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Tampa Bay Rays: Way Too Early Roster Prediction

By Austin Reimann
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 29: Joey Wendle #18 and Willy Adames #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays react after their 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on August 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 29: Joey Wendle #18 and Willy Adames #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays react after their 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on August 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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ST PETERSBURG, FL – JULY 20: Daniel Robertson #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on in the first inning against the Miami Marlins on July 20, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FL – JULY 20: Daniel Robertson #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on in the first inning against the Miami Marlins on July 20, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Third Base (1):

Daniel Robertson, RHH, 25

After an injury shortened 2018, in which he tore the cover off the baseball, look for Daniel Robertson to push Matt Duffy out of the picture and take over as the every day third baseman.

The 2018 Rays’ version of Ben Zobrist will likely settle down at third in 2019 as the Rays can’t afford for his bat to not be in the lineup on a daily basis. In only 87 games, he accumulated 2.7 WAR and hit .262 with 9 bombs and an OBP of .382. He finished 2018 with a very good OPS+ of 122.

It is my guess that, had Robertson played an entire season, he would have been the most valuable position player for the Rays, ahead of Wendle and Mallex. With this in mind, look for that to become a possibility in 2019 if he earns an everyday role at third.

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