3 MLB owners who need to start spending like the 'small-market' Royals
By Curt Bishop
1. Stuart Sternberg - Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have the small-market strategy down to a science. The team finds ways to win even after trading away key players.
Their secret is trading stars for Major League-ready talent. However, the decision to trade Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers has put them in a precarious position.
The Rays could look to solve this problem by actually spending some money to land a top pitcher and remain competitive in a stacked AL East division. To make matters worse, Shane McClanahan will be out for all of 2024 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, leaving the Rays rotation vulnerable.
Reigning NL Cy Young and former Rays ace Blake Snell is a free agent. The stars could potentially align for a reunion. Jordan Montgomery, who dominated the Rays in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, is also available.
It all depends on whether owner Stuart Sternberg decides to increase the team's payroll. His recent track record suggests that it is unlikely.
But with the Baltimore Orioles emerging and the New York Yankees adding some key pieces, the Rays are at risk of falling out of the conversation for a division title.
feed