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.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Rays¡¯ bullpen underwent a dramatic makeover last year.

On Opening Day, Tampa Bay¡¯s relief corps consisted of Pete Fairbanks, Jason Adam, Colin Poche, Phil Maton, Shawn Armstrong, Garrett Cleavinger, Chris Devenski and Jacob Waguespack. The first half of September, when Poche was on the injured list, Cleavinger was the only one left standing.

Fairbanks finished the year on the IL, and Waguespack was sidelined for much of the season. Devenski was released in June. Adam, Maton and Armstrong were traded. Poche wound up being non-tendered in November.

That kind of turnover typically doesn¡¯t bode well for a bullpen. But it did for the Rays.

Unheralded arms like Edwin Uceta stepped up. Young relievers like Hunter Bigge and Mason Montgomery stepped in. Their bullpen¡¯s 2.91 ERA in the second half ranked third in the Majors, behind only the Guardians (2.50) and Brewers (2.72).

By the time the season ended, the Rays had assembled a group that required little attention this winter -- a bullpen that should support their starting rotation to create a strong run-prevention foundation.

¡°They really came in and stepped up for us. A lot to be excited about,¡± manager Kevin Cash said. ¡°A lot of these guys did not have a track record in the bullpen, but we've got to be very similarly excited about them for what they showed the last six, eight weeks of the season.¡±

The likely locks: RHP Pete Fairbanks, RHP Edwin Uceta, RHP Kevin Kelly, LHP Garrett Cleavinger, RHP Manuel Rodr¨ªguez, LHP Mason Montgomery
Fairbanks¡¯ strikeout rate dipped to 23.8% as he posted a 3.57 ERA last season, but with 63 career saves, the hard-throwing righty remains the Rays¡¯ proven closer. The looming question: Will he be dealt during the final guaranteed year of his contract?

Uceta was a revelation for the Rays, recording a 1.51 ERA with 57 strikeouts and eight walks in 41 2/3 innings. MLB Network clearly believes in his breakout, ranking him as the No. 6 reliever in baseball right now. Rodr¨ªguez also performed well in his high-leverage opportunities down the stretch, making him another beneficiary of the Rays¡¯ second-half injuries and trades.

As good as he was as a rookie in 2023, Kelly was quietly even better last season. The side-arming right-hander posted a 2.67 ERA over a team-high-tying 68 outings. Cleavinger also made 68 appearances last year, and he¡¯ll return as the bullpen¡¯s most experienced lefty option.

It might be a little early to put Montgomery in this category, considering the lefty only made nine appearances in September. But his stuff was just that electric. The converted starter struck out 17 of the 37 batters he faced, dominating with an elite fastball and a nasty slider. If he keeps that up, he¡¯ll be a high-leverage reliever in no time.

One unknown factor is how the Rays will handle their sixth starter, assuming all their top options make it through camp healthy and ready to start the season. Would they keep someone in the Minors? Shift Zack Littell or one of their younger starters to the bullpen? How would either decision impact the rest of the group? We likely won¡¯t have those answers for a few months.

Also in the mix: RHP Cole Sulser, RHP Hunter Bigge, RHP Jacob Waguespack, RHP Mike Vasil, RHP Eric Orze
Sulser pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings after joining the Rays in July, and they rewarded the 34-year-old with a split contract worth $900,000 in the Majors and a guaranteed $450,000 in the Minors.

Bigge has shown, pardon the pun, big stuff. The 26-year-old features a fastball that averaged 97.5 mph last season and a swing-and-miss slider, and he struck out 19 with only three walks in 14 innings after coming over in the Isaac Paredes trade. Whether it happens sooner or later, Bigge has the ceiling of a high-leverage reliever.

Waguespack is bound to play a role at some point, either as rotation depth or reprising last year¡¯s Opening Day role as a multi-innings reliever. Vasil could do the same, if the Rule 5 Draft pick makes it out of Spring Training with Tampa Bay. Orze, the Rays¡¯ return for Jose Siri, seems likely to provide valuable bullpen depth.

Keep in mind: RHP Joe Boyle, LHP Nate Lavender, RHP Yoniel Curet, depth starters
The Rays will give Boyle time to prove himself as a starter, but if that doesn¡¯t work out, his powerful arsenal would obviously play in a relief role. The same goes for Curet, their No. 14 prospect, and his high-octane heater. Depth starters like Ian Seymour and Joe Rock are more likely to be summoned for bulk-innings help, if needed.

Lavender won¡¯t be a factor early on, as he¡¯s recovering from an internal brace procedure, but don¡¯t forget about the lefty come midseason. The Rule 5 Draft pick has shown in the Minors he has the stuff to succeed and said last month, ¡°I fully anticipate being able to come back and contribute this year.¡±