Source link : https://baseball-info.org/2025/01/31/tampa-bay-rays/analyst-says-1-mlb-team-could-be-surprisingly-competitive-this-season/
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The Tampa Bay Rays missed the postseason for the first time in six seasons after finishing with a record of 80-82 and coming in fourth in the American League East.
Although the Rays missed the postseason in 2024, the five straight appearances before that are impressive due to the level of teams in their division, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.
This offseason, the Rays have made a couple of notable acquisitions, including Eloy Jimenez on a minor league deal, catcher Danny Jansen and utility player Ha-Seong Kim.
MLB analyst Robert Flores recently revealed what he expects from the Rays this season.
“The Rays, like I said, they’re gonna surprise us. I have stopped counting out that franchise and predicting doom and gloom for this franchise because inevitably they end up figuring it out and being very competitive,” Flores said, via MLB Network.
“The Rays, they could surprise us. Inevitably they end up figuring it out and being very competitive.”@RoFlo and Harold break down Ha-Seong Kim’s reported two-year deal with the Rays and how he will strengthen this Tampa Bay team. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/LnnpR2knwz
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2025
The Rays play in arguably the best division in Major League Baseball yet they made five straight postseason appearances from 2019 to 2023, including a World Series appearance in 2020.
Kim is the newest addition, and he has the ability to play multiple positions on the infield, which could be useful for the Rays when he is able to return from shoulder surgery.
In 2024 with the San Diego Padres, Kim played in 121 games and batted .233 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .700 OPS.
Flores said he believes the Rays will be competitive again in 2025, and it will be interesting to see how they fare against those strong divisional opponents.
The post Analyst Says 1 MLB Team Could Be Surprisingly Competitive This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Author : BaseBall Info
Publish date : 2025-01-31 04:27:07
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