Tampa Bay Rays 2011 Preview

This might pose to be a rebuilding season of some sorts. Losing key parts of your defense and bats on your offense tend to be something that makes you wonder, where will they make up for this or that which won't be in the Tampa Bay lineup this season in 2011.

Carl Crawford is now the LF for the Boston Red Sox. RHP Matt Garza and 1B Carlos Pena are now Chicago Cubs. OF Rocco Baldelli retired from playing baseball for medical reasons and is now a special assistant with the Rays. Five players were acquired by Tampa Bay in hopes of replacing some of the production that will be lost with those players exiting the Rays lineup. Those players include:

DH/OF Manny Ramirez
OF Johnny Damon
1B Casey Kotchman
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
INF Felipe Lopez

The starting pitching rotation contains a top three that should stay solid for most of the season. All-star LHP David Price will be the Rays' ace on the mound this summer. He'll be joined in the rotation by RHP James Shields, RHP Andy Sonnanstine, RHP Wade Davis and either RHP Jeff Niemann or RHP Jeremy Hellickson.

The bullpen is a cause for concern. RHP's Joel Peralta and Adam Russell will get a lot of help from veterans Kyle Farnsworth and LHP J.P. Howell. The closer will be Jake McGee.

Here's a glance at what you might see in the field with possibly a few changes throughout the season:

C John Jaso
1B Casey Kotchman (or Dan Johnson)
2B Sean Rodriguez
SS Reid Brignac
3B Evan Longoria
LF Johnny Damon
CF B.J. Upton
RF Ben Zobrist
DH Manny Ramirez

The additions of Manny Ramirez (38 years old) and Johnny Damon (37) can only help the Rays with leadership that Crawford, Garza and Pena took with them when they exited to their new teams. The Rays should put forth quite the competition in the AL East, whether others think so or not, it's in the realm of possibility. Just because they've lost a few people, doesn't mean that gaining a handful of others won't replace those players. All-star 3B Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Ben Zobrist are three bats that are alive and well this spring and should be a huge lift for Tampa Bay in 2011.

Joe Maddon is back for his 6th season in Tampa Bay. He's 404-406 in his five seasons at the help of the Rays with a World Series appearance in 2008. Maddon also filled-in managing during the 1996 and 1999 seasons in the Angles' organization, going 27-24 in those games. He spent a total of 31 years with the Angels prior to becoming the Rays' fourth manager in 2006.

My pick for the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East is 3rd, right behind the Yankees and Red Sox in that heated division.