10 questions facing the Rays as spring training opens

ST. PETERSBURG — For a team without many apparent decisions to make, Rays officials still will have a lot to talk about this spring.They’ll start doing so formally Tuesday afternoon at the camp-opening media session at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. The site itself will be one of the questions, as they address the complications of being forced to find temporary training bases after their Port Charlotte facility was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.Here are 10 other topics of conversation as the Rays head into camp seeking a fifth straight playoff appearance, with the first workout for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday: 1. How did they not add a hitter during the offseason, when that was their No. 1 priority? They tried on a few, most notably to sign Michael Brantley or Brandon Belt and/or trade for Sean Murphy, but didn’t get any. They explored other options but felt, at elevated market prices, they weren’t necessarily any better bets than the young players they already had (most notably Josh Lowe) and hope can break through. Plus, they’re banking heavily on strong bounce-back seasons from Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe, who missed much of 2022 with injuries. Spring may be an indicator, but the first few months of the season will be more telling if they made the right call or need to go shopping again by the trade deadline. 2. Could they still make a move to bolster the offense, specifically the veteran lefty bat they sought? Sure, there’s always a chance. The most intriguing remaining free agent option seems to be Jurickson Profar, a switch-hitter who can play all infield and outfield positions, and averaged 15 homers over his last four full seasons. Or a trade could develop if a team with a need from the Rays’ surplus of pitching and/or middle infielders is willing to dangle a bat. Two 40-man roster spots can be opened Wednesday by putting pitchers Shane Baz and Andrew Kittredge on the 60-day injured list. 3. How will they fill what seems to be the biggest opening at first base? With Ji-Man Choi traded and no replacement acquired, the plan for now is to use right-handed-hitting Yandy Diaz, replacing him at third with a smoother-fielding platoon of Isaac Paredes and Taylor Walls. Other in-house options are shifting Brandon Lowe from second base, or giving prospect Jonathan Aranda a shot. 4. What will be the biggest competition for roster spots? Eleven of the 13 position-player spots seem claimed, with maybe a slight question if Rene Pinto edges out Christian Bethancourt or Francisco Mejia for one of the catching slots. Otherwise, there seems to be two spots for some combination of Aranda, Vidal Brujan, Josh Lowe and Luke Raley. Brujan is a switch-hitter, the others lefties. Lowe and Raley (who is out of options) are outfielders. Brujan can play anywhere and brings speed. Aranda could move around a bit besides playing first. 5. What about the pitching staff? With five set starters for the first time in a while (Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Jeffrey Springs, newcomer Zach Eflin, Drew Rasmussen), and quality depth (Luis Patino, Yonny Chirinos, Josh Fleming, prospect Taj Bradley), the openings are for one or two bullpen spots. Assuming the six key returning relievers are healthy and Ryan Thompson sticks around, that seems to leave one spot for Calvin Faucher, Rule 5 pick Kevin Kelly, non-roster invitee Trevor Kelley, a long reliever (Fleming?) or someone else. 6. Are there any ongoing injury concerns? Not really. Brandon Lowe’s return from a back issue is one of the biggest keys to their success. According to manager Kevin Cash, he is “a full go” for camp, having done all normal offseason hitting work with no problems. “And that’s awesome,” Cash said. Outfielder Jose Siri is said to be over a winter ball oblique strain, and infield prospect Curtis Mead the elbow issue that ended his 2022 season at Triple-A. Baz, Kittredge and relief prospect Colby White will be in Tommy John rehab protocol. 7. Which prospects are worth watching? Bradley and Mead are their top two and likely to get to the majors at some point in 2023. Infielders Osleivis Basabe and Greg Jones, and White also were added to the 40-man roster. Others of note in camp include first baseman Kyle Manzardo, starter Mason Montgomery and reliever Evan Reifert. 8. Who are some of the other non-roster invitees who could help? Given there’s 40, it’s kind of hard to say. Kelley, a 30-year-old reliever who has been with the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers, is one. Other relievers with big-league time to watch include Zack Burdi, Ryan Burr, Kyle Crick, Heath Hembree, Hector Perez and Elvin Rodriguez. Should there be an injury or trade, veteran utility man Charlie Culberson could factor in. 9. Who will be missed most of the 16 players dropped from the 2022 roster? Initially, at least, Kevin Kiermaier. While Siri replaced him in centerfield, Kiermaier’s 13 years in the organization made him a team leader, willing to speak up in the clubhouse and speak for the team to the media. Other missing veterans of note: Choi, Ryan Yarbrough and Mike Zunino. 10. What problems will the new site cause, and what other issues are there? The Rays seem confident they can make spending the first two weeks of camp at Disney then shifting camp to Tropicana Field work with minimal disruption and inconvenience. Other concerns include: intregrating three first-time big-league coaches onto the staff; having 12 players (eight big-leaguers) and 10 staff members (including two major-league coaches) miss time for the World Baseball Classic; and getting adjusted to several league-wide rules changes, such as the pitch clock, shift restrictions and limits on pickoff throws.• • • Sign up for the Rays Report weekly newsletter to get fresh perspectives on the Tampa Bay Rays and the rest of the majors from sports columnist John Romano.Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook .

10 questions facing the Rays as spring training opens

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