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 and catcher
? Up now: Infield

TAMPA, Fla. -- The offseason is an ideal time for optimism, to dream on 90th-percentile outcomes, to look at players and imagine what could be. From that perspective, the sky¡¯s the limit for the Rays' infield.

Leadoff man Yandy D¨ªaz could lead the lineup by returning to his 2023 American League batting champion form. Brandon Lowe could repeat his 2020-21 production -- or better, if the left-hander slugger capitalizes on Steinbrenner Field¡¯s short right-field porch. Taylor Walls could assert himself as the best defensive shortstop in baseball, as the Rays often say he is. And Junior Caminero could take his star turn, becoming a powerful force in Tampa Bay¡¯s lineup.

That potential makes the Rays¡¯ infield arguably the most fascinating unit on the team, one that could make or break the club¡¯s season depending on whether this preseason optimism turns into production on the field.

The starters: 1B Yandy Díaz, 2B Brandon Lowe, SS Taylor Walls, 3B Junior Caminero
D¨ªaz didn¡¯t exactly disappoint last season, but he didn¡¯t build on his career year in 2023, either. He had an uncharacteristically poor start, batting just .211 with a .556 OPS through May 1, and then he hit .300 with an .811 OPS in 114 games the rest of the way. If the Rays fall out of the division race early on, the 33-year-old will surely be in demand at the Trade Deadline.

Tampa Bay picked up Lowe¡¯s $10.5 million club option for this season and held onto its highest-paid player this winter. Such is the club's belief in his offensive ability, which was back on display as he hit .249/.314/.483 with 20 homers in 99 games after returning from an early-season right oblique strain. It¡¯s a simple story: If Lowe is healthy, he¡¯ll hit.

Walls, who avoided an arbitration hearing last week, shouldn¡¯t have to play catch-up this year after starting the 2024 campaign two months late due to offseason right hip surgery. The 28-year-old has shown elite defensive work, a quality walk rate and an impressive basestealing ability, but he¡¯s relegated to the bottom of the lineup with a career slash line of .188/.288/.293.

This season could be Caminero¡¯s coming-out party after his abbreviated big league debut in 2023 and his injury-delayed reintroduction last season. In his first 50 games, the former top overall prospect has displayed his remarkable raw power at the plate and perhaps better-than-expected glovework at third base. He¡¯ll have plenty of runway to put it all together this year.

The backups: SS/3B/2B José Caballero, 1B/2B/DH Jonathan Aranda
Caballero, who led the AL with 44 steals last season, can play anywhere in the infield and should get some work in the outfield this spring as well. He can spell Walls at shortstop, Lowe at second or Caminero at third, allowing Lowe and Caminero to get some DH days.

Last year seemed like Aranda¡¯s big opportunity, but a late-spring injury took him off the field and kept him from really contributing until September. But the final month provided a glimpse of the upside the Rays have seen, as Aranda posted an .836 OPS with five homers in 24 games. He¡¯s in line for regular DH work and time at first as a left-handed complement to D¨ªaz.

Christopher Morel has worked around the infield, but he¡¯s set to be the starting left fielder. Richie Palacios has played plenty of second base as well, but he¡¯s likely to get plenty of work in left and center alongside Morel and Jonny DeLuca.

Depth: 3B/2B Curtis Mead, INF Osleivis Basabe, UTL Coco Montes, 1B Bob Seymour
A former Top 100 prospect, Mead has struggled to find his footing in the Majors. But he¡¯s still on the roster, put up excellent numbers with Triple-A Durham and has another chance to prove himself.

The versatile Basabe remains on the 40-man roster after he debuted in 2023. Montes, a University of South Florida product, will be in camp on a non-roster deal. Seymour may not generate prospect hype, but the 26-year-old had an .874 OPS with 28 homers and 95 RBIs in the upper levels of the Minors last season.

On the farm: SS Carson Williams, 1B Xavier Isaac, INF Brayden Taylor, 1B Tre' Morgan, INF Tanner Murray, SS Gregory Barrios
We spent plenty of time covering Williams in this space last week. Williams, the No. 9 prospect in baseball, was recently joined on MLB Pipeline¡¯s new Top 100 Prospects list by Isaac (No. 51), Taylor (No. 67) and Morgan (No. 94).

Those four and the slick-fielding Murray all finished last season with Double-A Montgomery, so it¡¯s not out of the question that they could reach the Majors later this season. Barrios, acquired last July for Aaron Civale, is further away but arguably the best defensive player in the system.