Bay Area Baseball

Oh what a run to the World Series will do for you. Experts are slobbering all over the Tampa Bay Rays after their shocking run through the playoffs last season. Fans would be wise to temper their expectations though, as the team has many indicators that suggest that Tampa is due for a rough season.

Tampa Bay’s 2008 success leaned heavily on their bullpen, pitchers like Grant Balfour, JP Howell, Troy Percival and Dan Wheeler all had career seasons. David Price was a revelation in the playoffs. The Rays have added in 2009, signing Jason Isringhausen and others in an attempt to bolster their ranks.

Wheeler, Balfour and Howell all threw major innings last season and in the playoffs all three were exposed by both the Boston and Philadelphia offenses. Wheeler looked worn out and Balfour’s volatile demeanor led to critical leads going by the wayside in Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 5 of the World Series. Percival is one pitch away from retirement and Price is headed to the rotation. Isringhausen is a no risk addition but should not be counted on as the closer for 2009.

Tampa will have to lean heavily on its lineup and young stars Evan Longoria and BJ Upton. Both will need to put together full and healthy seasons after battling injury down the stretch. If one were to go down don’t be shocked if the 2009 Rays season mirrors that of the 2008 Rockies, a team coming off its first real postseason run that saw its season fall apart in the form of a Troy Tulowitzki injury.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS