5 questions facing Rays ahead of ‘22 season

ST. PETERSBURG -- The day after their season ended at Fenway Park, the Rays’ optimistic outlook was that their abrupt American League Division Series exit against the Red Sox would benefit and motivate this year’s team. Their 2019 ALDS defeat helped spur the ‘20 club to the World Series, after all, so why wouldn’t it have the same effect this time?

The Rays could not have enjoyed a better regular season than last year. They won 100 games, conquered the rugged AL East and entered the postseason as the AL’s top team. Repeating that would be an incredible accomplishment for the 2022 club, but whether they can be the last team standing is the biggest question facing the Rays.

They fell short of that goal last year, but the Rays believe the best way to win a World Series is by getting into the postseason as often as possible. A return to playoff baseball will be the focus again as the players report this year.

“We’re thrilled that a five-year agreement has been reached, and we can all focus on the season ahead,” team president Matt Silverman said. “With an excellent team coming off a 100-win season and a second consecutive American League East title, we can’t wait to get started.”

Let’s consider five questions the Rays face, from urgent matters to big-picture concerns.

1. Will they trade Kevin Kiermaier?
Only four players have taken the field for Tampa Bay more than Kiermaier: Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton. Kiermaier has had a long tenure with the Rays: a nine-season run surpassed only by Longoria’s 10 seasons. Kiermaier is the last link to a different era of Rays baseball, the only current Tampa Bay player who was managed by Joe Maddon, but could this be the end of the relationship?

Kiermaier is still arguably the best defensive outfielder in the Majors, and his value in center field ultimately overshadows any of his shortcomings at the plate. This is the final guaranteed season of his contract, however, and he’s owed $12 million with a club option for next year. The Rays have plenty of outfield candidates, including a potential center field platoon in Brett Phillips and Manuel Margot -- two players with the defensive skills to ease the potential loss of Kiermaier’s Platinum Glove.

Additionally, outfield prospect Josh Lowe should be ready for regular playing time at some point this year after a great 2021 season in Triple-A. The same goes for Vidal Bruján, who can play just about anywhere in the infield or outfield. Trading Kiermaier would not be an easy decision, much like moving All-Star infielder Joey Wendle to the Marlins, but the Rays might finally make the move if they find the right deal.

2. What’s next for Wander?
Wander Franco might not be the face of the franchise yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The Rays made that inevitable when they signed the star shortstop to a massive contract extension before the lockout. Franco is going to be with the Rays for a long time, and he’s going to make a lot of money in the process.

Franco is coming off a debut in which he slashed .288/.347/.463 and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting, which was won by teammate Randy Arozarena. As the season continued, he got better. By the ALDS, he looked like the Rays’ best player. And by the end of the year, he’d been guaranteed generational wealth before turning 21 years old.

There will be an extraordinary amount of attention on Franco as he begins his first full season. For some players, trying to live up to the hype would be difficult. That probably won’t be the case for Franco, who’s been managing -- and exceeding -- high expectations since he was a young teenager.

But what will he do next? Can he sustain what he did in last year’s second half for a full season? Can he catapult himself into the game’s upper echelon of stars? Will Franco remain at shortstop every day or, with slick-fielding Taylor Walls likely to play a more prominent role, move around the infield like he did in Triple-A? We’ll see -- and all of baseball will be watching.

3. Is their young rotation ready?
Ryan Yarbrough and Josh Fleming are set to return, Yonny Chirinos and Tommy Romero should help at some point this season, and Corey Kluber was brought in to provide a veteran presence. But the fate of the Rays’ rotation this year rests with Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen and Luis Patiño. They have a ton of talent, but not much of a track record.

McClanahan was excellent from mid-June until the end of last season, essentially remaking himself into an ace-type pitcher, and you can bet he’ll be motivated by his rough bullpen outing in Game 4 of the ALDS. Baz and Rasmussen faltered in the postseason spotlight, but they were strong down the stretch -- and Baz, the Rays’ top prospect, seems to just be scratching the surface of his potential.

The wild card is Patiño, the key piece of the Rays’ return for Blake Snell. His stuff is electric, but his numbers (including a 4.31 ERA) were less inspiring. Tampa Bay still believes he has the arsenal, athleticism and aptitude to be a front-line starter, however, and this will be his chance to prove it.

If those four young arms reach their potential, they could form the core of an exciting rotation in front of what’s bound to be another deep and dangerous Rays bullpen.

4. What will the next wave contribute, and when?
Last year, a bunch of rookies came out of the Rays’ farm system and played huge parts in their 100-win season. Randy Arozarena was the AL Rookie of the Year. Franco quickly established himself. McClanahan emerged as their Game 1 starter. Walls, Fleming and Patiño graduated from prospect status. Baz, Lowe and Bruján arrived, but only long enough for a brief glimpse.

What will this year bring? Probably not that, considering the Rays fielded three of the eight players to receive AL Rookie of the Year votes last year. But as always, youth will be served at Tropicana Field.

The biggest names to watch are Baz, Lowe, Walls and Bruján. Baz has every right to be in the Opening Day rotation after what he showed last September, although innings management might play a part in that decision. Lowe may not break camp with the team, but his 22-homer, 26-steal campaign with Triple-A Durham last year proved he’s ready. Lowe has all the tools – power, speed, skill in all three outfield spots and a strong arm that would play in center or right field – and his approach at the plate last season improved as he hit .291 with a .381 on-base percentage.

By trading Wendle, the Rays created an opportunity for Walls and Bruján. Walls is Tampa Bay’s best defensive infielder, and the club believes there’s more in his switch-hitting bat than he showed last year. Bruján looked overmatched in his brief 2021 debut, but the top prospect offers a switch-hitting bat, a ton of speed and defensive versatility that allows him to play anywhere in the infield or outfield.

Plenty more Rays prospects could be ready for The Show this year, including the right-hander Romero, second baseman Xavier Edwards, quick-moving reliever Colby White and recent 40-man roster additions like infielder Jonathan Aranda, catcher/infielder Ford Proctor and catcher René Pinto.

5. What’s next in the stadium search?
The organization’s “Sister City” plan was not popular locally, but it was the Rays’ focus for years and, in their minds, the best way to keep the team in Tampa Bay for the long haul. When the proposal was rejected by MLB’s executive council, however, the Rays immediately had to go back to the drawing board.

The club’s stadium search has been an ongoing issue for 15 years, an inescapable storyline for those who follow a highly successful team with well-documented attendance issues. But the Rays’ use agreement at Tropicana Field expires after the 2027 season, which means they need to find a future home soon. If a ballpark is going to be built and be ready for Opening Day 2028, the team will likely need to have a deal in place next year. The Rays will keep their focus on the field, trying to win the franchise’s first World Series, but this will be a major behind-the-scenes story yet again.