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2006 record
61-101, fifth place, AL East
Projected batting order
1. CF Rocco Baldelli:
.302 BA, 16 HR, 57 RBI
2. RF Delmon Young:
.317 BA, 3 HR, 10 RBI
3. LF Carl Crawford:
.305 BA, 18 HR, 77 RBI
4. 1B Ty Wigginton::
.275 BA, 24 HR, 79 RBI
5. DH Greg Norton::
.296 BA, 17 HR, 45 RBI
6. 2B Jorge Cantu::
.249 BA, 14 HR, 62 RBI
7. 3B Akinori Iwamura:
(Did not play in the Major Leagues in 2006)
8. C Dioner Navarro:
.254 BA, 6 HR, 28 RBI
9. SS Ben Zobrist:
.224 BA, 2 HR, 18 RBI
Projected rotation
1. Scott Kazmir, 10-8, 3.24 ERA
2. Casey Fossum, 6-6, 5.33 ERA
3. James Shields, 6-8, 4.84 ERA
4. Jae Seo, 3-12, 5.33 ERA
5. Brian Stokes, 1-0, 4.88 ERA
Projected bullpen
Closer: Seth McClung, 6 saves, 6.29 ERA
RH setup man: Dan Miceli, 3.94 ERA
RH setup man: Shawn Camp, 4.68 ERA
The new guys
3B Iwamura: Iwamura was a five-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove recipient with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League. He is a career .300 hitter, amassing 188 home runs and 570 RBIs in eight seasons with the Swallows. He has hit at least 30 home runs and batted .300 or better in each of the last three seasons. He should step in to become the team's starting third baseman.
INF Brendan Harris: Harris split time between the Nationals' and Reds' organizations during the 2006 season when he posted a .238 average in 25 Major League games. He has 110 career at-bats over parts of the last three seasons appearing in 52 games with the Cubs, Expos, Nationals and Reds. He will compete for a utility infielder spot.
Prospects to watch
OF Elijah Dukes: Dukes' talents are unquestioned and he has shown improvement every year. He underwent knee surgery in November, but he is expected to be ready to play by Spring Training. The big question is whether he can curb his off-the-field problems and quell some anger issues on the field. He has been suspended five times for various confrontations with coaches and teammates.
RHP Jeff Niemann: The Rays' top pick in the June 2004 First-Year Player Draft had a tough 2005 season when he struggled with right shoulder problems that eventually prompted surgery. On the comeback trail during 2006, Niemann pitched well for Double-A Montgomery at the end of the season. If he's healthy in the spring, he will contend for a spot in the starting rotation.
Returning from injury
Kazmir: After posting a 10-8 record with a 3.24 ERA, the 22-year-old left-hander had to shut down his 2006 season with shoulder tightness. He still struggles with using too many pitches in the early innings, which led to his being removed after the fifth or sixth inning in some games, but he remains the staff ace and will be the team's No. 1 starter in 2007.
Fossum: Once again Fossum had a season where he showed quality stuff mixed with outings where he could not find the plate. Three times in his last 10 starts of the season he did not make it out of the second inning, which makes his 5.33 ERA deceptive. He had surgery to his left shoulder in September, but is expected to be ready to pitch in the spring.
On the rebound
Cantu: After leading the club in home runs (28) and RBIs (117) in 2005, Cantu battled with injuries in 2006 and his production declined as he hit just .249 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. He has worked hard to get into top shape in the offseason, and he will be the Rays starting second baseman in 2007.
RHP Travis Harper: Harper, 30, was 2-0 with a 4.93 ERA in 30 appearances last season with the Rays before his season was cut short on Aug. 2 with a right shoulder impingement. His 240 career relief appearances, all with Tampa Bay, are the second most in club history behind Esteban Yan's 266.
OF Damon Hollins: Hollins hit 15 home runs in 333 at-bats in 2006, but saw his average drop from .249 in 2005 to .228. He did not play much after Young took over in right field the last month of the season. He will play in Japan in 2007.
RHP Brian Meadows: Meadows, 30, went 3-6 with eight saves and a 5.17 ERA in 53 relief appearances for the Rays last season. Meadows provided a steady, veteran presence in the clubhouse while pitching well in spurts. Injuries forced Meadows into the closer's role and he pitched well when given steady use. His performance fell off once Seth McClung was given the closer's role and his appearances became less frequent.
INF Tomas Perez: Brought a veteran presence to the Rays' clubhouse while serving as a backup at all the infield positions and even filled in occasionally in the outfield. He signed with the Cubs for 2007.
2006 hitting leaders (min. 200 at-bats) Avg.: Crawford, .305 OBP: Norton, .374 SLG: Baldelli, .533 Runs: Crawford, 89 RBIs: Wigginton, 79 Hits: Crawford, 183 2B: Wigginton, 25 3B: Crawford, 16 HR: Wigginton, 24 SB: Crawford, 58 |
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2006 pitching leaders (min. 50 IP) IP: Kazmir, 144 2/3 W: Kazmir, 10 L: McClung, 12 Win %: Kazmir, 10-8, .556 S: Walker, 10 ERA: Kazmir, 3.24 K: Kazmir, 163 K/9: Kazmir, 10.14 WHIP: Kazmir, 1.27 |
1. Can Kazmir bounce back?
This issue is a huge one because the Rays don't have a No. 1 starter if he can't come back from the shoulder problems that hindered him at the end of 2005. The Rays are confident that Kazmir, who rested his shoulder, will be ready to go once the season starts.
2. Can Wigginton have a repeat performance?
Wigginton was a huge acquisition for the Rays prior to the 2006 season, leading the team in home runs and RBIs despite missing the month of August with a broken hand. Playing a lot of positions doesn't seem to bother Wigginton's offense, and it's likely he'll play a lot of positions again in 2007; he's a good bet to improve on 2006 with a full season.
3. Will Young continue to play like a veteran instead of a rookie?
Young is the odds-on favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award. After joining the Rays in September last season, Young proved there is little he can't do on a baseball field and his baseball intellect is off the charts.
The bottom line
The best the Rays have played in the last two years was the second half of 2005. Was it a coincidence that solid play came after the trade deadline had passed and the lineup had a chance to get settled in? The Rays did not make many offseason moves, which means they will allow the kids to play. They will sink or swim with their young talent.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
