Opinion: Rays 40-Man Roster, Making it to 25

Pitchers	Catchers	Infielders	Outfielders
Matt Andriese	Curt Casali	Tim Beckham	Brandon Guyer
Chris Archer	Hank Conger	Ryan Brett	Desmond Jennings
Andrew Bellatti	Luke Maile	Logan Forsythe	Kevin Kiermaier
Brad Boxberger	Justin O’Conner	Nick Franklin	Mikie Mahtook
Xavier Cedeno	Rene Rivera	James Loney	Taylor Motter
Alex Cobb		Evan Longoria	Steven Souza Jr.
Alex Colume		Brad Miller
Jacob Faria		Logan Morrison
Danny Farquhar		Richie Shaffer
Steve Geltz
Taylor Guerrieri
German Marquez
Jake McGee
Matt Moore
Jake Odorizzi
Erasmo Ramirez
Enny Romero
Drew Smyly
Blake Snell
Chase Whitley

In trimming down the 40 man roster to 25, I have done so with the thought process of the standard 5 man starting rotation. There have been several rumors that the Rays would go with a 6 man starting rotation. However, as Alex Cobb is recovering from Tommy John surgery, it is likely the Rays will begin the season with the standard 5 man starting rotation.

Starting Rotation

• Chris Archer- the man seen by many as the ace of the staff will no doubt make the rotation out of Spring Training.
• Matt Moore- coming off a season in which he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, Moore struggled to find his form. Should be able to bounce back and have a nice season.
• Jake Odorizzi- After being able to start 28 games in 2015 and posting a 9-9 record, the Rays will look for big things out of Odorizzi. However, this depends on if he is not traded before the season starts.
• Erasmo Ramirez- After starting off the season on a cold streak, the native Nicaraguan finished the season with an impressive 11 wins and 3.75 ERA.
• Drew Smyly- Refusing to opt for surgery after it was discovered that he had a torn left labrum, Smyly was not able to live up to the high expectations set for him when he was acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent David Price to the Tigers in 2014. Pending that recovery has gone well in the offseason; Smyly should provide some strong support for the Rays staff.

* Alex Cobb who had Tommy John surgery in May 2015 should be able to work his way back into the rotation in the middle of the season. At that time, the Rays rotation could expand to 6.

Bullpen

• Matt Andriese- After providing some emergency starts for the Rays in 2015, Andriese should look to provide some strong support for the bullpen if a starter should allow the game to get out of hand quick. Don’t be surprised in Andriese provides some emergency starts for the Rays in 2016 should injuries plague the starting rotation.
• Andrew Bellatti- After a pretty solid showing in 17 appearances in 2015, Bellatti could provide some solid innings for the Rays as a right-handed pitcher out of the bullpen.
•  Xavier Cedeno- Acquired by the Rays in late April of 2015 from the Dodgers, Cedeno did fairly well for the Rays in 2015 and should land a role in the bullpen out of Spring Training.
•  Steve Geltz- Entering his third year with the Rays after previously playing with the Angels, Geltz should provide some options for manager Kevin Cash in situations in the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th innings should problems arise.
•  Danny Farquhar- one of the three players acquired by the Rays in November, Farquhar should find himself a nice home in the Rays bullpen. Farquhar should provide another quality right arm for the Rays to call on throughout the season. Should any closer issues arise, Farquhar did fulfill the role during his tenure with the Mariners.
• Jake McGee- after recovering from December 2014 elbow surgery, McGee was solid for 39 games before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee in August of last season. Should he return healthy, another solid season should be guaranteed.
• Brad Boxberger-the defending American League saves leader will be back with the Rays pending a possible trade. Boxberger should go into Spring Training with the closer role his to lose.

Catchers

• Curt Casali- After displaying surprising power in 2015 (10 HR), Casali should easily make the Opening Day roster.
•  Rene Rivera- After coming to an agreement before an arbitration hearing, the Rays brought back Rivera. While Rivera did not even hit for .200 last year, the Rays brought the young catcher back due to his defensive abilities.

Infielders

• James Loney (1B)- While the Rays are open to trading Loney, if a trade does not occur Loney should be the Rays starting first baseman while possibly splitting time with Logan Morrison.
•  Logan Forsythe (2B)- The team MVP from 2015 was just recently awarded a new two year contract. If Forsythe is able to provide both the batting average and on-base percentage produced in 2015, the investment will definitely pay itself off.
• Evan Longoria (3B)- The one constant for the Rays since their magical 2008 season, will return once again accompanied by a slightly more powerful Rays lineup.
• Brad Miller (SS)- One of the three players acquired by the Rays this offseason, will hopefully provide more hits and an occasional home run.
•  Logan Morrison (IF)- With a some pop in his bat, Morrison will find himself in a platoon role of being in the DH slot and providing time off for James Loney at first base. However, should the Rays trade Loney, it would seem logical that Morrison become the starting first baseman.
• Tim Beckham (IF)- The first overall pick in the 2008 draft. Beckham has been seen by many as a letdown. Beckham spent just over half the season with the Rays in the majors and yielded average results. Should he provide any signs of improvement or progress, he should make the roster as a bench player for the 2016 season due to his versatility in the infield.
• Nick Franklin (IF)- The other big piece along with Drew Smyly in the David Price trade. The Rays are still awaiting a breakout from Franklin. If he has a solid spring, Franklin should earn a backup role.

Outfielders

• Kevin Kiermaier (CF) - After winning both a Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove awards this offseason, Kiermaier is not only becoming a big name with the Rays, but also in baseball. With his range, he should be the starting centerfielder.
• Steven Souza Jr. (RF)- At the beginning of the 2015 season, Souza was showing promising signs of power. However, in the middle of the season, two different stints on the DL limited his production. Should he stay healthy this season, big things are expected.
• Desmond Jennings (LF)- After an extended stay on the DL in 2015 due to knee surgery, the Rays avoided arbitration with Jennings. Jennings will more than likely find himself starting in left field pending a breakout spring by one of the younger players in the Rays system.
• Brandon Guyer (OF)- Used as a right-handed batter vs. left-handed pitcher specialist, Guyer provided some diversity for the Rays. He should be brought back and used in the same role for 2016. 

      Given that the offseason is still not over and that Spring Training has not started, the chances that the roster will look like this are slim. However, as with all teams there are certain players that will make the team regardless. With the financial restraints that the Rays have, the team will be young and focus on a combination of defense and pitching. It will be interesting to see how the roster looks when camp breaks.