TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Henderson column: Sternberg Says Rays Will Be Playoff Contenders

ADVERTISEMENT

Joe Henderson/The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2007

Updated: 09/28/2007 12:22 am

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays have always been about promises, promises - not to mention a brighter tomorrow, better days ahead, and a future that will be here in a year or two once the kids are ready. There's a reason for keeping their eyes forward, of course. Talking about tomorrow means you have a built-in excuse for losing today.

I'll admit there were times this season when you could get caught up in what was happening at the Trop, whether it was watching Carlos Pena take aim on the right-field seats, the development of James Shields and Scott Kazmir into legitimate front-of-the-rotation starters, or the blossoming of B.J. Upton and Delmon Young into the kind of players who can lead a team out of the wilderness.

Then, reality sets in, as it always does.

The Rays left the Trop for the final time this season Thursday night. They could once again wind up with the worst record in the big leagues and, after all, that's the bottom line in a bottom-line game - even if, as owner Stu Sternberg said, 'It's the most exciting last-place year we've had.'

That quote that would no doubt haunt him forever if he hadn't added quickly, 'Hopefully it will be the last last-place year we have.'

Yeah, we know what he meant. They are doing a lot of things right in this organization. Until the wins start coming with more frequency, though, they're just the best last-place team in baseball.

But that's just me. I'm a cynical ol' hack.

For a different perspective, talk with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He knows one thing for sure - he doesn't like what he sees at the Trop. And he means that in a good way.

'Unfortunately, their future is bright. That's the truth,' he said. 'As a competitor in that division, that's not comforting.'

Won't Be Surprised

I'm tired of writing about the future, just as you're tired of hearing about it.

That's where this team is, though. You can't say anything about this team right now that doesn't include the suggestion that better days really are ahead. We may be weary of saying and hearing it, but that doesn't make it any less true.

At least that's what Cashman said.

'There's no doubt about it,' he said. 'They've got more guys coming. Evan Longoria is a special talent. They have, obviously, as good a group of young position players as anyone in the game. Pitching is coming into their system that a lot of people like, too. They're not far. If a couple of things go their way, it could happen a lot sooner than people realize.

'It's not going to be a situation where they add 10 wins next year and 10 more the year after that. It's not going to be slow. When it happens, it will happen quick. Now. That growing stuff is behind them now. It's going to come fast. When it happens next year or the year after, people might be surprised. But the people who pay attention won't be surprised.'

Then Cashman said something else.

'They could be in the playoff mix next year.'

Next year?

Goodness. Think the world is ready for playoff baseball at the Trop?

'They're lining themselves up,' Cashman said. 'People who aren't paying attention will write that they snuck up on people, but that's not what will happen. They're someone I've got my eye on.'

Somehow that potential has to translate into about 30 more wins for that type of talk to have real bite. Thirty more wins. That's a lot.

Time To Make A Move

All of this brings us back to Sternberg because he is the man with the money and he'll have to part with more of if to back up the following statement he made: 'This club is capable of being a playoff-caliber club next year.'

We plan to remind him of that once or twice.

Sternberg said payroll next year should increase about 20 percent over the current $28 million or so. Most of that will go for increases to existing players like Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and so on, but there needs to be some left over to import some help - either through trades or free agency.

The Rays really need a veteran winner at top of the rotation, someone like Curt Schilling or Kenny Rogers (stop laughing; I mean it) who can speed the development of a young staff and maybe win 15 games along the way.

They need a shortstop with more range than Brendan Harris, more pop than Josh Wilson. They took steps to improve the bullpen this summer but they need to take some more by adding a couple of new guys there, neither of whom would be named Shawn or Camp.

That's a bold agenda for the offseason and we'll see if the Rays are up to it. We'll see if they really can make that big leap Cashman talked about. Maybe then we can finally talk about what they did instead of what they might do.

Think we could handle it? It would be fun to find out.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT