The Rays Getting a Raw Deal

Yesterday the Tampa Bay Rays completed a 3 game sweep of the Boston Red Sox pushing their lead in the AL East to 3 ½ games. They own the best record in baseball and if they finish .500 the rest of the season will win a franchise record 90 games. While the Rays are currently the best team in baseball they continue to not receive the credit that they are due. People continually put down the Rays claiming that the only reason the Rays are a good team is because of all the draft picks they have gotten for being so terrible for so many years.

Over the past eight years the lowest pick the Rays ever had in the draft was the #8 pick in the 2005 draft. They have had the #1 overall pick 3 times in the past 6 years including the last 2 years straight. This is the argument people use to explain why the Rays have been so successful this year. Lets look at their starting roster and see how the Rays actually built a winner.

C - Dioner Navarro - was acquired in a trade with the LA Dodgers in 2006
DH – Cliff Floyd – free agent signing in 2008
1B – Carlos Pena – signed to a minor league contract in 07
2B – Akinori Iwamura – Rays bid $4.5 million to negotiate with him and then signed him in 2007
SS – Willy Aybar – acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in 08
3B – Evan Longoria - was selected 3rd overall in the 06 draft
LF – Carl Crawford - was selected 52nd overall in the 99 draft
CF – BJ Upton - was selected 2nd overall in the 02 draft
RF – Gabe Gross – acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers
SP – Matt Garza - was acquired in a trade with the Twins for Delmon Young (1st overall pick)
SP – Scott Kazmir – acquired in a trade with the NY Mets
SP – James Shields – drafted 466th overall by the Rays in 2000
SP – Edwin Jackson – acquired in a trade with the LA Dodgers
SP – Andy Sonnanstine – drafted in the 13th round of 2004 draft by the Rays
Closer – Troy Percival – signed as a free agent in 2008

Looking at their roster it becomes easy to see that the Rays have accomplished very little with their numerous 1st round picks as only Evan Longoria and BJ Upton have made a real impact. People just assume that the only reason they are any good is because they lost for so long. If that’s your argument than how come the Pirates aren’t a good team? Over the past seven years the Pirates have had a pick in the top 8 five times including the #1 pick in 02 and the #2 pick in 08 yet the Pirates have not made the playoffs since 1992.

No, the Rays have built a solid team through great scouting and taking chances on players that people gave up on. The Rays look to be a powerhouse team going forward and looking at the immense amount of young talent they have amassed they could become a fixture atop the standings for a long time to come.