3 Rays players who will make the Opening Day roster, but will be on thin ice

New York Mets v Tampa Bay Rays
New York Mets v Tampa Bay Rays | Mike Carlson/GettyImages

It's a dream come true for so many athletes to be included in an MLB Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, there are only 26 available spots, so very good players are forced to start the season in the minors. However, there are an abundance of call-ups for each team throughout the season and a player's position is rarely completely safe. There are three players in particular that we believe will start the season on the Rays roster, but they'll need to continuously prove themselves in order to remain there the entirety of the season.

1. Joe Boyle

Boyle is highly touted among members of the Rays front office and for very good reason. The right-handed flamethrower that was acquired in the Jeffrey Springs deal earlier in the offseason has an average fastball that sits around 98 mph.

However, this isn't a perfect world, so Joe Boyle obviously has some flaws. His greatest weakness is his command, especially with his powerful fastball. We expect the 25-year old to compete for a spot in the rotation or bullpen out of spring training, but whether he sticks or not will be determined by the improvement of his control.

2. Curtis Mead

Many fans thought that 2024 was the year that Curtis Mead would officially break out and take the league by storm. Unfortunately, that wasn't at all the case as the Australian athlete ended up appearing in only 38 MLB games. He wasn't able to put it together at the plate and his average defense wasn't able to make up for the subtle four extra-base hits.

However, the No. 65 overall prospect has torn up the minor leagues thus far, so the potential is certainly there. In his six seasons in the Rays farm system, the 24-year old infielder has produced a .298 AVG with 54 home runs. The power numbers are average-at-best over that span, but the consistency should not be overlooked.

Mead has one major issue with the Rays roster though. His name is Junior Caminero. The Dominican teammate is expected to be the Rays everyday third baseman, as his stock just continues to rise with a LIDOM MVP and championship. Where does that leave Curtis Mead? He'll be vying for a utility role alongside Jonathan Aranda and he'll likely have a short leash.

3. Eric Orze

The last player on our list is newly acquired right-handed reliever, Eric Orze. The Rays added Orze in the Jose Siri deal, as they traded defense for bullpen depth. And bullpen depth they will have! After finishing the year as one of the best reliever groups in the sport, the front office added multiple talented young pieces.

Therefore, making this club as a relief pitcher will be even more rewarding as the competition will be fierce. Another former Mets pitcher, Mike Vasil will be in this battle for a roster spot, along with Hunter Bigge, Cole Sulser, Mason Montgomery, Joe Rock, and Ian Seymour. It will truly be a "may the best men win" situation, but even after winning a role, the work will be far from over.

6'4 righty Eric Orze will be on the brink of joining this loaded bullpen, but he'll need to perform well in spring training and continue a solid stretch of play during the season because there will surely be talented pitchers knocking on the door.

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