Well, only one team logo left in the hat.  Which means this will be the last team preview and that posting will go back to it's usual, sporatic schedule.  So, you should all be able to guess who's left....

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Tampa actually has one of the more promising farm systems in all of baseball, with a great deal of pitching and position prospects nearly ready for the big club.  Unfortunately, that means #### for the current guys on the roster, also very talented and are among some of the more pined after products in all of baseball.

Starting Rotation

1. Scott Kazmir (LHP) – The talented young lefty that was stolen from the Mets in the Victor Zambrano trade has teased Tampa fans with his excellent stuff and his tendency for injury.  Quite a lot of it has to do with his size, as he’s small.  However, I do think that this year, Kazmir is able to last a full season and should set franchise highs in wins, k’s and ERA.  Then again, it’s Tampa, and that might not be hard to do…
2. Casey Fossum (RHP) – Fossum has average stuff at best, but he’s never stayed healthy enough or consistent enough in the majors to have any sort of meaningful career.  He was average last season, but didn’t play the entire season thanks to fraying in his rotation cup.  Fossum has since had surgery to get the injury cleaned up and right now is Tampa’s number two starter.
3. James Shields (RHP) – Shields showed last season that he has the potential to become a solid middle of the rotation pitcher, when he went 6-8 with a 4.84 ERA.  However, the Rays shut him down last year when he began to approach his the 200 inning mark in innings pitch, fearing that they would possibly hurt him.  Shields now has had a full summer to rest up and should be in the Tampa rotation at the starter of the season. 
4. Jae Seo (RHP) – Seo isn’t nearly as bad as his record was last year and he expressed a desire to show some improvement in his performance.  I think that he’ll be a very tolerable fifth starter, but he shouldn’t be depended on to provide any more than that.
5. J.P. Howell (LHP) – Howell was once a highly regarded Royals prospect, but Kansas City rushed him to the majors, even though he wasn’t ready, and Howell was destroyed.  Howell did well after the trade to Tampa and improved a bit, going 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA, considerably better than when he was in KC and showed some dominance at times.   Howell has some decent stuff, relying mostly on deception, but his stuff is good enough that he could succeed in the middle of the rotation.  Howell will likely be the fifth starter and will get more time to be worked with at the major league level, as this should have been the year he debuted.

Bullpen

• Seth McClung (Closer) – Not sure what to make of McClung.  He looked solid in a few spot saves last season and it’s possible that he may be able to use his above average stuff more effectively in the closer’s role.  I don’t know.  We’ll have to see how well he looks in Spring Training and the beginning of the season to be able to tell if he’s for real or not.
• Dan Miceli (Setup Man) – This veteran right-hander will setup and spot close when necessary.
• Chad Orvella (RHP) – Orvellla was rocked much of last season, but he’s not nearly as bad as the final record goes.  We’ll see what happens now that he’s got a full year’s experience under his belt.
• Juan Salas (RHP) – Salas was very poor last season, but it’s possible that experience could help him improve his showing.
• Shawn Camp (RHP) – Average right hander is somewhat dependable out of the pen.
• Ruddy Lugo (RHP) – This solid right hander gives the pen one of its more reliable weapons.
• Jon Swister (LHP) – Average lefty rounds out the pen.

Starting Lineup

1. Rocco Baldelli (CF) – An immensely talented centerfielder, Baldelli has a slick glove, speed, range, and a strong arm.  And that’s just on defense.  Offensively, he’s got great bat speed, great power and outstanding plate discipline.  The only flaw with Baldelli is his injury history, as he has had two major injuries and has missed an entire season due to one of them.  However, he seems to have recovered and is Tampa’s biggest trade chip thanks to an extremely club-favorable contract.   The Angels and White Sox both covet him, but Tampa has held off on inquiries, seeing him as a building block of success.
2. Akinori Iwamura (3B) – The Devil Rays got one of the bargains of the off-season by acquiring Akinori Iwamura at a cost of $7.7 million for the next three years.  Iwamura will likely hit second and replaces the defensively challenged B.J. Upton at third.  Iwamura won’t hit for a lot of power, but he will get on base and will provide above average defense for this squad.  Plus, his speed sets up the next pair of batters very nicely.
3. Carl Crawford (LF) – Crawford is a budding superstar, and he continued to convert his ability into performance in 2006.  He has great bat speed, power and is one of the fastest players in the majors.  The only real flaw with him is that his arm is below average, though that’s only nitpicking at this point.  Crawford is also a highly tradable commodity thanks to his club friendly contract, but the D-Rays have also indicated that he’s going to be their face of the franchise. 
4. Delmon Young (RF) – Young is a five-tool player that is one of the best young talents in the game.  Though he’s had some temperament issues (has asked to be traded, flung his bat at an umpire in a Triple-A game last May) but he’s made an effort to improve his reputation as of late.  .Young has the perfect blend of speed and power, plus he’s got a strong arm and great instincts in the outfield, though he could also be a very good centerfielder.  Young does need to learn to develop some plate discipline, but as far as the best pure talent in the game is considered, Young is at the top of the list.
5. Greg Norton (1B) – Norton had a solid season as part of a platoon at first with Ty Wigginton that was very much production, accounting for around 40 home runs and over 100 RBI’s.  I expect them to stick with the platoon again this year, allowing the kids one more year of maturation (in particular Elijah Dukes) before both Norton and Wigginton get shopped around for bullpen help.
6. Jonny Gomes (DH) –Gomes remade his swing before the 2005 season, giving himself a much shorter path to the ball, resulting in a much high contact rate at the expense of some power.  However, a shoulder injury slowed his bat and ultimately led to surgery.  He’s expected to be 100% now in Spring Training and will be a solid presence in the lineup.
7. Jorge Cantu (2B) – Cantu has solid power for the position and is pretty productive, but his fielding and plate discipline are both below average, making for a rather unpleasant combination that you really don’t want in your second baseman.  Cantu will likely be moved at some point this season, as Evan Longoria is capable of playing second and may be a better option, offensively, to fill the role.
8. Dioner Navarro (C) –I've always felt that Navarro could be a talented catcher, but he’s seemed to have had some troubles getting there.  Tampa has made it known he’s the starter and he should be an average bat.
9. Ben Zobrist (SS) –I've liked Zobrist since he was in the Astros’ system, and felt that if he got a shot, he could make a solid major league regular.  Zobrist was got his shot after Julio Lugo was traded and played solid defense, though his bat, always solid in the minors, didn’t come up with him.  Zobrist had a solid AFL showing and will be the starter for this season, but I still feel that no matter how well he does, Zobrist will be demoted to utilityman once Reid Brignac is ready.

Bench

• Ty Wigginton (1B) – Part of the D-Ray’s first base platoon, Wigginton was also very much productive and will share the spot in the lineup with Norton.
• B.J. Upton (???) – No one seems to know where the hell Upton is going to play, as he’s pretty much been a crappy defender wherever he’s been.  Upton can mash, that is true, but the deal is where he fits into the lineup.
• Josh Paul (C) – A capable defender that really isnt’ all that much of a hitter, despite what the average says about his stats last year.
• Elijah Dukes (1B/OF) – One of the more interesting prospects in baseball, Dukes is a solid prospect who is an outstanding athlete with skills up the wazoo.  He’s got great plate discipline, power, speed, a strong arm, is an extremely good fielder and is built like a house.  However, he’s also one of the most insane people you’ll ever meet.  Dukes has anger issues and his desire to play comes and goes, depending on his mood.  It should be noted that Dukes does enjoy playing the game, as he clearly has stuck with it and returned to play in the AFL after threatening to quit baseball permanently.  Dukes may or may not make the big club, it depends on what happens with Upton, but it may be that Tampa’s best option for keeping Dukes in line may be to keep him with the big club, in order to keep a closer eye on him, as he’s really physically ready to perform now.

   

  Down On The Farm…

The American League East is one of the worst divisions to be in, especially when you have a pair of financial superpowers in the Red Sox and Yankees at the top.  However, Tampa has done well to carefully bring along their talent in the minors, especially pitching.  And, as luck would have it, the Rays’ pitching staff is finally getting ready to start sending re-enforcements to the main club, starting with Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot, with other prospects that have been carefully developed being available as soon as next year.  Plus, with the amount of position prospects that are also near ready, this team could have some viable trade chips in the coming months. 

• Evan Longoria (3B) – The best bat in the draft, there were concerns that Longoria wouldn’t be able to transition his excellent college stats into production.  He destroyed those concerns by storming through the minors, beginning in Short Season ball and ending in Double A.  He hit 18 home runs in 248 at-bats and has great natural power, plus excellent plate discipline.  He can play third base, but is also a capable defender at short and second (where people think he’ll end up) as well.  Longoria will likely end up in the majors by the end of the year, making Jorge Cantu a interesting piece of trade bait.
• Mitch Talbot (RHP) – Talbot frustrated the Astros through much of his career, but he put it all together last year, improving his control and throwing for more strikes.  Talbot has an excellent changeup and a solid fastball.  He’s in the process of developing a breaking ball, but make no mistake that Talbot will be a very good middle of the rotation starter in a couple of years.
• Reid Brignac (SS) – Brignac is one of the best shortstop prospects in the minors, possibly the best now that Brandon Wood is transitioning to third base.  Brignac has some power, but his plate discipline is excellent.  He’s also has a strong arm and is a hard worker.  The problem is that many in the Devil Rays’ camp feel that Brignac, like Wood, will eventually be a third baseman, as he lacks the range to play the position.  Still, he’s got to be a monster once he breaks into the majors, which could be as soon as this year.
• Jeff Niemann (RHP) – I never trust Rice pitchers as a rule, because they seem to always get hurt.  Niemann is no different, as he’s been hampered by groin and shoulder problems since he signed almost three years ago.  That aside, Niemann does have great potential, with a fastball that sits in the low 90’s and hits 97 at times, plus a power slider and a good changeup.  The problem is whether or not Neimann can continue his development.  The Devil Rays are cautiously optimistic that he can, so it’s likely that he’ll begin the season in Triple A with the opportunity to force his way into the majors.
• Jae-kuk Ryu (RHP) – One of the more famous bird killers in baseball (even more so because he did it intentionally), Ryu has the potential to be a solid fifth or fourth guy.  Ryu has got some decent talent, with a sinking fastball that generally was sitting at 90-92 mph with touches of 94 mph.  His offspeed pitches consisting of a nasty curve, a good changeup, and a average splitter, a good enough to keep him as a starter.  The only problem is that his durability is in question.  Regardless of that, he’ll have a job with Tampa.

In Conclusion

Tampa will likely be staying in last place for at least this year.  But, once the young talent in the farm begins arriving, which it could as soon as this year, the Yankees and the Red Sox will have a new force to reckon with in their own division.  And it sure as hell won’t be Toronto or Baltimore.

Final Standing:  Fifth In The American League East