The Rays’ Rotation Dilemma: What’s Next for the Six Starters?

PORT CHARLOTTE — Sometime between now and the March 28 season opener, the Rays will have to figure out how to take their six touted starters and turn them into a five-man rotation.

Decisions, Decisions

The intriguing part will be how they get there. An injury or setback to one starter or more could make it obvious. So could a trade offer the Rays consider too good to pass up. An easy answer would be moving a starter to the bullpen. Team officials could change plans and keep all six in the rotation — or create a hybrid version, knowing they will have to contend with some workload limitations.

“There’s probably 20 different ways we can try and go about it,” said Shane Baz, one of the select six. “It’s pretty crazy,” said another, Zack Littell. “It’s going to be really fun just to go in camp and get to push each other and make (baseball operations president Erik Neander) make some kind of decision. …

Besides, said Drew Rasmussen, another starter, the decision is coming from the bosses above. “That’s their job, and I want nothing to do with it,” Rasmussen said. “They’re way smarter than I am, and if it were chess they’d be three or four moves ahead of me.”

Preparing for the Unknown

Pitching coach Kyle Snyder’s plan to offset the speculation is to focus on preparing all six starters — Taj Bradley, Shane McClanahan, Ryan Pepiot, Baz, Littell and Rasmussen — for a full season. “I can’t allow those six to get distracted,” he said. “So it’s like, ‘The task is what it is. We’re building out. We’re getting ready for all of you guys to make 30 starts.’

Planning for the Future

Rasmussen, who returned from elbow surgery in August as a reliever; and McClanahan, who missed all of 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery; probably will be limited to 150 or so innings for the season. They likely will be on limited pitch counts early in the season, anyway, so there could be a benefit to holding one back at the start.

Similarly, Baz and Pepiot had workload increases in 2024 and seem likely to be limited to about 165 innings. Snyder said Bradley and Littell had fatigue issues during the season, with Littell going on the injured list. So, there could be something of a flex plan for which five are starting at a given time.

Conclusion

The Rays face tough decisions ahead as they navigate the challenges of balancing their six star pitchers in the upcoming season. With careful planning and strategic decisions, they aim to optimize their rotation and maximize performance on the field.

FAQs

1. How will the Rays decide on their starting rotation?

The Rays will consider various factors such as player health, workload limitations, and performance to determine the best course of action for their starting rotation.

2. What challenges do the Rays face in managing their pitchers?

Injuries, workload increases, and fatigue issues present challenges for the Rays in managing their pitchers effectively throughout the season.