The Tampa Bay Rays always have a word attached like a tag. ‘Small Market’. Due to the circumstances of the team, it is not possible to build a roster by spending a lot of money. Looking at the payroll alone this season, Tampa Bay is only 28th out of 30 clubs with $73,184,811. Due to the nature of the hometown, it is a pity for an unpopular team that cannot expect a full crowd, so it is impossible to spend a lot of money.
In the cold world of pros, teams that spend a lot of money and have a lot of good players are bound to do well. But this season, Tampa Bay is rejecting that formula. Tampa Bay ranks first in the major leagues with a win rate of 26 wins and 6 losses as of the 5th (Korean time), 0.813.
Tampa Bay played against Pittsburgh, which is continuing another small market blast, from the 3rd to the 5th in a three-game series. The result was a sweep win by Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay, which won 4-1 on the 3rd with a strategy of using Harvey Gera as the opener, won 8-1 on the 4th with ace Shane Mcclanahan’s 1 run in 6 innings.
On the 5th, ahead of this season, Zach Eflin, who received the largest free agency contract (3 years, 40 million dollars) in the history of the Tampa Bay team, took the mound as a starter. Eflin threw 80 pitches in 7 innings, giving up only 3 hits and striking out 10, tying up the Pittsburgh batting line. Eflin is recording a 2.25 ERA with 4 wins without a loss in 5 games this season. This season’s overall report card is also clear why Tampa Bay invested a large amount in him with his sharp control to the extent that he only walked 3 while throwing 28 innings and striking out 31.
As can be seen from the team’s performance, Tampa Bay is showing off the best in the major leagues on both the mound and the batting line. He scored 210 points in 32 games. Except for Tampa Bay, no team has exceeded 200 team points. The team lost 96 points. Tampa Bay is the only team that has yet to give up less than 100 runs.스포츠토토
The secret to achieving such results is that the Mets’ one-two puncher Justin Verlander ($43,333,333 in annual salary) and Max Scherzer (annual salary of $43,333,333), who are No. This is the result of the club’s leadership acknowledging the limitations of the small market and maximizing its power to pursue efficiency. Tampa Bay’s highest paid is Eflin, who was acquired as a free agent this season, for only $11 million.
It’s not like you’re not investing at all. Shortstop Wander Franco, who is considered the core of the team, has been tied up at $182 million for 10 years from 2022 to 2032. Franco, who earns an annual salary of $2,454,545 this season and next year, will increase his salary significantly to $8.45 million in 2025, $15.45 million in 2026, and $22.45 million in 2027. Franco, who is in his 3rd year this season, participated in 83 games last season, the first year of a long-term contract, and was sluggish with a batting average of 0.277, 6 homers, 33 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.745. are doing In other words, Tampa Bay’s eye for a long-term contract is not wrong.
Excluding Franco, the only players tied to long-term contracts are Yandi Diaz (until 2026) and Jeffrey Springs (until 2027), who also serve as pitchers 1st and 3rd base. Tampa Bay can continue to use the rest of the players, and if the ransom goes up, it is possible to trade several prospects to other teams.
Keep the core firmly, use the rest cheaply, and trade with other teams to build a new team with good cost-effective prospects. As this virtuous cycle continues, Tampa Bay can overcome the limitations of the small market and continue to reign as a strong team.
Now, all that remains for Tampa Bay is winning the World Series. Founded in 1998, Tampa Bay celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. In the early days of its establishment, it repeatedly finished last in the American League Eastern Division, where competition was too fierce, but in 2008, when Tampa Bay’s unique system baseball began to function properly, it made a sensation and made it to the World Series. It has become a strong team that surpasses fall baseball every year, but has yet to win the World Series. In 2008 and 2020, he won the American League twice and reached the World Series, but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers and stayed in second place. Can Tampa Bay, which has been exuding the force of ‘Gungye Ilhak’ that no one can surpass right after the opening, write a ‘happy ending’ at the end of this season? Looking at it so far, it seems quite possible.
