Rays' midseason report: Farnsworth shines, shortstops don't

Given all the offseason departures and how the Tampa Bay Rays began the season, to still call them playoff contenders is an accomplishment.

"I think it speaks to the tenacity of our group," manager Joe Maddon said.

It also speaks to the importance of good starting pitching, a solid bullpen and defense, all of which the Rays possess.

The hitting? Very spotty.

"I think there's room there (for improvement)," vice president of baseball Andrew Friedman said. "It certainly hasn't been a real hindrance, but I think there's more upside in our offense and our base running hasn't been as good."

Given the fact the Rays normally don't make splash moves at the trade deadline, the payroll limitations and the fact they tend not to trade prospects make a big move at the deadline seem unlikely unless it's the Rays shedding payroll.

While these first seven games of the season's second half against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will have a huge impact on where the Rays stand among playoff contenders, Friedman said they will not break the season should the Rays struggle.

"The American League East never gets decided before late September," he said, "so we feel like we're in striking distance that when we get to that point when we click on all cylinders that we'll have a real chance to be playing in those meaningful games in September."

Here's a midseason review of where the Rays have been this season.

MVP

As the Rays gathered arms for the bullpen, finding one to replace Rafael Soriano and his team-record 45 saves in 2010 looked to be impossible given the candidates.

But not only did Kyle Farnsworth become the Rays' closer, he became a closer, period.

The right-hander had 27 career saves before this season.

This season, he has 17 in 19 chances.

And, like all closers, Farnsworth has settled the back end of the bullpen, allowing Maddon to slot Joel Peralta as the eighth-inning guy and use J.P. Howell and Juan Cruz to build a bridge to Farnsworth.

But Farnsworth is more than a ninth-inning specialist, which is why Maddon doesn't like to call him a closer.

Farnsworth is not opposed to pitching in the eighth inning. In fact, his ability to get four and even five outs allows Maddon to start the bridge a little early, which gives him more flexibility in the later innings.

You can argue the Rays miss Carl Crawford's bat and Carlos Peña's power, but with Farnsworth, they do not miss Soriano.

Most pleasant surprise

No one expected Sam Fuld to be so much fun or Johnny Damon to be so productive or Casey Kotchman to even be here, but did anyone expect this type of production from starting pitcher James Shields?

Not judging by the way he finished 2010, when some questioned his inclusion on the postseason roster.

But here he is, with an improved body and a better delivery, leading the majors in complete games and the American League in shutouts. He has eight wins. He had 13 in 2010. His ERA is 2.33. It was 5.18 last year.

Right now, Shields is the one pitcher you expect to win every time he pitches.

Biggest disappointment

The reason the Rays traded Jason Bartlett was because they felt Reid Brignac was ready to be an everyday shortstop at the major-league level.

But Brignac has been sharing the position with Elliot Johnson and Sean Rodriguez because Maddon said Brignac is not ready to handle the job full time.

Brignac still lacks the plate discipline that prevents good hitters from chasing bad pitches. He often appears overmatched, as his .193 batting average suggests. The Rays weren't expecting Brignac to hit 100 points higher, but given what he did in a limited and protected role last season, they were expecting much more.

Best offseason move

First baseman Kotchman singed a minor-league contract Jan. 28 primarily to add depth to the position at Triple-A Durham. Dan Johnson was the everyday first baseman, so there was no room on the roster for another left-handed-hitting first baseman who couldn't play another position.

But Johnson was overmatched, and Kotchman, recalled when Manny Ramirez "retired," quietly took over, providing Gold Glove defense and a team-best .336 batting average. Defensively, Kotchman has enabled the Rays to absorb the loss of Peña. Offensively? Well, he is the one hitter who can be counted on to actually hit.

Worst offseason move

The Rays took a chance on Dan Johnson as the everyday first baseman, giving him a $1 million contract, and he couldn't hold on to the job more than a month.

Johnson's power bat produced one home run and three RBIs, and his .115 average was a big out in a lineup filled with them.

Johnson, who authored some of the biggest home runs in team history, was overmatched as an everyday player at the big-league level.

High point

Out of the embarrassment that was Ramirez flunking a drug test six games into the season and retiring rather than serve a 100-game suspension grew the Legend of Sam Fuld.

And while Super Sam hasn't been super of late, his bat did provide a spark at the top of the order in April as the Rays rejoined the ranks of the living and clawed their way to first place. He continues to dazzle defensively.

Also, with Ramirez gone, Damon moved from left field, where his defense is not up to Rays' standards, to designated hitter, where he quickly turned into the most productive DH in team history.

While Ramirez was a model student during spring training, there was a feeling that he was going to go BOOM at some point during the season.

Without the fading star, the Rays are a much different - and better - team.

Low point

Tropicana Field.

The Rays are an unbelievable .500 team at home, which is a head-scratching development.

From 2008 through 2010, the Rays were 73 games above .500 at the Trop. This season, it's has been one step forward and one step back. Their average of 3.26 runs per game under the catwalks is nearly two runs fewer than what they average on the road, turning the Pit on every other game into the pits.

No one associated with the team can provide a reason for the stunning development, and, so far, no one has been able to come up with a solution.

Injury report

Starting pitcher Wade Davis (strained right forearm) begins the second half on the disabled list. Third baseman Evan Longoria has been playing through a tender left foot. It was just revealed pitcher David Price has turf toe on both feet, which forced him off the All-Star Game roster. Damon went into the break with a swollen right hand after being struck by a pitch.

Davis believes his time on the DL will be the cure, and Damon said he will be ready for everyday duty beginning Friday.

Longoria's injury will linger and continue to hamper his production like it did during the first half.

Second-half outlook

We'll know a lot more in a week. The Rays begin the second half of the season Friday against visiting Boston.

The Rays are in third place in the AL East, six games behind the Red Sox and five behind the New York Yankees in the wild-card standings.

This seven-game home stand also includes four games with the Yankees, so what better time to make up some ground than the present?

This is a crucial set of games since a good showing will move the Rays deeper into playoff contention, while a bad week could drop them further out of the picture, and that might turn to the team into sellers after all as they near the trade deadline.