Rays outlook for 2008

John F · 01-26-2008, 02:52 PM

Well, with the action that has taken place this offseason, I'd like to know (among general fans of baseball as well as Rays fans) if people believe the Rays have improved or not...

Or perhaps they are just shuffling the cards and no better or worse (which isn't saying much since they are a perennial loser)

TomInFLA · 01-28-2008, 10:06 AM

I believe the Rays have made positive steps forward.

They added, Matt Garza, a starter who should give positive innings. They added, Cliff Floyd, a left-handed bat who should give positive production. They locked in Shields to a long-term deal, and are hoping to reach a similar accord with Kaz.

They won't compete for a playoff spot unless the planets align properly, but at least they're trying to present a competitive product.

Are they ever going to compete for the playoffs? I don't think so, at least not in this division, and at least as long as baseball does not have a salary cap. There is just not a way to compete with the bigger markets who can spend $100 million and onward on salaries and still make money, even in a down year.

JMUplayer · 02-11-2008, 08:40 AM

TominFLA hit the nail on the head... You can compete with the big boys over a 5 or 7 game series but over 162 it's just a matter of talent and depth. The Rays/Orioles/BlueJays are almost in a no win situation which is sad. You want to make revenue sharing better give those 3 teams a bigger piece of the pie.... I know it's a pipe dream but wouldn't that make the division more competitive?

View Poll Results: Have the Rays improved this off season?
Yes - the Rays are a better team now	4	80.00%
No -- The Ray have hurt themselves	0	0%
No difference, really	1	20.00%
Voters: 5. This poll is closed

01-26-2008, 02:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,497	Rays outlook for 2008 Well, with the action that has taken place this offseason, I'd like to know (among general fans of baseball as well as Rays fans) if people believe the Rays have improved or not... Or perhaps they are just shuffling the cards and no better or worse (which isn't saying much since they are a perennial loser) __________________ The more they over think the plumbing, the easier to stop up the drain.

01-28-2008, 10:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
TomInFLA Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18	I believe the Rays have made positive steps forward. They added, Matt Garza, a starter who should give positive innings. They added, Cliff Floyd, a left-handed bat who should give positive production. They locked in Shields to a long-term deal, and are hoping to reach a similar accord with Kaz. They won't compete for a playoff spot unless the planets align properly, but at least they're trying to present a competitive product. Are they ever going to compete for the playoffs? I don't think so, at least not in this division, and at least as long as baseball does not have a salary cap. There is just not a way to compete with the bigger markets who can spend $100 million and onward on salaries and still make money, even in a down year.

02-11-2008, 08:40 AM	#3 (permalink)
JMUplayer Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 204	TominFLA hit the nail on the head... You can compete with the big boys over a 5 or 7 game series but over 162 it's just a matter of talent and depth. The Rays/Orioles/BlueJays are almost in a no win situation which is sad. You want to make revenue sharing better give those 3 teams a bigger piece of the pie.... I know it's a pipe dream but wouldn't that make the division more competitive?