BALTIMORE — Rays manager Kevin Cash was talking the other day about the Orioles, who re-established themselves last season as a force in the American League East with a core of young talent and are off to a strong start again this year.
He noted the play of early league MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson, All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and hired-gun starter Corbin Burnes, and complimented their overall depth.
“Super talented team — position players, pitchers both,” Cash said. “They’re very athletic and their best players are performing at a really high level.”
The same can’t be said for his team.
From whichever side you view the Rays — that the first two months have been just a bad start, or the start of something bad — their supposedly best players have been a big part of the problem.
The always helpful baseball-reference.com runs a daily snapshot — actually a series of mugshots — of each team’s top players by their WAR rating (wins above replacement) as of that morning.
Looking at the Rays page before Saturday’s game, here are the first nine faces you see, in order, based on what is called bWAR:
Issac Paredes (1.9), Richie Palacios (1.4), Garrett Cleavinger (1.1), Jason Adam (0.9), Zack Littell (0.9), Jose Caballero (0.8), Ben Rortvedt (0.7), Ryan Pepiot (0.6), Taj Bradley (0.4).
Fangraphs.com uses a slightly different formula to calculate WAR, but its Rays ranking has a similar look based on what is called fWAR:
Parades (2.2), Littell (1.6), Palacios (1.2), Caballero (1.0), Rortvedt (0.9), Zach Eflin (0.9), Pepiot (0.8), Cleavinger (0.6), Bradley (0.5).
With the exception of Paredes and Eflin, those are not the names you would have expected at the 60-game mark of the season.
There’s no Randy Arozarena (-0.8 bWAR -0.5 fWAR), no Yandy Diaz (0.4, 0.2), no Brandon Lowe (0.0, 0.2), no Josh Lowe (-0.1, 0.1), no Jose Siri (0.2, 0.2), no Pete Fairbanks (0.0, 0.0).
Time missed to injuries is a factor in the WAR formula as it limits compiling stats, such as homers and RBIs, which covers the Lowes, and similarly with some pitcher stats, Fairbanks and Eflin. (Plus the Rays are also without starters Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen and Shane McClanahan.)
But there’s no such excuse for Arozarena — who has a lower bWAR than Alex Jackson, Rene Pinto and Niko Goodrum — and Diaz, who were both All-Stars last year.
Nor for Siri, who seemed on the verge of a breakthrough season at a pivotal point in his career contract-wise, as he’ll be going into next season at 29 and arbitration eligible for the first time.
Also missing — for totally different reasons — is arguably the Rays’ most talented player, Wander Franco.
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Explore all your optionsThe switch-hitting All-Star shortstop had a 5.5 WAR rating last season when his season ended in mid-August following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor, and he remains sidelined pending resolution of a legal case in the Dominican Republic and an investigation and potential discipline by Major League Baseball.
Whether the Rays should be lambasted for their poor play to this point, or lauded for hanging around .500 and the wild-card race despite all that’s gone wrong, their best players have not been their best players. And that’s a problem.
Chill time
During umpire delay in #Rays-#Athletics game, Jose Siri is sitting by himself on the CF turf. All other players have gone to dugout except Paredes, who is kneeling by 3B. pic.twitter.com/7rOpSVlfB3
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 30, 2024
What exactly was Siri doing prior to his late-game heroics Wednesday when he sat cross-legged on the centerfield turf throughout a nearly 10-minute game delay to replace an ill umpire while the other Rays (except third baseman Paredes) went to wait it out in the dugout or bullpen?
“Chilling,” Siri said. “Meditating. … I was thinking about things in the game. I wanted to be alone. … I didn’t want to go in the dugout and talk crap.”
Rays rumblings
— 𝗭𝗮𝗰 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗻𝗲𝗿🎙 (@ZacOnTheMic) May 31, 2024VIDEO: Wander Franco posted some swings in the DR & a Bible Quote on Instagram yesterday, "Cast your burden on the LORD, & he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved"#RaysUp @JayAndZac @953WDAE
Same day as @TBTimes_Rays update:https://t.co/R9WND9kvb9 pic.twitter.com/fMRpAPlqh0
Next month could be quite interesting for the Rays with potential resolution of Franco’s legal case (given a July 5 deadline for charges to be field and his administrative leave status extended to July 14), a St. Petersburg City Council vote on their new stadium (potentially July 11), and the increase in rumors leading up to the pending trade deadline. … Tampa eighth-grader Bruhat Soma started on the road to last week’s Scripps National Spelling Bee championship by winning the regional event hosted in February by the Rays, with radio announcer Neil Solondz the pronouncer and Bally Sports reporter Tricia Whitaker a judge. … The Rays’ annual Pride celebration is June 8 with a Pride jersey giveaway for the first 12,000 fans. … Franco on Thursday posted an Instagram video of himself hitting on a neighborhood field, presumably in the Dominican Republic, and added verse from Psalms 55:22: Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. … One selfish thing to like about the renderings of the Rays’ planned new stadium: The press box remains behind home plate, although higher, as a number of teams have moved it to the baselines or the outfield. … Former MLB outfielder and current TV analyst Denard Span told WDAE radio, “I think you have to consider sending Arozarena down (to the minors). … I would give him 50 more at-bats to figure it out.” … The Padres are 3/1 favorites, followed by the Giants (4/1), Mariners (5/1) and Orioles (6/1) to land Tampa’s Pete Alonso if the Mets trade him, per betonline.ag, with the Rays a 60/1 longshot. … Top prospect Junior Caminero sustained the left quad strain, which will sideline him four to six weeks, while hustling to first on a grounder that was the final out in an 8-3 loss. ... Kiley McDaniels’ first mock draft for ESPN.com has the Rays taking FSU third baseman Cameron Smith with the No. 18 pick, with Tampa product/Florida star Jac Caglianone going No. 4 to Oakland and St. Pete Beach product/LSU star Tommy White 27th to the Phillies. ... MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has the Rays taking Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore, with Caglianone fifth to the White Sox and White 21st to the Twins. ... TV cameras caught a young Rays fan sitting down the leftfield line having quite a night Wednesday, catching two foul balls in the same inning. Rays in-game host Nate Kurant caught up with the boy, named Caleb, for a brief interview with the video board operator dubbing him: “Defensive Fan of the Game.”
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