MLB Power Rankings: Post Winter Meetings

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 11: Giancarlo Stanton is introduced as a member of the New York Yankees during the 2017 Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort on Monday, December 11, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 24: Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 24, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-4. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

23. Tampa Bay Rays

If things seem dire for the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, they are downright grim for the Tampa Bay Rays. Competing in the AL East was always going to be a near impossibility for the Rays on their shoestring budget, but with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox dialing up their competition to spend the most this offseason, it looks like it’s time for the Rays to pack it in and wait for the next wave of cheap talent to rise up from the minor leagues.

Trading Evan Longoria to the San Francisco Giants should be just the beginning of a total rebuild for the Rays. Chris Archer and Alex Colome would fetch a king’s ransom on the trade bloc, and Jake Odorizzi could also bring back one top-100 prospect. Realistically, no one should be untouchable for the Rays. They have not had a winning record since making the playoffs in 2013 and the organization’s reputation for developing elite starting pitchers has taken a slight hit.

The Rays have solid building blocks in Jake Faria, Blake Snell and Brent Honeywell. Given a chance to mature, that trio could one day lead the Rays back to the playoffs. Tampa Bay was wise to hold Honeywell down at Triple-A last year, delaying the start of his service time. He was ready for his MLB debut, but there was no point in starting the clock with no real shot at the playoffs.

Tampa Bay’s biggest problem remains its inability to draft and develop position players. All the great starting pitching in the world cannot make up for an offense that scored the second-fewest runs in the American League and struck out over 1,500 times.

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