The Tampa Bay Rays

Over the next 30 days, we at SAGOI will be analyzing 30 teams to prepare you for the upcoming baseball season. First on the list is the Tampa Bay Rays

What can we say about the beloved Rays? Their fantastic rotation was backed up by the league’s top defense and a solid offense. Despite the cheap payroll, the Rays had a great team in 2008. While it’s “hard to repeat”, the Rays are primed to do so for one reason alone in 2009: they are only going to get better. The reason the Rays payroll was so low in 2008 was that the team was primarily comprised of young, inexperienced players. Outside of Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd, the team was largely comprised of guys with less than six years of major league playing experience. One of their best players, young third baseman Evan Longoria, didn’t even join the major league roster until mid-May. With a year more of experience under their belt, Tampa’s players are just entering their prime. Scott Kazmir is only 25 years old; Evan Longoria is 24; James Shields and Carl Crawford (provided his knees are healthy this year) are in their primes at 28. To add to this, Tampa has made three strong upgrades to their 2009 roster with the additions of uberhyped pitching phenom David Price to the starting rotation, underrated slugger Pat Burrell (who replaces the oft injured Cliff Floyd as the team’s primary DH) and toolsy outfielder Matt Joyce from the Tigers. Joyce, who has great defense to go along with his above average offensive skills and speedy legs, looks to take over an everyday position left field. His offensive skills aside, however, the addition of Joyrce will only make the game’s best defensive outfield -- which already features Carl Crawford and BJ Upton -- even better. Talk about field coverage! Pat Burrell, at age 31, looks to provide the Rays with much more pop and pure on-base power than Cliff Floyd or Eric Hinske. Since he isn’t a defensive liability anymore, there is no reason to no absolutely love his 90 walks and 30+ dingers per season (batting average is still ridiculously overrated on it‘s impact upon Run Created by conventional baseball). Finally, David Price, who made a brief, but imposing debut in 2008, will take over in the #5 spot behind underrated control artist Andy Sonnanstine. While it’ll conceivably take him sometime to adjust to major league hitters for a whole season, Price has the stuff to dominate. While you shouldn’t expect a ton of innings from David Price this year -- like Joba last year, expect something like a 150 IP limit -- you should expect those innings to have a big impact on the Ray’s playoff run. His strikeout potential makes him the Max Scherzer of the AL East.

All in all, the Rays have a top, if not improved, defense, a stronger offense than the previous season and a pitching staff that’s only gotten better. Skipper Joe Madden may not believe in “that fancy statistics crap”, but they’re all working in his favor for ‘09. If not at the top of the AL East this year, the Tampa Bay Rays will at least take the wild card.

Fantasy Impact: Evan Longoria (increased ABs may lends to more HRs, more RBI), Pat Burrell (he's not batting after Ryan Howard, which may mean players are left on base for him to bat in; also, expect more ABs from this defensive liability turned DH), Anyone on the Rays pitching staff (seriously, it's just that good)

Sleepers: David Price (#1 overall pick in 2007, he's a lefty with high 90s fastball and sick slider, expect high Ks from this guy), Grant Balfour (dark horse candidate to close in Tampa)