The Rays are one of the only teams in the league that use a sustainable model to allow for a competitive team year after year. And not only are they using the “compete now” strategy, but they also are simultaneously building for the future. How are they doing it?
The Draft
The drafting method used by the Rays is key to their success. There are three majors strategies they use to draft:
- Drafting based on their organizational player development strengths
- Drafting college prospects early and often
- Drafting for depth
The Rays do a great job of developing pitchers, which leads them to primarily pick pitchers during the draft. They also select position players who are athletic, versatile, and able to play middle infield.
In terms of age, the Rays draft college players most frequently, with some exceptions for elite high school players. Generally, drafting college players is less of a risk than drafting high school players.
The Rays also draft for depth, and this is something that really differentiates their strategy from other teams. Instead of selecting only 1-2 pitchers, they draft several. This way, they are not betting on the success of only a couple of players. They are giving themselves more opportunities to select an above average player who develops into a major leaguer down the road.
Developing Players
Not only do the Rays draft well, they also develop their players very well. The Rays are particularly skilled at developing starting pitchers. For reference, here are some examples of pitchers they’ve drafted:
- James Shields
- David Price
- Chris Archer
- Matt Moore
- Blake Snell
Every one of these pitchers listed has turned into a key member of the rotation, and then ended their Rays’ careers as centerpieces of trades.
The position players the Rays draft are mostly middle infielders. Some examples of these versatile players are:
- Brandon Lowe
- Greg Jones
- Taylor Walls
- Nate Lowe
Jones and Walls are not ready for the majors yet, but Brandon Lowe and Nate Lowe have made an impact. Brandon Lowe has turned into one of the key members of the Rays’ offense. Nate Lowe split his time between first and third with the Rays, and is starting off the season very well offensively with the Rangers.
Trading High
The Rays then take these developed players and allow them to be successful and contribute to the major league team. When the players’ value is the highest, and they have limited time remaining under team control, the Rays will prepare to trade them.
Because the players’ value is so high, the Rays are able to get a great return. This is also where developing starting pitchers so well comes into play. Other teams will always need quality starting pitching, so the Rays will not have to worry about the needs of other teams when they are preparing to trade one of the members of their rotation. They have the freedom to make the trade virtually any year or any point of the season.
When the Rays make a trade they need to ensure the return puts them in the best position possible for the future. They do this by targeting the same types of players in their trades:
- Developed Prospects
- Players who Fill a Major League Need
- Specialty Relievers
Trading for developed prospects replenishes the Rays’ farm system, and also provides supports for the major league team within a short amount of time. For example, when the Rays traded Chris Archer in 2018, they received Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows. Both Glasnow and Meadows were ready and able to join the Major League Rays full time in 2019.
In terms of players who fill a major league need, the trades for Brett Phillips and Joey Wendle provide good examples. While not everyday players, Phillips and Wendle provide depth and versatility to the team. They have both made valuable impacts the past couple of seasons.
Specialty relievers are also trade targets for the Rays. The Rays best relief pitcher in 2020, Nick Anderson, was obtained via trade in 2019.
The 2021 40-Man Roster
The construction of the current 40-man roster demonstrates how important trades and drafting both are to the Rays. Of the players included on the 40-man roster, here is the breakdown of how they were acquired:
- Draft: 9
- Trade: 22
- Free Agent: 7
- Other (Rule 5, Undrafted FA, etc): 7
Note: 45 players were considered for this breakdown, as I included players on the injured list
While the percentages of each method of acquisition may vary from year to year, the general strategy of the Rays is consistent. Drafting, developing, trading, and replenishing allows the Rays to field a competitive team while maintaining one of the best farm systems in the league. Most impressively, they are able to achieve both of these goals within the constraints of their payroll.