This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

With Spring Training around the corner, we¡¯ll check in on different parts of the Rays¡¯ roster to review last season, preview this year and look toward the future.

? Previously: The rotation, the bullpen, catcher and infield (prior to Ha-Seong Kim signing)
? Up now: Outfield

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Rays have made it no secret that they¡¯re betting on a bunch of bounce-back and breakthrough performances to get their lineup in a better place this year. Nowhere is that more evident than in Tampa Bay's outfield.

Right fielder Josh Lowe and left fielder Christopher Morel are arguably the biggest bounce-back candidates on the roster, and center fielder Jonny DeLuca is going to be given a bigger opportunity to prove himself in the Majors after serving as a role player for most of last season.

And there¡¯s depth behind that group, with one of the more intriguing prospects in baseball on deck. Let¡¯s look at the Rays¡¯ outfield situation heading into the season.

The projected starters: LF Christopher Morel, CF Jonny DeLuca, RF Josh Lowe
As good as he was in 2023, Lowe had even greater expectations last spring. But injuries derailed his season from the start, and he struggled to get back on track.

There were flashes of his special talent, including a pair of two-homer games in Pittsburgh and Houston, and he stole 25 bases while only being caught once. But Lowe slashed just .241/.302/.391 with 10 homers, 34 RBIs and 123 strikeouts in 387 plate appearances over 106 games on the year.

The 27-year-old Lowe is critical to the Rays¡¯ success, and nobody will be more driven to succeed this year. It all starts with better health.

The Rays liked Morel enough to have him headline their return for Isaac Paredes, believing the affable and athletic 25-year-old¡¯s power would translate to their lineup. It looked that way at first, as he homered in each of his first two games after the trade. But overall, he hit just .191/.258/.289 with nine RBIs and 56 strikeouts in 49 games down the stretch.

President of baseball operations Erik Neander pointed to Morel¡¯s bounce-back potential at the start of the offseason, noting that he was averaging roughly 30 homers per 162 games for the Cubs. He¡¯s going to strike out more than a player like Paredes, sure, but the Rays could live with that if he¡¯s putting up a .508 slugging percentage like he did for the Cubs in 2023.

Defensively, Morel has played just about everywhere, but his best fit on the current roster is in left field. He¡¯s struggled in the outfield during his time in the Majors, with minus-12 defensive runs saved in 94 games, so the Rays hope more consistent work will lead to better results.

We covered DeLuca¡¯s upside and fit in last week¡¯s newsletter, but it¡¯s worth repeating that he showed the defensive ability to play an above-average center field while finishing strong at the plate. It¡¯s no guarantee that will translate to a full-time role, much less over a full season, but it was enough for the Rays to believe in him even with their high standard for center-field defense.

Also in the mix: Richie Palacios, Eloy Jiménez, José Caballero, Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner
Palacios was a solid contributor in his first year with the Rays, posting a .346 on-base percentage while stealing 19 bases and bouncing around the infield and outfield over 92 games. He was in line for more work in left field after Tampa Bay traded Randy Arozarena, but he missed nearly all of the final two months due to a right knee injury.

As a left-handed hitter who can handle all three outfield spots, Palacios should have a regular role complementing the right-handed-hitting Morel and DeLuca in left and center.

After signing a Minor League contract with an invitation to big league camp, Jim¨¦nez will have to prove himself in Spring Training after a rough finish to a disappointing season last year. He only played one game in the outfield last year and hasn¡¯t taken the field in more than 37 games since 2020, so he¡¯s most likely slated for DH/pinch-hitting work, anyway.

The Rays have said Caballero will get some work in the outfield this spring, an intriguing fit for the super-athletic utility infielder despite his limited experience there.

The Rays added Mangum, 28, to their 40-man roster after the switch-hitter slashed .317/.357/.442 with 20 steals for Triple-A Durham last year. And Misner got a brief look last year, going 1-for-15 with 10 strikeouts in the Majors while batting .248/.360/.442 with 17 homers and 30 steals in Triple-A.

Top 30 Prospects: Chandler Simpson (Rays' 2024 No. 4 prospect), Tre' Morgan (No. 10), Theo Gillen (No. 5), Brailer Guerrero (No. 6), Aidan Smith (No. 9), Colton Ledbetter (No. 21), Homer Bush Jr. (No. 23)
Morgan is a potential Gold Glove Award-caliber first baseman but got some work in the outfield later in the year, creating another path to playing time as he works his way to the Majors. Gillen, Smith, Guerrero, Bush and Ledbetter are talented but further away.

The prospect to watch here is Simpson, who led the Minors with a .355 average and 104 steals last season. He finished the year in Double-A Montgomery and will be in big league camp this spring. He¡¯s not going to hit for power, which limits his upside, but he¡¯ll make an impact -- perhaps sooner than later -- with his ability to put the ball in play and create action with his top-of-the-scale speed.