Tampa Bay Rays: Way Too Early Roster Prediction

9 of 15

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 21: Tommy Pham #29 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 21, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

LF, RF, 4th OF (3):

Tommy Pham, RHH, 31

Tommy Pham was the only major deadline acquisition by the Tampa Bay Rays, and it was indeed major. It announced the Rays were indeed ready to go for it in 2019 and adding Pham was the first major move they would make regarding hitters.

Down the stretch he was fantastic for the Rays, ending the year as their best right-handed hitter. He would appear in 39 games for the Rays, hitting .343 with 7 bombs, ending the year with a combined OPS+ of 127.

Expect Tommy Pham to be penciled into the middle of the lineup almost every day, if not every day. It wouldn’t surprise me, if he was the Rays 2019 MVP.

Austin Meadows, LHH, 23

With the trade of Mallex Smith, the Rays afforded the former top prospect of the Pirate’s organization his first real chance in the bigs. Coming over to the Rays in the Chris Archer trade, Austin Meadows is often looked over as one of the top prospects in baseball.

He will enter his sophomore campaign in 2019, no longer a rookie, as he looks to live up to his lofty expectations. His power finally emerged in Durham as he hit 10 homers in only 27 games.

Meadows has true all-star potential and I expect him to take a huge step forward in 2019.

Guillermo Heredia, RHH, 28

Coming over with Mike Zunino and prospect Michael Plassmeyer in the recent trade involving Mallex Smith, Heredia will likely begin 2019 as the Rays 4th outfielder.

In reality, Guillermo Heredia is exactly that, a 4th outfielder. He will give Cash an additional right handed option off the bench.

He is a career .244 hitter, with over 700 at-bats at the Major-League level with a below average career OPS+ of 83.