Is The Tampa Bay Rays' Window Closing?
The Rays Won't Consistently Contend in the AL East Anytime Soon
Oct 8, 2009
Disgruntled Toronto Blue Jays fans, weary of the team's inability to play meaningful baseball in September since the early 90s, continue to lament the lack of balance in the vaunted American League East. Citing economic incapacity to keep up with the blithe spending habits of the Yankees and Red Sox, the Bluebirds and their fans have resigned themselves to the possibility that it may be decades before they get in line for October baseball.
The Toronto Bluejays Down but Not Out
Yes, the Jays regressed this year. After a 27-14 start, the club limped to their first losing record since 2005, finishing 75-87. Off-field distractions in the season's last week put an appropriately dark bow on this dismal year. General Manager J.P. Riccardi, in the 8th year of a 5 year plan, was gassed Saturday while rumors of a rift between manager Cito Gaston and his players surfaced.
Is this a bitter pill for Jays fans to swallow? Sure. Is the future bleak? You bet.
But consider, for a moment, the plight of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Tampa Bay Rays: Ten Years of Losing - But Where are the Dividends?
The Rays finished 2009 with a record of 84-78. The 84 wins are second most in franchise history behind last year's 97 wins. In fact, this is just the second time in the club's 12-year history that they have finished above the .500 mark. Despite the forward progress, fans in Tampa shouldn't be planning the parade route just yet.
The Rays built their team the way nobody wants to: by losing, and losing badly. 10 straight losing seasons, including 3 seasons of 100 or more losses, armed the team with high draft picks. 8 times the Rays have drafted in the first 5 picks and only 3 times have they drafted out of the first 10.
Last year's magical run to the world series was crowned a coming out party for the team. The squad's core, comprised mainly of home-grown talent, began to fulfill expectations. All of a sudden, these perennial losers had swagger. This year, the Rays fell back to earth a bit, but still played good baseball. Problem is, good baseball doesn't cut it in the AL East. Despite the 84 wins, the Rays weren't even close to making the playoffs. In the AL East, 84 wins leaves you 19 games out of the division lead and 11 out of the wild card race.
Here's what Tampa fans don't want to hear: After a decade of futility and two decent seasons, their window of opportunity may have closed.
They are still a young team with lots of growing to do, but it simply might not be enough.
The tandem of David Price, Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis appear primed for solid big league careers. Carlos Pena has emerged as one of the premier longball threats in the majors and the Rays have become one of the savviest base-running teams in the league.
You still have to wonder if this franchise will ever can catch up to New York and Boston. More importantly, you have to wonder if they can stay caught up.
The Cupboard May Not be Bare, But the Bank Account Sure Is
A wealth of young talent is a luxury in major league baseball, but so too is a bottomless bank account. The Rays don't have the means to compliment their young players with an experienced, high-priced star. Nor do they have the resources to cover up mistakes. The Yankees, unhappy with a 3rd place finish in 2008, doled out over $400 million to sign three impact free agents. Theo Epstein is the master of patchwork and has the luxury of being able to absorb bloated contracts to plug holes (read: jd drew). A cash-strapped ownership and poor revenue at the gate (the team ranked 23rd in attendance this year) ensures that the Rays will be quiet during this winter's free agent sweepstakes.
When Tampa's front office realizes that their core group of players (who are good, but not good enough)to stay afloat at the top of the AL East, they will have no choice but to retool.
Something they already spent ten long, painful years doing.
