So the Rays picked up a dependable starting pitcher on the day before the trade deadline.
Problem solved.
Well, actually, one problem solved.
There’s another issue in Tampa Bay that seems to be growing more precarious by the day.
The Rays have a below-average offense. It hasn’t always been like that. In fact, at one point in early June, the Rays were seventh in the majors in runs per game.
But those days have long since passed.
When they lost to the White Sox 9-1 on Sunday, it was the eighth consecutive game that the Rays scored three runs or less. That’s hard to do, as you might imagine. The last time Tampa Bay went through a stretch like that was 17 years ago.
Not that this power outage is a complete surprise. Coming into the season, Tampa Bay officials knew their offense was likely below average. The real shocker was that the Rays were scoring as much as they were through the season’s first two months. And much of that was driven by an absurdly high — and unsustainable — batting average with runners in scoring position.
Basically, the Rays have three All-Star-caliber bats and then a bunch of platoons, contact hitters and lightweights. That means when Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero are in a funk, the offense is practically punchless. And in the last eight games, Tampa Bay’s first three hitters are batting a combined .244 with five RBIs in 82 at-bats. That’s not awful, but it’s also not good enough when the rest of the lineup includes a shortstop hitting .212, a centerfielder hitting .201 and a leftfielder with zero home runs the past two seasons.
Granted, the Rays are a team built around pitching and run prevention. They’ve tolerated subpar offense at catcher, shortstop and centerfield because those are premium defensive positions and Tampa Bay is more likely to win a game 3-2 than 8-7.
Not sold on that philosophy? Consider this:
Back in 2009, when they last had a streak of eight consecutive games with three runs or less, the Rays went 0-8.
This time, the Rays went 5-3 despite scoring a grand total of 14 runs in those eight games.
That doesn’t mean the Rays can continue with such woeful production from the lineup. The offense has got to be better, which is why team president Erik Neander will continue looking for a second baseman or outfielder or catcher until tonight’s 6 p.m. deadline.
Because, no matter how good the pitching is, the Rays are not going to survive in October if they’re unable to score more than three runs a game. Or have you forgotten the 2022 postseason, when the Rays lost a best-of-three series to Cleveland in the wild-card round? The Rays dropped the first game 2-1 and lost the second game 1-0 in 15 innings. As a team, they hit .115 with a .154 slugging percentage against the Guardians.
Would Giants second baseman Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champion, help? Sure, but I’m not sure how much he would move the needle. The Rays might be better off looking for a player with a lower batting average but more thump. Ideally, someone who could hit behind Caminero in the batting order.
It’s fair to say the Rays are a better team today than they were yesterday by adding Freddy Peralta to the rotation.
But, without more offense, it might not matter in October.
