ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – For Eric Neander, the Tampa Bay Rays’ president of baseball operations and field manager Kevin Cash, the past five months have been exasperating at best. Here’s a team, in recent seasons, that ascended among the elite of the game, and now the crash from glory has been abrupt and unforeseen.
Trapped in the cauldron of mediocrity, the Rays have hovered around .500 since opening day in late March. At the All-Star game, the team was locked with several clubs to keep their heads above water and engage in the common quest for postseason qualification. That opportunity to create separation never materialized and now Neander and Cash, with bowed heads, wait patiently for the end of the season.
In an up-coming winter of change and revision, the first make-over will likely come from the pitching staff. For starters, the rotation needs a complete makeover and overhaul.
Since early June, Neander dealt Zach Eflin and Aaron Civile, two starters, and two more, Shawn Alexander and Jason Adam, from the bullpen. Injuries hit hard and by early September, closer Peter Fairbanks spent two sessions on the Injured List and lefty Colin Porche missed a considerable amount of time on the shelf.
That left Cash with a revolving door of middle relievers and, effectively, no closer. Plus, starter Zack Littell developed shoulder fatigue in mid-August and was shut down and Ryan Pepiot missed time due to a severe reaction from an insect bite.
To create a five-man rotation, Cash moved to lefty Tyler Alexander, who was marginal at best in Detroit over the past five years, to the role of “opener.” In games through Aug. 28, Alexander is 5-3, started seven games of 17 appearances, was hit hard at times, and split the season between the major leagues and AAA Durham.
One spot in the rotation appears firm. Left-hander Jeffrey Spring, recovering from Tommy John surgery to address left elbow flexor strain, is 1-2 in six starts. Velocity on his fastball barely touches 90, but Springs has struck out 33 hitters in 27 innings.
Careful to chart his recovery, Springs’s effectiveness lies with off-speed pitches. He will not overpower hitters but uses speeds and location successfully.
“From start to start you feel a little different,” Springs said during the Rays last home stand in mid-August. “Just trying to compete what I have that day and trying to go as deep as possible. There’s a great deal of work left to be done and I’m going in the right direction with mechanics and execution. Overall, I have taking strides in the right direction, The body is responding better and better each time and able to work on more things between starts. Overall, I’m happy where I am, right now.”
Over the final month of the season, Cash will struggle to find five solid arms that mark his rotation. The timetable for Littell has not be defined and Shane Baz, back from Tommy John surgery (right elbow strain), missed his last start due to illness. That leaves Taj Bradley and Pepiot as the most reliable.
Despite maladies, Cash remains optimistic for the final weeks.
“I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” Cash said during the last home stand. “It’s unfortunate that Littell will miss a little bit of time. He has been the most consistent of everybody. Optimistically, we look to get him back and we’ll see where we stand. But, no doubt, that is a very talented rotation. They all have worked through some injuries and coming back from health issues. But, when they are all right, we feel pretty good about them.”
Given a changed starting rotation from just a few weeks ago, those thrust into prominence may, or may not, be ready to carry the baton.
Elsewhere … with the Rays’ 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 17, Cash reached 800 career wins as a major league manager. He becomes the sixth active manager to reach that level and joins Bud Black, Brice Bochy, A J. Hinch, Bob Melvin, and Dave Roberts. “I appreciate the guys and every win is meaningful,” Cash said, reaching that milestone. “This is a fun organization to get that many wins.”
Next … The Rays return to Tropicana Field for the second to last homestand of the season. San Diego and Minnesota, two clubs with the post-season directly in their sights, make up the six-game home stand. On Friday night in the opener, the Padres send lefty Martín Perez (3-5, 4.60 ERA) against right Taj Bradley (6-8, 3.77). In the series finale Sunday, the Rays face righty Dylan Cease (12-10, 3,57) and author of a no-hitter at Washington on July 25.