Just for giggles, I tried naming the lineups for the1974 A’s and the 2024 A’s. I got eight out of nine from1974 (forgot Ray Fosse) and one of nine from 2024 (yay, Brent Rooker). This says two things: No.1, I am old as dirt. No. 2, the current A’s are in trouble. Yes, Oakland is in better shape than last season, but that ain’t saying much. The Athletics lost112 games in 2023. Avoiding100 losses while waiting for an eviction notice is not an ideal way to spend the summer.

Bobby Witt Jr.

A

nd now there are five. With Texas winning the World Series last October, only five of the 30 MLB franchises are without a ring.

The Rangers — who began life as the second version of the Washington Senators in 1961 JOHN ROMANO — had been the oldest franchise to have Columnist never won the final game of a season.

Now, that ignominious honor falls on the Padres and Brewers (1969), followed by the Mariners (1977), Rockies (1993) and Rays (1998). Colorado will need to wait a little longer, and the Padres and Brewers aren’t likely to end the streak this year, either. The Mariners and Rays are long-shots, but at least they have hope.

With that in mind, here’s a totally random, occasionally snarky, and mostly reliable look at the fortunes of all 30 teams in reverse order for 2024.

LINDSEY WASSON | Associated Press

26. Kansas City Royals

Yes, the Royals have a potential superstar in Bobby Witt Jr. Yes, the Royals will fall drastically short of contention in 2024. But here’s what really fascinates me: Hunter Renfroe is now in Kansas City. Since 2018, Renfroe has averaged 34 home runs every162 games with a .776 OPS. And yet he’s been traded by the Padres, Red Sox and Brewers, waived by the Angels, released by the Reds and non-tendered by the Rays. What’s a dude got to do to get some love?

JEFF CHIU | Associated Press

Javier Baez

25. Detroit Tigers

Barry Bonds walked 232 times at age 39. Javy Baez walked182 times from age 21 to 29. I’m not trying to blame Detroit’s entire 2022-23 malaise on the six-year, $140 million free-agent contract the Tigers gave Baez, but it does seem emblematic of why they’ve been stuck in limbo for as long as they have. They’ve rushed prospects, misfired on free agents and suffered through the most expensive farewell in history while waiting for Miguel Cabrera’s contract to run out.

Peter Bendix

JEFF ROBERSON | Associated Press

24. Miami Marlins

Former Rays general manager Peter Bendix deserved a job running his own front office. He also deserved an owner better than Bruce Sherman. In consecutive years, Derek Jeter and Kim Ng voluntarily left the Marlins, presumably because they were unhappy with Sherman’s vision of the future. Now, it’s up to Bendix to keep the Marlins trending in the right direction, using a lot of the same philosophies that worked in Tampa Bay.

Mike Trout

ST. PETERSBURG

MATT YORK | Associated Press

23. Los Angeles Angels

Let the debate begin. Is Mike Trout the greatest hitter to never play in a World Series? Obviously, Trout is only 32 and still has time remaining but the odds are not in his favor if he doesn’t get out of Anaheim soon. No hitter has a higher career WAR (85.2) than Trout without a World Series appearance on his resume. The next closest are Ken Griffey Jr. (83.8) and Rod Carew (81.2).

The Angels made a solid move hiring Ron Washington as manager, but the organization is still a mess.

Oneil Cruz

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | Associated Press

22. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have pieces. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds is Randy Arozarena without the swag. Shortstop Oneil Cruz is a star waiting to bust out. Henry Davis and Paul Skenes are both former No.1 picks with bright futures.

And yet Pittsburgh is again a candidate to finish in last place. Why? Because there never seems to be a commitment by ownership to take the next step, whether that’s through payroll or even a level of expectation.

Elly De La Cruz

CAROLYN KASTER | Associated Press

21. Cincinnati Reds

For about a month last year, Elly De La Cruz was all anyone could talk about. A shortstop/third baseman switch-hitter with a blow-your-mind combo of power and speed, he hit .307 with a .523 slugging percentage and nine stolen bases his first month in the majors at age 21. But after we turned our heads, he hit .213 with a .377 slugging percentage the rest of the year. If he figures out how to be more consistent from the right side of the plate, the Reds could contend.

Cody Bellinger

ROSS D. FRANKLIN | Associated Press

20. Chicago Cubs

A good deal of Chicago’s hopes rest on whether Cody Bellinger can repeat his bounce-back performance of last season. And the metrics are doubtful. Bellinger had a .525 slugging percentage with a hard-hit percentage of 31.4. Those numbers do not match up.

Manuel Margot, for instance, had a hard-hit rate of 38% but his slugging percentage was .376. There was something funky about Bellinger’s season, and the Cubs had better hope it wasn’t a fluke.

Brayan Bello

CHARLES KRUPA | Associated Press

19. Boston Red Sox

If you haven’t been paying attention, Red Sox fans are cranky. And justifiably so. Since winning the World Series in 2018, Boston is 356-352. Former Rays exec Chaim Bloom overhauled the organization, lowered payroll, rebuilt the farm system and was rewarded by being fired. BoSox execs promised they would operate “full throttle” this offseason and then did very little spending. What’s the over/under on how many times we hear “full throttle” at Fenway in 2024?

Tampa Bay Times

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Sunday, March 24, 2024 |

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RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

Pete Alonso

JEFF ROBERSON | Associated Press

18. New York Mets

So Pete Alonso is 88 plate appearances shy of 3,000 for his career and he has192 home runs. Do you know who hit more home runs in their first 3,000 plate appearances? Not Barry Bonds. Or Henry Aaron or Babe Ruth or Willie Mays or Ken Griffey Jr. That doesn’t mean Alonso will be the all-time home run king — based on age and size, he may struggle to reach 500 — but we are getting to witness a pretty awesome power hitter in his prime. And, oh yeah, he’s six months away from free agency.

Associated Press (2023)

Brandon Woodruff

Gabriel Moreno

ROSS D. FRANKLIN | Associated Press

6. Philadelphia Phillies

You may be tempted to write off Arizona as a decent team that got hot/lucky in October. And there is some truth to that. But it would be a mistake to dismiss the Diamondbacks as a flash in the pan. Start with a CyYoung candidate (Zac Gallen) in the rotation, an MVP candidate (Corbin Carroll) in rightfield and a Gold Glove catcher (Gabriel Moreno) and you’ve got a team worth watching. They probably won’t win another pennant, but don’t write them off.

This team is kind of old. And expensive. Their top three pitchers last season in terms of innings are now between 31 and 34. More than half the lineup is between 31 and 33. And they have more money currently committed to their 2027 payroll ($121 million) than the Rays have for their current payroll. But along with being old and expensive, the Phillies are also really, really good. Still, the clock is ticking. Anything less than a World Series appearance will be a letdown.

Pablo Lopez

GERALD HERBERT | Associated Press

11. Minnesota Twins

Cover your eyes, Rays fans. This is the nightmare scenario you do not want to entertain. The Brewers have made the playoffs five of the last six years with smallish payrolls and forward thinking but may finally be heading toward a reckoning. They lost manager Craig Counsell to the Cubs, they traded ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, Brandon Woodruff is out for the year after shoulder surgery, and Milwaukee no is longer looking like the nerds who outsmart the bullies for playground domination.

The Twins had the sixth-lowest ERA in the majors last season. Pretty impressive, no? But if you factor in that included 39 games and a 3.08 ERA against AL Central foes Chicago, Cleveland and Kansas City, while their ERA against the rest of the league was 4.12, it doesn’t seem like quite the same accomplishment. Still, even with Sonny Gray jetting off to St. Louis, the Twins should be okay with Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan in the rotation.

LINDSEY WASSON | Associated Press

16. San Diego Padres A.J. Preller took over as GM before the 2015 season. Since then, the Padres have had five managers, three winning seasons, two playoff appearances and no pennants despite three seasons with a top-10 payroll. Erik Neander took over the Rays front office two years later. Since then, the Rays have had one manager, six winning seasons, five playoff appearance and one pennant despite no seasons in the top-10 payroll. Just saying.

Logan Webb

MATT YORK | Associated Press

15. San Francisco Giants On the list of pitchers with at least 550 innings and an ERA+ of130 or more since 2021, you’ll find the usual suspects.

There’s Sandy Alcantara, Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burnes and Zack Wheeler.You know who else is on the list? Logan Webb. The Giants right-hander isn’t flashy and doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but he consistently provides around 30 starts with an ERA just a smidge above 3.00. The Giants will flirt with 85-90 wins because of Webb.

Jose Ramirez

JOSHUA GUNTER | cleveland.com

14. Cleveland Guardians

Here’s one stat that reveals two very important truths: Jose Ramirez has led the majors in intentional walks in backto-back seasons. That tells you Ramirez is one of the most underrated hitters in the game. It also tells you Cleveland’s lineup provides him no protection. The Guardians continue to take advantage of the lack of competition in the AL Central by fielding a team that occasionally wins 90 games but usually falls short in the postseason.

Kyle Gibson Roberson

JEFF ROBERSON | Associated Press

13. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals finished in last place in 2023, their first trip to the cellar since1990. In between, they collected17 postseason appearances, four pennants and two World Series titles. That may explain why they did not sit on their hands in the offseason. St. Louis went pitcher shopping and came up with starters Kyle Gibson, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn. They’re all in their 30s but they eat innings. And they may make St. Louis the team to beat in the Central.

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | Associated Press

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

17. Milwaukee Brewers

A.J. Preller

Bryce Harper

Julio Rodríguez

5. Toronto Blue Jays

LINDSEY WASSON | Associated Press

Lots and lots of hype about the Blue Jays in recent years, and that’s understandable. You bring up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette around the same time and people are going to notice. But the Mariners have won almost as many games (268) as the Blue Jays (272) in the regular season and swept Toronto in the 2022 Wild Card Series.

Julio Rodriguez might be better than either Bichette or Guerrero, and Seattle has also assembled an enviable homegrown rotation.

LINDSEY WASSON | Associated Press

9. Texas Rangers

There are only six managers in baseball history with four or more World Series titles. Of those six, only one guided two different franchises to the crown. And, yes, that would be Bruce Bochy. He came out of retirement last season to take the Rangers to their first World Series championship, upsetting the Rays along the way. Bochy also moved into the top10 for all-time managerial victories, and cemented his future enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Juan Soto

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | Associated Press

8. New York Yankees

Of all the amazing stats to come out of a baseball season, this one boggles my mind: TheYankees had two hitters (Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres) with an OPS+ above100 in 2023. If you’re not aware,100 is league average. That means NewYork, with its gazillion-dollar payroll, had two above-average hitters. Just for context, the Rays had nine.

Maybe Juan Soto changes all of that. Maybe the pitching staff overcomes it. Maybe GM Brian Cashman is in trouble.

Aaron Civale

7. Tampa Bay Rays

Time is running short, and bills are running high. The Blue Jays have been a trendy World Series pick recently, but have lost seven consecutive postseason games since 2016. While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are homegrown stars, Toronto has devoted $340 million in contracts to acquire and sign Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi for the rotation. Maybe now that expectations are starting to wane, the Blue Jays will finally come through.

Jackson Holliday

GERALD HERBERT | Associated Press

4. Baltimore Orioles

10. Seattle Mariners

Bruce Bochy

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | Associated Press

Bo Bichette

IVY CEBALLO

| Times (2023)

No Wander Franco? No problem. No Shane McClanahan.

No worries. No Tyler Glasnow? No big deal. Some of the biggest names in the Rays clubhouse will not be available in 2024 for a variety of reasons, and yet the Rays are still expected to contend for a playoff spot, if not the AL East crown. Advanced metrics suggest the Rays can still be a 90-win team, but their margin for error is smaller than usual.

An injury to Zach Eflin or Aaron Civale could be curtains.

So Adley Rutschman finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022. And Gunnar Henderson won it in 2023. And Jackson Holliday is one of the leading contenders in 2024. And Baltimore just acquired Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, from Milwaukee. So, yeah, not a bad time to be an Orioles fan. One warning sign? The Orioles had an18-win improvement to101 in 2023. That kind of dramatic uptick historically is followed by a backslide.

JEFF ROBERSON | Associated Press

Kyle Tucker

3. Houston Astros

Everybody’s favorite villain is back for more. Both Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus has the Astros as the top team in the American League. Houston has won 90 or more games in six consecutive (full) seasons, including four100-win campaigns while mixing in four pennants and two World Series titles. Their sustained success makes the 2017 cheating scandal look even worse because it was so unnecessary for such a talented team.

CHRISTIAN PETERSEN | Getty Images North America

Mookie Betts

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

First, a question: How do you spend more than $1 billion in the offseason and then get to spring training and realize somebody forgot to buy a shortstop? Realizing this flaw, the Dodgers have placed Mookie Betts at shortstop, which is a strange move for a player halfway through a Hall of Fame career. But, of course, it doesn’t matter. The Dodgers will win100 games whether Betts wins a Gold Glove or whether LA needs to acquire a real shortstop in July.

Chris Sale

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | Associated Press

1. Atlanta Braves

This franchise once played in a ballpark known as the Launching Pad. One of the greatest hitters in history wore a Braves uniform for 21 years. Of the four MLB third basemen with more than 400 homers, two were longtime Braves.

And yet, they’ve never had a better offense than 2023.

Atlanta’s 947 runs were the third most in NL history in the expansion era. The Braves are bringing back that same lineup and added Chris Sale to the rotation. See ya in October.

Contact John Romano at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @Romano_TBTimes.

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Tampa Bay Times

RAYS 2024 SEASON PREVIEW

SEASON PREDICTIONS Marc Topkin

John Romano

Kristie Ackert

Rays record, AL East finish

90-72, 2nd

90-72, 2nd

88-74, 3rd

Most Rays wins

Zach Eflin,14

Zack Littell,12

Zach Eflin,11

Most Rays homers

Randy Arozarena, 30

Jose Siri, 31

Jose Siri, 27

Most Rays saves

Pete Fairbanks, 28

Pete Fairbanks, 21

Pete Fairbanks, 20

Rays team MVP

Randy Arozarena

Randy Arozarena

Zach Eflin

Better addition, Ryan Pepiot or Phil Maton

Maton

Pepiot

Maton

Better addition, Jose Caballero or Amed Rosario

Caballero

Caballero

Rosario

Games Wander Franco plays for Rays

0

0

0

Most team wins, MLB

Dodgers,111

Dodgers,105

Dodgers,100

Most losses, MLB

Athletics,111

Rockies,105

Nationals,101

AL division champs

Orioles, Twins, Mariners

Blue Jays, Twins, Astros

Orioles, Twins, Mariners

Astros, Rays, Tigers

Orioles, Rays, Mariners

Yankees, Rays, Astros

Astros over Rays,

Orioles over Twins,

Twins over Tigers

Mariners over Rays

Astros over Twins, Yankees over Rays

Orioles over Twins,

Blue Jays over Orioles,

Astros over Mariners

Mariners over Astros

Orioles over Astros, Yankees over Mariners

Orioles over Astros

Blue Jays over Mariners

Orioles over Yankees

Braves, Reds,

Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers

Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers

Phillies, Giants, Reds

Phillies, Diamondbacks, Giants

Beat writer

AL wild cards

AL Wild Card Series

AL Division Series

AL Championship Series

NL division champs

NL wild cards

Sports columnist

Dodgers Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs

Beat writer

Reds over Cubs,

Phillies over Cardinals,

Phillies over D’backs

Giants over Reds

Dodgers over Reds,

Braves over Giants,

Braves over Phillies

Phillies over Dodgers

Phillies over Braves, Dodgers over Cardinals

NL Championship Series

Dodgers over Braves

Braves over Phillies

Phillies over Dodgers

World Series

Dodgers over Orioles

Braves over Blue Jays

Phillies over Orioles

Julio Rodriguez,

Julio Rodriguez,

Mariners

Mariners

Corbin Burnes, Orioles

Corbin Burnes, Orioles

Corbin Burnes, Orioles

Austin Riley, Braves

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

Logan Webb, Giants

Zack Wheeler, Phillies

NL Wild Card Series

NL Division Series

AL MVP

AL Cy Young

NL MVP

NL Cy Young

Freddie Freeman, Dodgers Spencer Strider, Braves

Cardinals over Giants, Phillies over D’backs

Juan Soto, Yankees

Promotional calendar For all fans

March 28 vs. Blue Jays: Schedule magnet March 31 vs. Blue Jays: Jose Siri replica necklace April14 vs. Giants: Dave Wills tropical shirt May 24 vs. Royals: Skateboard deck art June 8 vs. Orioles: Pride jersey June 30 vs. Nationals: Yandy Diaz bobblehead July12 vs. Guardians: Randy Arozarena streetwear shirt July 28 vs. Reds: Pete Fairbanks bobblehead Aug. 9 vs. Orioles: Flappy Boi zip-up hoodie Aug.16 vs. Diamondbacks: Devil Rays Sherpa bucket hat Sept.1 vs. Padres: Fred McGriff bobblehead

For fans 14 and under

May 5 vs. Mets: Randy Arozarena luchador mask May12 vs. Yankees: Friendship bracelet kit May 26 vs. Royals: Josh Lowe sunglasses June 9 vs. Orioles: Isaac Paredes socks July14 vs. Guardians: Sneaker keychain Aug.11 vs. Orioles: Shoe charms Visit raysbaseball.com for more items that require special ticket packages Tampa Bay Rays

Dave Wills would be proud of the promotional giveaway for his April 14 team Hall of Fame induction.

(Schedule subject to change)