Tampa Bay Rays: Window of Opportunity Not Closing Anytime Soon

The Tampa Bay Rays have a window of opportunity to win and it doesn’t appear to be closing anytime soon.

The Tampa Bay Rays have picked up a lot of national media attention lately as analysts and writers are jumping on the bandwagon.

The team has been celebrated with the best farm system in the game, named the number one organization in the land, and the number one individual prospect in the world.

The window is open and the deep pitching staff is really being highlighted under the 60-game schedule, but that gives the team an advantage in 162 games, as well. There’s a reason the Rays were a middle-of-the-pack offense last season and were still able to win 96 games last season while competing with the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox.

The Rays may have somewhat of a revolving door of players due to the aversion to big-money, long-term contracts. They have a track record of trading players away as they near free agency and getting a return of prospects from teams competing for the postseason.

The Rays utilize advanced analytics to find players they believe have all of the ingredients they need to concoct a good player. Their staff is like a five-star chef who can turn those ingredients into something other chefs could not.

It’s like an artist looking for good paint. I know real artists and the quality of their paint is of the utmost importance, however, it still takes a skilled painter to craft it into a masterpiece.

A tough part for Rays’ fans is having to fall in love with players just to see them go. Tommy Pham is a recent example of a player they still felt they needed to cash in on while his value (due to performance and length of contract) was peaking, despite being a contender.

That’s the part that sets the Rays apart from other teams. They’re willing to deal veteran contributors while the team is in a position to win.