If you asked someone to name the surprise team of 2008, you’d most likely be told the Tampa Bay Rays. PECOTA would disagree. What can the Rays do to enhance their chances in 2008 without hurting their chances down the road?

Holes to Fill

I would argue that their number one hole is at shortstop, where Jason Bartlett has not lived up to expectations since coming over from Minnesota. After hitting a modest .265/.339/.361 in 2007, Bartlett has hit an even worse .248/.294/.279 in 2008. While he has helped the Rays vastly improve their defense, it’s mostly because of how bad Brendan Harris was last year. Harris had an RZR of .760, 86 Rate, and -12 FRAA in 2007. Bartlett is only at an RZR of .822, 96 Rate, and -3 FRAA this year. So while he’s improved their SS defense over last year, it’s only because he’s been average to Harris’s not-quite-average defense. With both Reid Brignac and Tim Beckham in their farm system, they don’t need a long-term fix at short, but a short-term fix could help them. Unfortunately, that guy isn’t available by trade.

Other places they could try to upgrade include the rotation, the bullpen, and a right-handed outfielder. On the pitching side of things, it’s mostly to counteract risks in their current staff, whether that’s due to inexperience or health. As for the right-handed outfielder, that’s because Eric Hinske has only managed lines of .176/.317/.294 in 2008 and .228/.297/.372 in his career against left-handed pitchers. While Jonny Gomes can hit lefties (.230/.324/.508 in 2008 and .282/.384/.532 career), he’s already doing that for Cliff Floyd at DH. Who are possible targets for these positions? Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times mentions C.C. Sabathia, Brian Fuentes, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, and Xavier Nady. In my opinion, those three outfielders are overkill for what they need, but they could always flip Hinske for something else if they acquired one of them.

Trade Bait

With 5 of the top 40 prospects still in the minor leagues, the Rays could do whatever they want in the trade market. Those five prospects are David Price, Wade Davis, Desmond Jennings, Reid Brignac, and Jacob McGee. Even if they don’t make a big move, their system is more than just those 5 guys. The Rays have a ton of good prospects that they could use to make minor upgrades throughout the roster to bolster their chances in 2008.

Holes: SS, RH RF, SP, RP

Trade Bait: too many names to list