Rays option trio; OD roster takes shape

The Rays all but officially set their Opening Day roster on Sunday morning by sending three pitchers to Minor League camp.

Tampa Bay optioned left-hander Josh Fleming and right-handers Chris Mazza and Trevor Richards, which means all three will begin the season at the club’s alternate training site. Those moves reduced the Rays’ Spring Training roster to 28 players, including two -- Ji-Man Choi and Brett Phillips -- who are expected to begin the season on the 10-day injured list.

In other words, the Rays have decided on their 26-man roster barring any last-minute moves or injuries between now and their season opener against the Marlins on Thursday. If they carry the group they have, this is what the team will look like to start the year.

Pitchers (14): Chris Archer, Diego Castillo, Pete Fairbanks, Tyler Glasnow, Rich Hill, Andrew Kittredge, Collin McHugh, Cody Reed, Chaz Roe, Ryan Sherriff, Jeffrey Springs, Ryan Thompson, Michael Wacha, Ryan Yarbrough

Catchers (2): Francisco Mejía, Mike Zunino

Infielders (6): Willy Adames, Mike Brosseau, Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Joey Wendle

Outfielders (4): Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Austin Meadows

10-day IL (2): Choi (right knee inflammation), Phillips (strained left hamstring)

60-day IL (5): Nick Anderson, Jalen Beeks, Yonny Chirinos, Oliver Drake, Colin Poche

The Rays don’t make decisions based purely on Spring Training performance, but manager Kevin Cash noted recently that Fleming in particular “made every strong impression possible” with the way he pitched last season and over the last month.

The lefty provided a huge boost to Tampa Bay’s injury-riddled staff last season and looked even sharper this spring, striking out eight while allowing only five baserunners in 8 2/3 scoreless innings over four appearances. Fleming will continue to be stretched out to start at the alternate training site.

“I don't think any of us could look at Fleming and say, ‘You're not good enough to be a big league pitcher.’ He knows he is. We know he is,” Cash said Sunday. “And he'll be utilized as a big league pitcher throughout the course of the season. It's just not going to happen come Opening Day as it is right now.”

While making the Opening Day roster is a significant honor, it’s worth remembering that the Rays will indeed need far more players than just the 26 who line up on the field before Sandy Alcantara’s first pitch at Marlins Park. In fact, they can carry up to five players (including a catcher) on their traveling taxi squad from the jump because they open the season on the road.

There is no doubt they’ll need pitchers like Fleming, Mazza and Richards throughout the course of the year as they navigate the unusual transition from a 60-game season to a 162-game schedule.

But it seems the Rays saw less of a need to break camp with several multi-inning relievers/bulk-inning pitchers based in part on their schedule out of the gate. They will play three games in Miami before their first off-day, then they have another off-day scheduled after a three-game series in Boston.

Springs, who gave up three runs on two homers and a walk while striking out four in 1 2/3 innings in the Rays’ 16-5 win over the Braves on Sunday at Charlotte Sports Park, said Cash informed him before the game that he’d made the team. It was welcome news for the lefty reliever, who came to the Rays on Feb. 17, alongside Mazza, in a trade with the Red Sox.

“[A] winning organization's always something you want to be a part of, and then, getting [the] news today, [I] obviously just want to do my part -- in kind of whatever role that may be -- to just try to help us win as many games as possible and get back to where they were last year,” Springs said.

With their top rotation options stretched out to their satisfaction as Spring Training winds down, the Rays should only need length out of their bullpen in the event of a short start or an injury. And even in that case, they’ll have the versatile McHugh and a nine-man bullpen with several relievers capable of pitching more than just one inning.

“If we need a starter, we feel really good about having [Fleming] as an option. And with the off-days early on, you're hoping that we're not getting in a bind with the shorter relievers,” Cash said. “Although whether it's Sherriff, Springs, Kittredge, Thompson or Reed, they can all go multiple innings.”

But the Rays will need multi-inning depth at some point, potentially within the first month of the season. Cash mentioned Sunday morning that it will be important for the team to have stretched-out arms available at the alternate training site -- think Fleming, Richards and Mazza -- during a stretch of 30 games in 31 days that begins on April 9.

The Rays’ five expected starting pitchers -- Glasnow, Yarbrough, Archer, Hill and Wacha -- have been pitching every fifth day. But they eased into the spring working on five days’ rest or sometimes pitching just once a week. They won’t have that luxury during a long stretch without off-days, at which point Tampa Bay could summon a fresh arm from the alternate camp in Port Charlotte, Fla., to give the entire rotation a breather if necessary.

“Those are tough conversations,” Cash said. “It's tough to envision scenarios where [Fleming and Richards are] not part of us, along with Mazza, part of this early on. I mean, we go six games, two off-days, and then play 30 of 31. We're going to need all the pitching, all hands on deck, and I think they recognize that. Really appreciate their efforts and just how much of pros all three of them were in difficult conversations.”