Rays' GM points to team's biggest offseason need

ST. PETERSBURG -- A month ago, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander sat at Tropicana Field and identified an obvious weakness in Tampa Bay’s lineup.

“I don't know if we've ever had a club that has struggled so much against right-handed pitching as this one did,” Neander said during the Rays’ season-ending press conference, “and that's something we've got to find a way to improve.”

The offseason has barely begun, but the Rays’ biggest need is already clear. They could use a veteran left-handed hitter to help stabilize a lineup that too often faltered against right-handed pitching in 2022.

“I think adding a left-handed bat is a priority,” Rays GM Peter Bendix told MLB.com on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. “I think by the end of the season, we got pretty right-handed, which is kind of unusual for us. And I think having another lefty somewhere in the lineup will really help balance things out.”

It’s too soon to say who might provide the left-handed thump the Rays desire, and the rest of Tampa Bay’s roster is versatile enough that the Rays shouldn’t have to narrow the search to just one position. They could conceivably make room for a lefty bat at either designated hitter, first base, third base or in a corner-outfield spot.

? 2022-23 free agents, position by position

There are plenty of intriguing options available. Steady DH/outfielder Michael Brantley remains productive when healthy and would offer many traits the Rays often seek in their veteran leaders. Switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell is an imposing, albeit somewhat inconsistent, middle-of-the-order presence.

The free-agent pool doesn’t dry up after those two. Outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Joc Pederson are coming off impressive seasons. Matt Carpenter bounced back in a big way this year, hitting 15 homers in 47 games for the Yankees. Longtime Giants first baseman Brandon Belt took a step back during an injury-riddled season, but he’s not far removed from slashing .285/.393/.595 in 2020-21.

If the Rays are willing to take a high-risk/high-reward gamble, they could aim for Joey Gallo (coming off a .638 OPS with the Yankees and Dodgers), Michael Conforto (sidelined since 2021) or perhaps Dodgers non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger (who’s hit .203 with a 74 OPS+ since his 2019 National League MVP campaign).

Whoever they wind up acquiring, the Rays know one player won’t solve all their left-handed-hitting issues. They slashed just .214/.288/.342 from the left side of the plate this year, with a .630 OPS that ranked ahead of only the Tigers and White Sox. As a team, they batted .234 with a .678 OPS against right-handed pitchers.

The Rays understand they need more production and better health from their returning left-handed hitters. Brandon Lowe followed up a 39-homer, 99-RBI season in 2021 by hitting only eight homers and driving in 25 runs while being limited to only 65 games. Switch-hitting Wander Franco was also held back by injuries, and Tampa Bay didn’t get much out of rookies Josh Lowe, Vidal Bruján or Jonathan Aranda.

“I think having a healthy Brandon Lowe will also really help balance things out,” Bendix said. “I mean, he hit 39 home runs a year ago. You can't just replace 39 home runs with a snap of your fingers.

“To be able to have a healthy B-Lowe, to have hopefully a healthy Wander who can switch-hit and hit from both sides, add ideally another left-handed bat, and then mix in some of the young players who started to get opportunities this year, who have another year of experience underneath them, that's kind of the hope for next season.”

Coaching update
The Rays haven’t officially announced any staffing changes since former bench coach Matt Quatraro became manager of the Royals, but they are expected to make Rodney Linares the new bench coach while promoting Triple-A Durham manager Brady Williams to succeed Linares as the third-base coach.

That would create an opening in Durham, where Williams guided the Bulls to back-to-back championships despite constant roster turnover. The Rays hope to have resolution on that front relatively soon.

“We are working through that right now -- a lot of connected pieces with different roles that we need to fill,” Bendix said. “Brady Williams did an incredible job in that role. That is a tough role, to be dealing with players who all wish they were in the big leagues, many of whom think they should be in the big leagues, but also continuing to develop them, get them better -- and then win. That’s incredible.”