Rays' to-do list doesn't involve looking back

We'll find out soon enough if the New York Yankees earned essentially a consolation win Wednesday against Texas to stay alive in the American League Championship Series. Since they'll have to go through Cliff Lee even if they're fortunate enough to get to Game 7, the odds remain stacked against Tampa's "other" big-league baseball team.

While the Yankees play this out, though, there is at least some odd solace for Rays fans because it's clear by now that the Rangers' conquest of the Rays in the division series should not be considered an upset.

OK, so it's not much solace.

I believe the Rays would have beaten the Yankees if the Rangers hadn't gotten in the way, but I'll also concede that it doesn't matter one bit what might have gone down in a theoretical matchup that will never take place.

It's impossible not to wonder what might have been for the Rays if two things were different: they had kept Josh Hamilton instead of giving him away in the Rule V draft, and they had taken Buster Posey in the draft instead of Tim Beckham. It's also fruitless, since you can't rewrite history - tempting as it may sometimes be.

But the thought of an outfield of Hamilton, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, along with Posey behind the plate ... wow. It would have been amazing.

We now return to reality.

Despite Wednesday's loss, the Rangers have clearly been the better side in the ALCS. Hamilton's bat has come alive, something the Rays didn't have to deal with. And, as always, there is Cliff Lee waiting at the end of the day, if needed.

Meanwhile, the Rays don't have much to do except retool for next season.

We know Crawford is gone. We highly suspect Rafael Soriano is out the door as well. I'll get back to you on Carlos Pena, since it's obvious he won't command a contract on the free-agent market this winter that will make him cost prohibitive to the Rays.

The bigger question to me is whether the Rays want to bring Pena back at any cost. He is still the biggest power bat in the lineup, but we know about the strikeouts and low batting average. Pena has been an important part of the growth of this franchise, and the Rays wouldn't discard him lightly, but they also can't endure another season where someone in the middle of the lineup hits less than .200.

The same might be asked about shortstop Jason Bartlett, who made $4 million last season and is eligible for arbitration. I suspect he'll be a trade candidate this winter, with an eye toward turning shortstop over to Reid Brignac, but it's not automatic. Remember, any trade requires two parties, and the Rays would have to find a suitable dance partner,Look, we all know the Rays have to slash payroll, but basically they've already done that. By subtracting Crawford, Pena, Soriano and Pat Burrell (speaking of what might have been, feel free to grind your teeth), the Rays subtract about half of their $70 million payroll.

Even with raises due to some holdovers, consider this: Evan Longoria "jumps" to just $2 million next year. Plus, they'll have Dioner Navarro ($2 million) and possibly Grant Balfour ($2 million) off the books, along with Dan Wheeler ($3.5 million). They'll turn down Wheeler's $4 million club option and might try to renegotiate at a more reasonable price, so you see where this is going.

Oh, and I wouldn't assume that Desmond Jennings - the heir apparent to Crawford in left field - will open next season with the Rays. He didn't exactly tear it up in Triple-A this year, nor did he make much of an impact after a late-season call up to the big club. He'll have to prove he's ready to handle the everyday job next year, and that will be hard for him to do.

If it plays out that way, the Rays could go shopping for a left fielder who mitigates the pain of Crawford's imminent departure.

Although the initial departures will take the payroll to about $30 million, this probably won't be a Marlins-like fire sale. The Rays should have some cash to replace at least a couple of the major departures with actual big-leaguers.

None of them will be named Crawford, of course, but I don't think this team is headed back to the land of 100-loss seasons any time soon.

There is a rumor floating in Cincinnati of a possible deal that includes Upton. No need to get specific- it's often pointless to get caught up in trade rumors - but I do think Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman will be open to just about any conversation that doesn't include Longoria, David Price, or Wade Davis.

I would hope that any shopping spree this winter includes a stop down the aisle marked "catchers." The Kelly Shoppach experiment was a flop, and another year of the same would be pointless. Hoping that guys get better next season simply because you don't think they couldn't be worse is like thinking that this time you're really going to hit the winning lottery ticket.

It also wouldn't hurt to take a gander down the "right-handed hitting" aisle, just in case the Yankees win the Cliff Lee sweepstakes this winter. The AL East will be tough enough if Boston gets healthy, along with improved Toronto and Baltimore. The idea of Lee joining CC Sabathia as lethal lefties in the New York rotation is enough to keep a Ray awake at night.

Besides, other than wondering what might have been, they've got nothing else to do these days.