Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.The Rays could not build upon their surprising 2008 AL East title and run to the World Series last year, falling from 97 wins to 84. The lineup was at least as good as the year before, but both the rotation and bullpen suffered a steep dropoff.
The offensive core is still young and in its prime and should continue to produce. And 2009 might have been the usual fall-back season that teams experience after a large jump forward.
Still, making the playoffs in the AL East means beating out the Yankees or Red Sox (or both). With Tampa Bay's payroll, that leaves little margin for error.
Who Might Leave
Pat Burrell, DH; Chad Bradford, RP; Brian Shouse, RP; Russ Springer, RP, Gregg Zaun, C.
Shopping List
The priority will be relief help. The past two seasons -- aside from the times Troy Percival was healthy -- manager Joe Maddon had to work a bullpen by committee. The Rays would rather not spend their limited resources on what it takes to sign an elite, established closer, so the front office will try to give Maddon as many reliable pieces as possible and leave it to him to make it work.
That said, an overhaul could be coming, as Bradford, Shouse and Springer are free agents. Tampa already added an arm with Jesse Chavez, acquired form Pittsburgh for second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Expect more low-profile moves like that.
The Rays can slot Ben Zobrist in for Iwamura, so the only offensive needs are right field and upgrades at DH (over Pat Burrell) and catcher (Dioner Navarro).Money Matters
Tampa Bay has picked up left fielder Carl Crawford's $10 million option, while shortstop Jason Bartlett, right-hander Matt Garza and center fielder B.J. Upton will get raises as arbitration-eligible players. And one has to believe the payroll can't go up much, if at all, from $63 million, since attendance was 1.87 million, 11th in the American League.
That's where trading Burrell ($9 million in 2010) would help, but he could probably only be dealt for someone else's bad contract -- i.e., the Milton Bradley rumors.
Offseason Goals
Even with the August trade of lefty Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay seems pretty set in its starting staff. But the relief corps needs to be shored up. Of course, as usual for a team that has hever drawn well, money is tight. So the Rays can sit out the high-bidding portion of free-agent season and look for bargains. They spent big on one spot last winter, and Burrell was a disaster.
