The Rays Are Being Stripped For Parts 

The Miami Marlins are not the only Florida-based baseball team who will be punting on the 2018 season. Since the start of the offseason, the Rays have traded Evan Longoria to San Francisco, let Logan Morrison walk in free agency, designated all-star Corey Dickerson for assignment, and traded Jake Odorizzi to the Twins. Kevin Kiermaier expressed his displeasure with the club’s rapid talent dissolution, saying he was “100 percent frustrated and very upset with the moves.” Those who have left also shared his sentiments, as  Longoria said he felt sorry for Rays fans while Odorizzi said, “It’s kind of a foregone thing when you’re there, to a certain point. Everyone ends up leaving, whether it’s time or dollars.”

And that was all before this afternoon’s coup de grace, when the Rays traded Steven Souza, their 2017 team MVP, to the Diamondbacks in a three-way deal with the Yankees that netted Tampa Bay a pair of prospects. Let’s see how other Rays players are taking the news.

The Rays seem to be following Derek Jeter’s lead and shedding as much salary as possible, though Souza is both good and youngish, and his production comes relatively cheap. Both Nick Solak and Anthony Banda are highly regarded prospects, so if all goes well, the Rays can trade them before they have to pay them someday.