Why the next 2 months could be critical for the Rays

ST. PETERSBURG — There are a lot of colorful words, including some that can’t be printed here, to describe the Rays’ season so far.

One phrase no longer applicable is that it’s early.

The Rays woke up Saturday below .500, 10½ games behind the American League East-leading Yankees and with their chances to make the playoffs down to 27.8% per fangraphs.com and 4.0. per baseball-reference.com. That’s concerning.

By Sunday afternoon, the Rays will have played their 54th game — one third of the schedule. That should be downright alarming.

The next six to eight weeks are critical to the Rays’ short- and long-term future.

While there is still some clubhouse chatter about how it’s only May and this is just their bad stretch like every team goes through, Rays bosses are being more realistic in their assessment.

Manager Kevin Cash, who considers the second game of a season no longer early, increasingly has been stressing the need for them to get better in all facets. He was his most direct after Friday’s 8-1 loss to the Royals, saying he was “concerned” and had been “for quite some time.”

Cash and baseball operations president Erik Neander remain adamant that the team is better than it has played, with some legitimacy given the impact of losing their top three lefty hitters for most/all of April, in addition to usual injury and depth issues all teams deal with.

That provides them hope that a turnaround remains realistic. And, while they have bigger goals, they did go into play Saturday at 25-27, only three games out of the third wild-card spot.

“Our record is not where we expected it to be, nor have we played our best baseball,” Neander said Friday. “We’re capable of playing and performing better than we have to date. And we’ve got a couple of months to show that.”

How they do will play out with several other issues:

• Roster shuffling: Taylor Walls, who had October right hip surgery, should finally be ready within two weeks, which should immediately make the defense better, as he can step in at second base, third and shortstop. Doing so could also allow the Rays to move Isaac Paredes to first base at times and use Yandy Diaz more as the DH.

At some point, top prospect Junior Caminero will be promoted. The Rays are trying to align his readiness offensively and defensively while balancing the energy boost a callup might provide the team versus putting him in a pressurized position of “saving” the season, noting top prospects on other teams have struggled this year. If that discussion gets to mid June, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them wait until month’s end to avoid the potential of a fourth year of arbitration eligibility as a Super 2.

Other expected additions at some point: Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, Colin Poche, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs.

• Trade deadline: It seems unlikely, even with continued struggles, the Rays would blow up their roster given the potential for 2025, with some combination of pitchers Shane McClanahan, Springs and Rasmussen back to full health, Caminero settled in and other top prospects closer. Plus, who knows about Wander Franco’s availability.

But after opening the season with a franchise record — by far — payroll of $96.6 million, some changes would seem likely by late July if they aren’t winning more.

Maybe that’s just a clearance sale of seemingly extra pieces, such as Harold Ramirez and/or Jose Siri and a bullpen arm.

But expect to hear plenty of speculation (the Braves already have been mentioned) about Eflin, just given his $18 million salary for 2025. And maybe on other veterans who are in or headed to the final years of their deals such as Yandy Diaz, Pete Fairbanks, Brandon Lowe. Plus Randy Arozarena, who is arbitration eligible.

• Off field issues: The biggest win the Rays want this summer are the votes to end their nearly 20-year quest for a new stadium. Though that comes down to the individual members of the Pinellas County Commission and St. Petersburg City Council, with votes likely by mid-July, the momentum and excitement from a winning season and potential sixth straight playoff appearance would certainly help.

Though out of their control, the Rays also may know this summer about Franco’s status, with reports saying his court proceedings in the Dominican Republic, stemming from allegations of a relationship with a minor girl, could be underway as soon as June. Though Major League Baseball also still has to weigh in, a sense of his future availability, maybe even for this season, is possible. (Also, his administrative leave placement ends June 1, but an extension of that non-disciplinary status seems likely.)

Rays rumblings

Shortstop Carson Williams, off to a strong start at Double A, jumped to No. 3 overall in Kiley McDaniels’ updated top 50 prospect rankings for ESPN, with Caminero fifth and Xavier Isaac 33rd. ... Arozarena dashed after Tuesday’s game to Amalie Arena to catch the tail end of the Bad Bunny concert, but missed the song, Nadie Sabe, in which he is mentioned, as the top-selling rapper opened the show with it. … As odd as it seems for the Rays to not be playing Memorial Day, MLB scheduled eight teams to be off. … After the eighth-inning double steal that helped win Wednesday’s game, Boston’s Jarren Durran mentioned that he also stole home in a 2022 Triple-A game. The catcher then, and Wednesday, was Ben Rortvedt, who at the time was in the Yankees organization. … When UCF football coach Gus Malzahn was prepping for his ceremonial first pitch Wednesday, USF product McClanahan walked by and said “Go Bulls.” … TV analyst Doug Waechter did plenty in his own six-year big-league career, but said seeing son Kaden win a state high school championship for Jesuit last weekend “will go down as one of my top memories on the diamond.” ... Friday, in their 58th game of the season, the Rays will finally see the American League East rival Orioles. ... Infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario may make his Dominican league debut this winter after his rights were traded last week to Licey, based in Santo Domingo, near his offseason home. … Boston manager Alex Cora raved last week when asked about 2007 Red Sox teammate Kevin Cash’s work as Rays manager: “I’m very happy for him with his extension. Great for him. He loves it here. Obviously he’s from the area. For him to cash in, that was good.” ... Manager Matt Quatraro and bench coach Paul Hoover aren’t the only ex-Rays on the Royals’ staff: First base coach Damon Hollins played in Tampa Bay in 2005-06, and assistant hitting coach Joe Dillon briefly in 2009. … The Rays and Red Sox had their share of controversy playing seven games over 10 days given violations of the mound visits, no shift and pitch clock rules.

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