Former Rays GM Chuck LaMar shared his feelings with the Philadelphia Inquirer about the team's surge to the top, giving credit to the current team execs but also pointing out how much his regime left them to work with.

"I'm proud of what we left behind, both players and staff," he said. "In the last 10 or 15 years, you can't think of a better scenario for a new owner and GM to take over. The team had only one way to go - up - and they inherited a group of young players capable of doing it."

LaMar, who now works for the Phillies, also said that current executive VP Andrew Friedman - who replaced him - "should be landslide winner of the executive of the year award. They are doing something historic because of the moves he and the new owners have made."