My Two Cents: 5 Biggest Concerns For Rays Heading Into Second Half
BOSTON, Mass. — It's July 5, and after Tuesday night's game in Fenway Park, the Tampa Bay Rays will have hit the half-way point in the season, 81 games down, and 81 to go.
There has been plenty of highlights so far, but some downers, too. Injuries have been an issue, and it has clearly had an impact on a team that's 43-37 thus far, on pace to win 87 games after winning 100 a year ago and claiming a second straight American League East title.
That's not going to happen again, because this season the New York Yankees are running away with things, leading the Boston Red Sox by 13 games, the Toronto Blue Jays by 14.5 and the Rays 15. There more than likely will be no division title, but those three teams still claim all the AL wild-card spots right now, which will make the second half of the season very entertaining.
The Rays currently hold the sixth and final wild-card spot. They have a two-game lead on the Cleveland Guardians, and are four ahead of the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox, and five clear of the Texas Rangers.
So as the Rays chase a playoff spot and another possible run to their third World Series, here are a few things I'm still concerned about. As you Rays fans have gotten to know me, I'm a glass-half-full guy who sees the positive side of things. But these five things are still concerning, and have me worried going forward.
The trade deadline is fast approaching on Aug. 2, so it's going to be interesting to see how well the Rays' front office alleviates some of these concerns.
So let's go:
1. Are there enough arms in the bullpen?
Closer Andrew Kittredge, who still leads the team with five saves, is already lost for the season after elbow surgery and J.P. Feyereisen, who has pitched 24 1/3 innings this year without giving up a single earned run, just got moved the the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury.
If he is coming back in 2022, it's going to be a while for sure. Pete Fairbanks and JT Chargois, two dependable arms in the Rays' bullpen the past few years, haven't contributed at all this year, though Fairbanks is getting close, getting in some rehab assignments in Durham.
Jason Adam, Colin Poche and Brooks Raley are dependable arms down there in the pen, but is that really enough? Probably not, and a trade for a dependable late-inning arm — maybe David Robertson of the Cubs? — would certainly help.
Guys like Matt Wisler and Ryan Thompson have had their moments, but they've also got knocked around a bit too. It will be interesting to see what happens with Luis Patino (oblique) when he returns, and if veteran Ryan Yarbrough and Josh Fleming can return to the bigs — and stay there. This is my biggest concern going forward, because I really feel like they need more help.
Tampa Bay Rays reliever Colin Poche pumps his fist after the final out in the ninth inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 18.. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
2. Production from catchers
Last year, Rays catchers Mike Zunino and Francisco Mejia combined for 39 home runs and 97 RBIs from that position and a few DH appearances. They had a combined batting average of .235.
This year, production from that spot has been brutal, and there's no easy fix right now on the current roster. Zunino, out since June 9 with a shoulder injury, is nowhere near returning, and it's on Mejia and backup Rene Pinto to start making a difference in the Rays' lineup.
Both were good in that Saturday sweep of the Blue Jays. Pinto had two hits and two RBIs in the opener and Mejia hit two home runs in the nightcap, but days like that have been few and far between. Combined, the trio is hitting .191 with just 11 homers and 22 RBIs, far below last year's pace.
It's going to be interesting to see if the Rays pursue a top-line catcher in the trade market, because an upgrade could sure be beneficial here.
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto (50) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a two run home run against the Seattle Mariners on April 26 at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
3. Fixing base-running blunders
For a team that prides itself on playing sound, fundamental baseball, the Rays are a horrible base-running team this season. Left fielder Randy Arozarena and infielder Yandy Diaz are the biggest culprits, but it's a team-wide issue. Taylor Walls, for all his speed, has made a lot of mistakes, too.
The Rays have made 37 outs on the bases this season, according to Baseball Reference, by far the most in the majors. The Chicago Cubs are second with 31. The website does not include pickoffs, caught stealing or force plays in this statistic, which is why that number is so amazing. It's all about bad decisions, either out of aggressiveness or mindlessness.In any case, ''we need to be better,'' a frustrated Kevin Cash said about the base-running blunders a few days ago.
It's not the first time he's said it, so, clearly the message isn't getting through. It needs to — and fast. Tampa Bay's offense isn't good enough to be giving away so many outs. All 27 are valuable to a team that plays a lot of close games. Remember, it was just last week that their team-record streak of 14 games decided by two runs or less just ended.
There's no question that poor base-running decisions played a part in some of those losses.
Tampa Bay third baseman Yandy Diaz sits near second base after getting thrown out on the basepaths, a common problem for the Rays. this season. (USA TODAY Sports)
4. Watching total innings for starters
The Rays have been getting one great outing after another from young starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Shane Baz, and they are a big reason why the Rays have 43 wins already. They keep them in the game just about every time out.
But as we get deep into the second half of the season, it's going to be imperative that the Rays curtail their innings a bit — something I'm sure that fans don't want to hear. But all those arms are too valuable to break down. McClanahan pitched 123 innings last year, and he's already at 98 this season. It's unrealistic to think the Rays will let him pitch 200 innings this year, including the postseason.
Rasmussen has already thrown 62 innings, the most-ever in his three years in the majors. He threw 74 in the minors in 2019, and he'll blow by that soon. He has, mind you, had two Tommy John surgeries already.Springs, a former reliever like Rasmussen, never threw more than 44 innings in his first four years, and he's already at 60. Baz, who missed two months after minor elbow surgery, has thrown 95 and 94 pitches in his last two starts, and I'm sure the Rays won't want that to continue every five days, either.
This is going to be a big challenge for Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder, making sure that all of those guys are still fresh for October when the playoffs start.
Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan leads all of baseball in strikeouts this season. (USA TODAY Sports)
5. Another bat in the outfield?
Randy Arozarena has heated up lately, hitting .292 in the past two weeks, and Harold Ramirez, who's been playing a lot of right field, has been the most pleasant offensive surprise of the season for the Rays, hitting a team-leading .317. With Manuel Margot out with a knee injury, they've been a big help, but his return is still a long way off.
The Rays, who are 22nd in baseball — out of 30 teams — in runs per game (4.11), really could user another power bat. They averaged 5.29 runs last year, and that drop-off is the worst in baseball outside of the Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers.
Part of the problem with the outfield production is that Kevin Kiermaier, Josh Lowe and Brett Phillips are basically the same player right now, left-handed hitters who are far better defensively than they are with a bat in their hand. Kiermaier has been solid enough — he's a career 248 hitter who's batting .230 this year — but Lowe and Phillips are really struggling.
Lowe, in two stints in the big leagues, is hitting just .174 with one home runs and just seven RBIs in 109 at-bats. Phillips is hitting an anemic .148 and he's only driven in 10 runs all year in 148 at-bats. He's really been bad lately. Since May 24, he has just FOUR hits in 72 at-bats, a ridiculous .056 batting — and we'll use that term loosely — average.
Since May 24, Tampa Bay outfielder Brett Phillips has just four hits in 72 at-bats, a ridiculous .056 batting average. (USA TODAY Sports)
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