MLB season preview: The Rays are facing another uphill battle in the AL East

Before you even start talking about their lineup or their offseason moves, there are two things you have to admit about the Tampa Bay Rays: They’re never able to compete financially with other teams around MLB. And they play in what is traditionally baseball’s most competitive division.

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This means the decks are stacked against the Rays every single year. Sometimes, they’re able to use front-office smarts and young talent to put together a team whose talent greatly surpasses its payroll. Other times, the Rays are stuck in the middle of the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles, torn between trying to compete and trying to build enough young talent through trades. It can turn into a vicious and frustrating cycle.

This season isn’t unique for the Rays in that there’s no clear path ahead. They have some serious talent, some low-cost offseason acquisitions and some dependable veterans. They don’t immediately look like a postseason contender, but there’s enough there that a surprise run isn’t completely out of the question. Neither is unloading some top talent and hoping for a better future. (Mike Oz)

ADDITIONS & SUBTRACTIONS
Additions: Colby Rasmus, Wilson Ramos, Mallex Smith
Subtractions: Kevin Jepsen, Logan Morrison, Drew Smyly

The Rays have never been known for their ability to spend wildly in free agency, and this offseason was no different. The team targeted Rasmus hoping he can bounce back after an injury-riddled 2016. They were able to pick up Ramos on the cheap due to his late-season knee injury. Smith doesn’t have the track record of those two, but at the very least should steal bases and provide strong defense in the outfield. Anything more than that is a plus.

If there’s a positive, it’s that the team didn’t lose much. Jepsen had an ERA near 6.00 with the club. Morrison was able to rebound after a slow start, but he’s never been an elite option. Losing Smyly likely hurts the most, But he’s never been able to stay healthy and is coming off a down year. He also has big problems giving up home runs. (Chris Cwik)

KEY PLAYER
The shining star of the Rays’ rotation, and perhaps of the entire team, is Chris Archer, a pitcher who did not look like himself at all last year. After two fantastic seasons, Archer spent 2016 struggling majorly. He pitched more than 200 innings, but ended up with an ERA 4.02, his highest since his abbreviated debut year. He gave up a boatload of home runs, but on the plus side, his strikeouts and walks stayed steady. So there’s hope that Archer can recapture the magic, which the Rays desperately need. Archer doing well would take some of the pressure off the rest of the rotation, and give the team a fighting chance in the ridiculously competitive AL East. (Liz Roscher)

PROJECTED LINEUP & ROTATION
Lineup
1. Kevin Kiermaier, CF (.246/.331/.410, 12 HR, 37 RBI, 21 SB)
2. Brad Miller, 2B (.243/.304/.482, 30 HR, 81 RBI)
3. Evan Longoria, 3B (.273/.318/.521, 36 HR, 98 RBI, 81 R)
4. Corey Dickerson, DH (.245/.293/.469, 24 HR, 70 RBI)
5. Matt Duffy, SS (.258/310/.357, 5 HR, 28 RBI)
6. Steven Souza, RF (.247/.303/.409, 17 HR, 49 RBI)
7. Colby Rasmus, LF (.206/.286/.355, 15 HR, 54 RBI)
8. Logan Morrison, 1B (.238/.319/.414, 14 HR, 45 RBI)
9. Curt Casali, C (.186/.273/.336, 8 HR, 25 RBI)

Rotation
1. Chris Archer (9-19, 4.02 ERA, 201.1 IP, 233 K)
2. Jake Odorizzi (10-6, 3.69 RA, 187.2 IP, 166 K)
3. Alex Cobb (1-2, 8.59 ERA, 22 IP, 16 K)
4. Blake Snell (6-8, 3.54 ERA, 89 IP, 98 K)
5. Matt Andriese (8-8, 4.37 ERA, 127.2 IP, 109 K)

BEST-CASE SCENARIO
The Rays starting pitching is a clear strength, at least for now. Beyond that, there are too many holes here to expect notable improvement. Unless the offense truly surprises us and they manage to stay competitive through the trade deadline, they will probably unload a few veterans. That will cap their upside. That makes them a 75-win team at best, which is still last place. (Townsend)

WORST-CASE SCENARIO
If the Rays decide to trade from their veteran core mid-season, it will likely be a rough final two months. When you factor in the competition in the AL East, things could get downright ugly. They won’t suffer their fourth 100-loss season, but they could match last season’s 94. (Townsend)

PRESSING FANTASY QUESTION
Any late-round steals in Tampa Bay?
The average Yahoo fantasy drafter is not even paying attention to Rays’ centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier (currently being drafted in just 38 percent of Y! leagues) and that’s a mistake. Kiermaier is mostly known for his elite defensive skills, but he’s far from a non-factor from an offensive standpoint. His solid speed and base-running acumen makes him a threat for 25-plus steals as the team’s expected leadoff hitter. He also does a serviceable job of drawing walks and keeping the whiffs under control. If he can stay healthy, it’s reasonable to project him to return something in the neighborhood of 15 home runs, 25 steals, with a batting average and run production that you won’t have to turn your nose at. And those kind of numbers will play in most all leagues. (Brandon Funston)

BEST FOLLOW
Chris Archer asked a question a few weeks ago, an interesting question that resulted in both fan interaction and a Twitter conversation with Justin Verlander. The question?

Good question, right? That’s Chris Archer for you. His tweeting style isn’t intrusive. There are other “I” words that describe it, though. Intelligent, inquisitive, and even genuinely inspirational. He’ll tweet inspirational stuff every now and then, but it always feels like it comes from a sincere place. Like this tweet about being in the moment. I WILL be in the moment, Chris! (Roscher)

BEST REASON TO ATTEND A GAME
Kevin Kiermaier gets two pretty excellent bobbleheads this season. On April 8, the team will give away a bobblehead of Kiermaier featuring him holding both his Gold Glove awards. In June, Kiermaier will get a Star Wars bobblehead. The team has yet to announce what that will look like, but we’re guessing it’s going to be great.

If that doesn’t do it for you, the team will give away a Chris Archer Starting Lineup Figurine on April 22. Any kid who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s should remember those. (Cwik)

ALSO IN THIS SERIES: San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz