We are four weeks away from opening day but it’s never too early for roster predictions. The Tampa Bay Rays have plenty of players to sort through on their way to opening day. Many people want to know who is in and who is out. Assuming the Rays go with 13 position players and 13 pitchers, let’s take a look at who the position players will likely be on March 26th.
Catchers (2)
LOCK: Mike Zunino
Mike Zunino was one of the best defensive catchers in 2019 both controlling the running game as well as handling one of the best pitching staffs in the league. If he can hit his weight, he will be in line for the majority of the starts behind the dish.
INSIDE TRACK: Michael Perez
Michael Perez joined the Tampa Bay Rays near the deadline of 2018 and has shown fun promise. He has unfortunately faced several stints on the injured list. That has slowed down his development. If he stays healthy through spring, he should be the lefty handed hitting back up catcher behind Zunino.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Chris Herrmann and Kevan Smith
Chris Herrmann and Kevan Smith are two veterans who are non-roster invitees who are hoping to prove their worth as the backup backstop. They’ll need Michael Perez to slip up in order for that to happen.
Designated Hitter (2)
Locks: Jose Martinez and Yoshi Tsutsugo
Not often do you have two locks for DH position but the Rays have just that. Yoshi and Jose can both play a few positions but the Rays would rather they wear batting gloves much more often than any fielding glove.
Yoshi Tsutsugo was the big free-agent signing that the Rays brought in. He was a big star in Japan and the Tampa Bay Rays signed him to a two year 12 million dollar deal to hit in the middle of their order. He will get some starts at third as well as left field but he wasn’t brought over to the states for his glove. The power-hitting lefty will get the majority of starts at DH vs right-handed pitching. In his career in Japan and his first two spring appearances, he has shown the ability to hit lefties. He homered off a southpaw in his second spring game.
Jose Martinez, on the other hand, will get plenty of chances to swing the bat, especially vs left-handed pitching. He will carry a first baseman mitt and can play some right field to spell the regulars in the outfield. However, just like Yoshi, Martinez was brought in for his bat and not his glove.
The question the Rays will have to answer is how to get both of these as many at-bats as possible without jeopardizing their defense. Will they run a DH platoon or will Yoshi hit too well and force Jose to platoon at first with Ji Man Choi? Not a bad problem to have.
Infielders (5)
LOCKS: Ji Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe
If no injuries or acquisitions occur, this can be the expected opening day infield.
The Rays know they won’t win any gold gloves on the corners with Choi and Diaz. Ji Man Choi did better than many thought at first and he will be the one penciled there the most. As for Yandy Diaz, his best chance for consistent at-bats is to man the hot corner.
Up the middle, the Rays have Willy Adames and Brandon Lowe. Willy Adames was the most reliable player last season for the Rays. He made huge gains on both sides of the ball. He is someone to not sleep on to have a big year. Brandon Lowe was on his way to a rookie of the year until he was sidelined with an injury just before the all-star break.
INSIDE TRACK: Joey Wendle
Joey Wendle should win the job as the super sub/utility role. He can play shortstop to spell Adames as well as second and third. His 2019 campaign was one for short term memory that was plagued by freak injuries.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Daniel Robertson, Michael Brosseau, Nate Lowe
Daniel Robertson was a real strong player for the Rays in 2018 and was given a lot of opportunities in 2019. However, he really didn’t do much with the chances. Just like Wendle, he can play short if Adames happens to go down.
Michael Brosseau was called up for the first time last season and showed some fun power from the right side. He will likely start in AAA Durham to keep up his development.
Nate Lowe is right there with Brosseau in the fact that he came up and showed why he was a big time prospect. He can certainly hit for power but could use some more time in AAA Durham to close some holes in his swing.
Outfield (4)
LOCKS: Austin Meadows, Kevin Kiermaier, Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot
The Tampa Bay Rays have made some changes to the outfield but have a pretty clear picture heading into March. Kevin Kiermaier and Austin Meadows are both returning lefties.
Kiermaier will continue to be a defensive first center fielder who can steal bases and wreck terror on the basepaths. He has been working on a new approach this offseason. He also may be looking over his shoulder for newly acquired outfielders closing in on his playing time.
Meadows will look to add on to his 2019 MVP type season. Look for him to lead off vs right-handed pitching and be a leader in many offensive categories.
New addition Hunter Renfroe will provide big power from the opposite corner of Meadows. With the strikeouts will come the power. He should be one of the leaders in home runs this season. That will be a welcome sight for a team who struggled to hit homers and lefties as those are two things Renfroe does well.
Manuel Margot is a spark plug the Rays are looking for in a 4th outfielder. He will see a lot of playing time versus left-handed pitching and can be a defensive insert late in the game. He can also be a stolen base threat late as a pinch-runner.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Randy Arozarena, Brian O’Grady
After the Margot signing, the Rays seem pretty set in the outfield for opening day. Randy Arozarena was brought over in the trade with Jose Martinez and is making a case for himself already in spring training. Before Margot, he was in line to be the 4th outfielder. He will likely now start at Durham as the everyday centerfielder.
Brian O’Grady was brought in from the Reds and can be a lefty power threat. There just doesn’t seem to be room for him at the moment to make the opening day roster.
