Faces new and old make up 2017 Opening Day squad.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – With just 24 hours away from the Opening Day first pitch thrown from the right hand of ace Chris Archer – Kevin Cash made his 25-man roster official. On it are plenty of names you’d have expected. There are a few you may not know much about and there are a couple set to make their MLB debuts. Here is how the final roster breaks down as of Saturday afternoon.
This year’s rotation will consist of five arms who were all a part of the starting five in 2016.
Chris Archer
Jake Odorizzi
Alex Cobb
Blake Snell
Matt Andriese
The bullpen was a bit harder to piece together. Four of the seven are returning from last year’s squad. Two make their Rays debut while one his MLB debut.
Alex Colome
Erasmo Ramirez
Xavier Cedeno
Tommy Hunter (Rays debut)
Austin Pruitt (MLB debut)
Danny Farquhar
Jumbo Diaz (Rays debut)
Now comes the part of the roster that has raised some questions. Saturday morning it was announced that SS Daniel Robertson has made the roster and the Rays had DFA-ed INF Nick Franklin. Robertson will be making his MLB debut Sunday and according to Cash, they liked what they saw out of him from the SS depth perspective. With the selection of Peter Bourjos contract, a corresponding 40-man roster move is coming. It’s likely that Curt Casali or Luke Maile’s days are numbered seeing as there are four catchers on said roster.
C: Derek Norris, Jesus Sucre
1B: Logan Morrison, Rickie Weeks Jr
2B: Brad Miller
SS: Tim Beckham, Daniel Robertson
3B: Evan Longoria
LF: Mallex Smith
CF: Kevin Kiermaier, Peter Bourjos
RF: Steven Souza Jr
DH/LF: Corey Dickerson
Had you told us even a few weeks ago that this final roster would have names like Bourjos, Robertson, Norris, and Diaz – we may have scratched our heads. But here we are, 24 hours away from the start of a new Rays season. Year three for Kevin Cash and Co. Three straight years of no post-season baseball. Once again injuries playing a factor out the gate.
This team’s nucleus will be the rotation. It’s what got them to the dance nearly a decade ago. It might help get them back to the playoffs in 2017.
Playoffs? Did you say…playoffs?
Yes. Yes we did.
