And time for the Rob Refsnyder era to end.
Last night in Baltimore, the Rays made history. For the first time ever, the team have scored 8 runs or more in four straight games. Highlights from the game included the entire lineup having at least one hit, Adeiny Hechavarria homering in his second consecutive game, and one of the best comeback stories, ever. A team that ‘let go all of its offensive talent’ have now won five straight (something they didn’t do at all in 2017) and 6 of their last 7.
By now, we should all be familiar with the story of Jonny Venters, the former relief ace of the Atlanta Braves and recipient of ‘3 and a half’ Tommy John surgeries. The poster boy for perseverance, he got the call before last night’s game, and saw his first big league action since the 2012 National League wild card game. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Chris Davis, and his night was done. Tears of joy covered his face shortly after. A great moment for the Rays, Venters, Major League Baseball, and human beings in general. But even though we all appreciated this moment, I think we can all agree that with the Rays surging, it’s time for the next call.
The one we’ve all been waiting for.
Willy Adames was once ‘the 18 year old’ in the David Price trade; a trade that brought he, Nick Franklin and Drew Smyly to Tampa Bay. While the baseball world was quick to opine that the former Cy Young Award winner netted an underwhelming return for the Rays–as the often do–many of us already knew better. Franklin and Smyly were never going to give the Rays anything close to the value that Price had given them. They already knew that. Even though Adames looked like a throw into the casual fan and average analyst, he was the player they really wanted. It was he that made the trade worth making. If anything, the other two were the throw ins.
Adames, however, was far from the player he is now at the time of the trade. The upside was clear, but he wasn’t without risk. Already ranked the as the Tigers’ 30th best prospect, he only had 158 games of pro ball under his belt. In order for him to become the key piece of the deal, the Rays needed to do their part in his development.
And that they did.
Since coming the the Rays organization in 2014, he has shown the ability to make hard contact, get on base, and the athleticism to be a major league shortstop–attributes that have made him a top 50 prospect each of the last 3 years. This year, though, he’s simply been on another level.
So far in the 2018 season, Adames is slashing .355/.455/.581 with 8 extra base hits–three of them coming in Monday’s game when he hit for the cycle. The Rays knew his bat would catch up to his glove eventually, but not like this. Clearly, he’s ready for the show, so what do the Rays need to do to make it happen?
The biggest problem right now is that the Rays are currently loaded with middle infielders. Besides the incumbents Joey Wendle and Hechavarria, Brad Miller, Daniel Robertson and Matt Duffy (currently on the 10 day DL) are all natural middle infielders. While Adames stated that he is willing to play other infield positions in order to get to the majors sooner, it’s difficult to imagine who is going to sit so that he can play. Hech, D-Rob and Wendle are the team’s three most valuable players, Miller brings power and walks, and the team is committed to Duffy at third. Even though Refsnyder is the obvious odd man out from both a roster and performance standpoint, he’s primarily played left field.
Believe it or not, the Rays have been planning for this all along.
If you remember the spring, you know that a lot of Rays infielders got reps in the outfield, including Robertson and Wendle. Being that Robertson can’t stop getting on base, coupled with the fact that Wendle can’t stop driving him in, both of them have to stay in the lineup, but one of them will have to play the outfield. Miller has also seen major league time at all three outfield positions, making him useful there as well. Any of these guys are athletic enough to play a competent corner outfield, and that’s what will need to happen. With Kiermaier out for an extended period, all the more reason.
In other words, not only is Adames ready, so are the Rays. It’s time to make a move, and Adames needs to be that move.
