Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - Tampa Bay Rays | Profile & Projection | 626

Episode Date: March 12, 2023

Use code JOMBOYPRESEASON for 15% off your next purchase at SeatGeek* https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOYPRESEASON*max discount $50, expires 3/31/2023We've entered a new tier of teams with the No. 12 ranked Tampa Bay Rays. Dare we say they have their most normal pitching staff ever with McClanahan, Glasnow, and the others? What is this team's ceiling? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oh boy. Raise going raise. Hi T. What is going on? Everybody. Welcome to team profile and projections presented to you by Seek. Spring training is in full tilt. And with Seat Geek code Jamboy preseason,

you can get 15% off any order to anything you want. Wherever there's a seat, just make sure you're using Seatgeek. John Boy pre-season. Go get it. And Trevor, it feels like we just leveled up. Remember when the kids were saying that for a little bit? I just leveled up, bro. I think we've fallen into a potential World Series team

for maybe the first time. The Tampa Bay Race. Always scary in their own ways. They finished 86 and 76 last year. and lost 2-0 to the Guardians in the playoffs. Kind of tough play. Not a lot of offense. Not a lot of offense.

At the end of those games. So who did the raise at? They were injured a lot last year. They added Zach Eflin. Led Zeflin, three years, $40 million. Their biggest free agent contract, I think they've ever handed out. Circle back on that in a minute.

They've got a bunch of minor league invites. It's mostly pitchers because if you were a pitcher, why wouldn't you? Go see what they got for you. Who did they lose? They lost the Clubot. Corey Klober. Kevin Kiermeier, man.

Talk about high T. Been a part of that org for so long. He's now in the Great North. Ryan Yarbrough, friend. He's gone. Zanino gone. Nick Anderson. G. Man.

J.T. Shags. Brooks Raley. Fire Isaac. They lost some guys. They lost some guys. But I think it's. going to be more important to see who they got back from injury from last year. Trevor Plouffe, what's that Ray's lineup look like?

It's always a little funky. I think, look, we always say the Ray's going to Ray. And people get mad at us who follow the rays a lot and say, you know, get a little more in depth than that. But people, they go Ray. I think that's a perfect way to describe this team. They do things a little bit differently, except this year, I feel like we got a more traditional type team.

that we've seen out of the race in quite some time. Yandi Diaz, he's going to be there. He signed a three-year, $24 million deal. He's going to play third base. Is he going to play first base? It's going to be between him and Issaac Paredes. They're going to be manning the corners somewhere.

Wander Franco, our guy, he's going to be at shortstop. Need him healthy, big dog. The best to ever do it. Randy Orozer Rayno will be in left field. B. Lau. Stud. He still doesn't get enough credit. Second base.

Harold Ramirez. Jake's doppelgamerer. He'll be a DH. Mani Margoe, coach ballgames, ooze and Oz guy. He'll be in the outfield. Christian Betancourt will be behind the dish. And Jose Siri came over from where?

Houston? He'll be Manning center field for them. They have some depth pieces. Jonathan Miranda, Vidal Bruhan, who Kevin Cash loves. He told me that himself. Francisco Mejia and Taylor Walls. We bouncing off them walls in the infield

somewhere. So they have a pretty set lineup, a balanced lineup, if you will, and then we get into this rotation, BBD. Usually we're saying five and die for these guys. I don't know if that's going to be the case. It looks like a real deal rotation. Tell us about it. And you know the race pitch and their rotation begins with Shane McClanahan, Syung contender last year. Tyler Glass now he's back. He gets a normal off season after getting back in the show by the end of last year. Drew Rasmussen maybe the nastiest stuff in this group. Zach Eflin comes over. Jeffrey Springs gets a little extension.

And Luis Petino, Fleming, Yanni Chorinos is going to be back this year. There's some rotation depth. Shane Bosb begins here on the IL, but he's nasty. And then in that bullpen, you know, they're mixing and matching roles, but it's all dudes, Fairbanks, Jason Adams, Jalen Beaks, Sean Armstrong, Colin Poshay. There's another Clevenger. There's Clevengers all over this league.

Ryan Thompson. Kevin Kelly, not in my book. Kittridge begins here on the aisle. He's good, too. These Tampa Bay Race, Trev, you were a part of this organization. You peel back some of the curtains for us. Told them a little bit of their secret sauce. It's kind of, it's almost, what's the,

who's the soccer coach? When's that show coming out? Ted Lassow. A little bit. Thanks. It's a little bit of head, high tea meets Ted Lassow. Like believe in yourself and just go get it You're really good at throwing this one pitch

No, it's not Ted Lash Let me tell you right now It's not Ted Lassso There's not like there's not like really a caring bone in that body It's let's go win boy Believe in yourself You know don't be a wuss That's more of the

What they say there More of a high T bone there Sprite 2023 I don't want anyone to confuse Kevin Cash With Ted Lassow Please don't scratch it Brandon Lowe Treve, you mentioned how good he is.

He played 65 baseball games last year. Wander Franco, he talked about how good he is. He played 83 baseball games last year. Man, even Kiermeyer, I know we talked about losing him. He only played 63 last year. Margo played 89. This team had a pretty real injury bug. That their offense by the end of the season was dead,

and it's part of the reason the race, when we say rays are going to run. raise, the offense has never been full-blown scary. It's never felt like, you know, one through nine to get through this raised lineup. No, you're going to run into some matchups. A couple guys are going to have a big years, and that's what they're going to give you on offense. Well, they plan to basically dominate you on the pitching side of the ball, where they had

injuries there last year, too. So I guess, Trev, what's different about this raise team are what people picture as a raised team? McLanahan, Glassnow, Rasmus. in Eflin Springs. Go look at Erasmussen and Spring Stats last year. And that's your 3-5 with Eflin, who they brought in,

who felt like he was coming into his own a little bit in Philly, and the Rays don't just throw around three-year deals. And that's where I also... This is just Yankee fandom being blinded by who the Rays have been. Them giving out a bunch of three-year extensions horrifies me. that means for three years they think they have a lane they like. So that scared me a little bit.

But I think it starts with the starters, Trev. Yeah, we got some help on the way. They've always been able to bring guys up. And we know that they can develop, they can scout, they can do all sorts of things. This is a well-run organization. They don't spend like it. I know people aren't going to like that, but I said that, but this is a well-run organization, okay?

Todge Bradley's on his way. But for the first time, I mean, I feel like, this is like, I don't have to say Ray is going to Ray. I can just say, hey, they have starting pitching depth. They have a lineup that can go one through six, maybe even one through seven before getting down to the bottom. And then you get some guys you can platoon there. So it's more of a traditional team where we know some of these names.

We know what these guys can do. We have Wanda Franco who's going to be the anchor there. And they're going to build around this guy. You said three years. They gave this guy like 50 years, bro. Like they're going to be competing with this guy. year in and year out with your yanks. So get ready for that.

I think where we're still going to see Ray is going to raise in the bullpen. They know how to mix and match. I don't think we have like traditional type roles really ever for them out there. Kittridge was kind of closing some games out. But even him, I feel like you got to like, you just go with the hot hand here. And they have enough guys where they can, you know, between Fairbanks and Adam and there's guys they can fit in those late innings roles. And they know how to mix a match. I think that's where we're going to see the raise aspect of it.

But as far as the lineup and the starting pitching, I mean, they're just good ball players. Yeah, and I mentioned the injury bug, which again, you can for every team because it's going to hit every team. Tyler Glass now. BPD mentioned Rasmussen stuff. I mean, Tyler Glass now, when he's at his best,

and it felt like he was also making a turn before he got hurt, and I know my guy, Jimmer Freddette over there, he would mention how he tapped into a third pitch. Glass now was fastball curve for a while. He added a slider and the results were going. And he came back just for the end of last season, which, you know, in the Tommy John timeline means he's doing well for this season.

I think they're going to be arguably the best one-two punch in the game. And Rasmussen and Springs balled out last year, and Eflin, I plan on him doing the same because the raise, That's where they specialize. I think their pitching has a chance to be really special this year. The highest projected ERA that Fangrass has on a starter's 379. Like, okay. And they play the matchup so well between righty and lefty

and what you see, Trev. What just got you hand up? You don't see this anywhere, okay? Go on Fangrass roster resource. Go to your favorite team. You raise every single projected. pitcher in their on their roster, whether it's a starter or

bullpen, has a projected three start or erie starting with a three, every single one. Now I know projections aren't everything and in fact sometimes I think they're stupid but it's nice to start your season looking at that. If you're the front office you look at that and let me tell you the front office

they like that. Oh. They look in they like him. And by the way, almost everyone in that raised bullpen has option. So they will use you. And if you break their three ERA rule, they'll bring up the next guy. We'll get a ton outs for you. So they're going to pitch a ton. Man, which brings the raise lineup. Yandi Diaz, all underrated team, balled out last year. The on-base four. That's not bad.

he's been working on his launch angle because he basically does everything else right. Wander Franco. Sounds dumb when I say circle that name for that guy, but, you know, he's supposed to be elite, $300 million shortstop. He missed half the season. And when he was there, it came back in chunks.

It wasn't like, it never felt clean for him last year. Randy, like you mentioned, the best ever. Does he get better? He could. Brandon Lowe missed a ton of games last. year. Meanwhile, Harold Ramirez was kind of becoming the next Ray, like you said. Me and him haven't been seen in the same room. He's got some hitting numbers. Isok Parades, they decided to tap into, I think the former Tigers prospect. He had a three-home or day when he gets hot.

It comes and he punches and bunches, if you will. I'm interested. The Ray's lineup, when I said potential World Series team, I think that's what decides it. I think this team will be hunting a playoff birth and I think most likely having a playoff birth, I think where their lineup will land will decide what they can do this year because I think everything else is going to be there.

88 and a half is the number. Oh. I'm going to go right now. I'm going to give them 80 wins. And then I'm going to give them a win for every single ab that Tyler Glasson has on his body. That's 12. So 92 wins. I'm going over.

I like this team a lot. I like they're going a more traditional route with their starters. I'm hoping that means a little bit less pressure on the bullpen, which is always good. I believe in the lineup. I like the energy that this team can play with. They don't give a fuck attitude that they do it with. Hopefully that continues as they're losing some of these guys,

like Akirmeyer, who was the heart and soul of that organization for quite some time, I think they're going to be able to carry it on. I think that might be a cash thing now. Get these guys going, find out who the leaders are in the clubhouse that can continue that way and do it. It's a very, very good baseball team. They had some moments last year. The other thing that felt different about them,

and I'm not sure where the numbers landed on it, normally the other thing when we say, you know, they're going to raise you, their defense was normally top notch. And maybe it was a small sample. Maybe it was just when I was watching them last year. It didn't feel that level. They still have the guys.

I mean, they're outfield of Margo, Siri, and Randy. They can get to anything. You know, if Wander can lock down shortstop and be there, I think that can be a difference maker. Taylor Walls wherever he is on the field, my goodness. If that guy can have an OPS that starts with a six, he's like a three-war player. That dude on defense is special to watch.

And who else steps up? You mentioned Bruhan. You know there's going to be young guys. We were talking about a, I think Josh Lowe was going to be their starting outfielder last year, and Ray's fans were mad. I was like, he's a rookie, like, let's see. And he ended up having a tougher year. Maybe this is the year.

I don't know. There will be opportunities to be had on offense. And I'm kind of with you, Trev. I, when I look at this race team and what that rotation and bullpen can be, 88 wins, I'll take the over. I know the AL East is tough. I know they're playing less games in the AL East. I'm in on the raise this year.

I think they won 86, and they had a very under the radar, horrible year with injuries and just the flow of the season. And this is a little, again, jakey with it, but them handing out those three-year extensions. They know they've got something for three years,

and that scares me. Jimmer Jimmy's also on the over Ray's got that scares me East teams are over Oh my God Hey if you got a plan

stick with it Hey change your uniforms while you're at at race That's my last piece of advice to you Let's give an update Like a nice update Breakout Who's going to be the breakout guy

In the Ray's pen Kevin Kelly is that one we don't know Sure Chair. All-Star. Is the music going? Can't tell. Not yet.

About to. Yep. Our first World Series Capable team is the race? Luis Petinos, 23. I got a lot of his baseball. This team used to have Joe Ryan on him.

Ben Heller. Kevin Cash, not Tedboss. Not Ted. So we found out.