ST. PETERSBURG — For the 5th year in a row, the Rays made the playoffs, but now, in back-to-back seasons, they’ve been swept out of the wild card round.
And for Team President Erik Neander, that stings.
“To me. I don’t want to speak for these guys, but probably the most disappointing exit we’ve had," he said at a Monday morning press conference to wrap up the season.
Expectations were sky-high for much of the season after the red-hot start.
But injuries and the loss of Wander Franco to a criminal investigation might have finally taken its toll.
“A lot of positives lumped in with one big negative at the end. I feel like if there’s negativity about this season, we are in the right direction because then our bar is being set really high," said Kevin Cash, Rays manager since 2015.
“For all that went wrong. All the adversity that struck our roster it was a historic start. It was arguably a historic amount of adversity with respect to the roster itself," said Neander.
Attendance was up 30% for the regular season, but the lack of fans at the two playoff games made for national punchlines.
Neander said it’s a complex topic, and the Rays played really well at home.
“We talk a lot about the course of the regular season being much more of a measuring stick than two games. I think we are going to stick to that kind of mentality.”
Neander said the Rays have the opportunity to bring back nearly all of their players next year.
He also said considering all the injuries, Cash did his best job as manager yet.
