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DownloadAssorted Rants, Rumblings and Ruminations from the Mind of a “So-Called” Expert
CATCHER: Robinson Chirinos took over after the Jonathan Lucroy trade and is the clubhouse leader heading into 2018. Brett Nicholas is the current backup.
INFIELD: When Adrian Beltre is healthy, he'll man third base, pushng Joey Gallo across the diamond. Elvis Endrus and Rougned Odor are back as the double-play commbo.
OUTFIELD: Nomar Mazara and Shi Soo Choo patrol the corners. Delino DeShields Jr. deserves to play every day in center, let's see if he gets it. Willie Calhoun could work in, though he's at a disadvantage since he's a lefty swinger like Mazara and Choo.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Calhoun is a possibility, but chances are a bat is acquired, pushing Choo here, or even Gallo.
BENCH: Jurickson Profar fell out of favor last season. If he's out of the doghouse, he could serve as bench fodder. Ryan Rua, Drew Robinson, Jared Hoying and Phil Gosselin are in the mix.
ROTATION: Cole Hamels is at the top, flanked by Martin Perez, A.J. Griffin and the newly acquired Doug Fister. Nick Martinez is the likely fifth, though Texas may not be done fortifying their staff.
BULLPEN: Alex Claudio ended 2017 with the closer gig and could begin 2018 with the job. Matt Bush, Keone Kela, Jake Diekman and Jose Leclerc will battle for setup innings.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Calhoun has been discussed and is in line to make a contribution, though others like his bat more than I do (take that with my untutored, non-scout eye grain of salt). Yohander Mendez saw some starts last year, he could be called upon again.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: I don't think the Rangers are done. They're short one bat and one starter, along with possibly bringing in an established closer.
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CATCHER: The Rays signed Wilson Ramos to a two-year deal more for 2018 than 2017. Jesus Sucre is the primary backup.
INFIELD: Brad Miller could move back to first base but he's better as a utilityman. If Matt Duffy is finally healthy, he'll play, perhaps second base with Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop or maybe Duffy plays short with Miller at second. The only lock is Evan Longoria at the hot corner.
OUTFIELD: Kevin Kiermaier's leather keeps him in the lineup so long as he's healthy. Steven Souza Jr. holds down one spot. Currently, Mallex Smith grabs the other, but that could change.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Corey Dickerson could dabble in the outfield, or even first base, but his best position is DH.
BENCH: Daniel Robertson adds to the infield depth. The outfield reserves are currently scant. New readers - how many fantasy analysts do you know use the word scant?
ROTATION: At last check, Chris Archer was still with the club. Jake Odorizzi, Blake Snell, Jacob Faria are set. The fifth spot could go to Matt Andriese but don't forget about Nathan Eovaldi, returning from TJS. Brent Honeywell and Jose DeLeon are long shots to break camp, but both could be a factor in-season.
BULLPEN: The Rays are likely to trade Alex Colome, leaving the closer competition to Brad Boxberger and... um... Dan Jennings? Andrew Kittredge, Austin Pruitt and Xavier Cedeno comprise an uncharacteristically pedestrian group.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: The Rays rely on home grown talent to compete with reinforcements are on the way. Honeywell was mentioned as a rotation piece, he could be a good one. Willy Adames is close and should contribute this season while outfielder Jake Bauers isn't far off. Shohei Ohtani may be a hot button topic but keep in mind Tampa has a two-way prospect in Brendan McKay, though he's a couple years away.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: The cost-conscious Rays aren't likely to make a big splash, but a power hitting first baseman, decent outfielder and bullpen help could be on the menu, either by trade (Archer, Colome) or free agency.
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CATCHER: Mike Zunino may finally have hit enough to maintain the full-time job all season. Or maybe he keeps the gig because Mike Marjama and David Freitas will battle for backup.
INFIELD: The recent acquisition of Ryon Healy completes a set group including Robinson Cano, Jean Segura and Kyle Seager.
OUTFIELD: Mitch Haniger and Ben Gamel displayed enough last season to be penciled in the corners this year. Who plays in between is in jeopardy, with Guillermo Heredia the current in-house option.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Nelson Cruz is showing no signs of aging and is one of the reasons the club can experiment a bit with the outfield.
BENCH: Tyler Motter is the jack-of-all-trades. Andrew Romine and Kirk Nieuwenhuis were both brough in to bolster depth.
ROTATION: If healthy, James Paxton has ace potential. Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake offer veteran presence while Ariel Miranda and Erasmo Ramirez attempt to build on last season. Andrew Moore and Marco Gonzalez have MLB experience. Drew Smyly may make a cameo at the very end.
BULLPEN: Edwin Diaz, who overcame a couple rough patches, is back as closer. Nick Vincent, David Phelps, James Pazos, Shae Simmons, Tony Zych, Dan Altavilla and Marc Rzepczynski are a nice group of relievers.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: No one of consequence is close, with top prospect Kyle Lewis at least a year away. Speaking of which, Lewis was pulled from the Arizona Fall League after feeling something in his surgically repaired knee. It's reportedly not an issue, but it's worth monitoring this spring for those in keeper and dynasty formats.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: A center fielder and perhaps middle of the rotation starter make sense as the squad isn't that far from being in the wild-card hunt.
Do you want to win your league?
Platinum 2018, featuring the industry's earliest projections has launched. All you have to do is register an account, make sure you're logged in and click HERE.
Please direct all questions to support@mastersball.com.
Follow me on Twitter @ToddZola
Follow the site on Twitter @Mastersball