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Better Than Ever? Rays Open Camp This Week

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Marc Lancaster/The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG Optimism isn't optional in the days before spring training opens.

Even the teams that are well aware it would take a seismic shift in the baseball landscape to put them in contention in 2008 will have a measure of excitement when pitchers and catchers officially report this week. To those teams coming off a playoff appearance or bolstered by offseason wheeling and dealing, there's a little extra something in the air.

As the Rays prepare to open camp this week - with pitchers and catchers due to report by Thursday and work out for the first time Friday - postseason hopes are still premature. But at long last there is a sense that baseball's most downtrodden franchise is on the verge of something positive.

The Rays won't be picked to finish last in the AL East by most observers; that honor should go to the Orioles this season. And there's reason to believe this is the year Tampa Bay will move beyond 70 wins as a measuring stick.

Meanwhile, here are five questions the Rays must answer by the time they open the season March 31 in Baltimore:

What to do with Evan Longoria?

No matter what official position the team takes heading into spring training, Longoria figures to be the most-watched and most-discussed player of the next six weeks. Everyone considers him a can't-miss prospect, and there's little doubt he'll be holding down third base for Tampa Bay at some point this season. But having him start the season there after only a year and a half of professional experience would run counter to the patient approach the Rays have taken with most of their top prospects recently. There's no doubt the fans would prefer to see him starting in Baltimore on March 31, but there are absolutely no guarantees that will happen.

Who fills out the rotation?

The Rays are unquestionably stronger in the starting spots than they were at this time last year, with Scott Kazmir and James Shields known quantities and Matt Garza assumed to be ready. The battle for the final two rotation slots - which will be waged among Jason Hammel, Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson, Jeff Niemann and J.P. Howell - should be the most spirited of the spring. Hammel and Jackson are out of options, which limits the Rays' flexibility in dealing with them, and there's a decent chance one of those who doesn't make the cut will end up in the bullpen. But this competition figures to go down to the final week of the spring.

How will the right field/DH rotation shake out?

Delmon Young was about as reliable as it gets on the field during his rookie season, playing in every game and contributing in a variety of ways. It's unlikely the Rays will be able to fully replace him defensively by rotating Rocco Baldelli, Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes through right field, but there's reason to believe that trio will generate some offense. Gomes, in particular, could benefit from getting regular at-bats again, something that didn't happen last year in large part because the Rays' starting outfielders were locked in most games. If Baldelli stays healthy and the Rays can keep Floyd on the field by using him liberally at DH, this group has a chance to be very productive.

Is the bullpen as improved as it looks?

To think camp opened last year with some notion that Seth McClung might be the closer, that Dan Miceli would be a key setup man, that Shinji Mori might ... oh, never mind. However you break it down, the Rays appear in far better shape when it comes to relievers than they were a year ago, with Troy Percival poised to resume closing games after a few years off and the seasoned crew of Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler, Gary Glover and Trever Miller setting him up. The relief depth still isn't fantastic, and they would be in some trouble if a couple of those frontline pitchers went down. But with Juan Salas, Scott Dohmann and Grant Balfour on hand, leads should be a bit more secure.

Will experience make a difference?

The Rays expect them all to carry their weight on the field, of course, but they expect the likes of Floyd, Percival and Miller to contribute on another level. Last year's youth-oriented roster lacked in-house leaders. Though younger players such as Shields and B.J. Upton ultimately could take on that mantle, the veteran presence the Rays have added over the winter could make a difference when it comes to the overall professionalism of the team as it makes its push toward respectability in the standings. The Rays have the talent to blow past last year's 66-96 record, but learning how to win is just as important as assembling all the individual pieces.

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