PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — It’s been five years since the Tampa Bay Rays have had a normal spring training at Charlotte Sports Park.
The pandemic affected the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the lockout then shortened the 2022 season, and damage from Hurricane Ian forced the team to split the 2023 workouts between Disney and Tropicana Field.
“The last couple of years, it’s been a lot of coordinating,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It’s been a lot of uncertainty. Guys moving to different places. We were fortunate to check in and have the Trop last year. Disney was great. But to be able to be in one spot, they can bring their families down, they know the schedule is, and we have access to all the fields.”
The Rays’ pitchers and catchers reported to Port Charlotte on Tuesday, with their first official workout on Wednesday.
They will have a lot of work to do piecing together a starting rotation after trading away Tyler Glasnow; Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen will be rehabbing until at least July and Shane McClanahan will be out all season.
The top three starters are expected to be Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, and Zach Littell. Young pitchers Ryan Pepiot and Taj Bradley are expected to round out the rotation.
“We’re always going to be depending on ascending impact potential talent to fill in that space,” Erik Neander, Rays’ president of baseball operations, said. “For us, what we might lack in accomplishments top to bottom in our rotation, this version of our club, I think, makes up for it in their quality and potential.”
Offensively, Cash is excited for what is returning.
“We have some really talented players coming back between Yandy (Diaz), Randy (Arozarena),” Cash said. “I’m very excited to see what Josh Lowe, that next step he’s going to take, Jose Siri…Brandon Lowe, (Isaac) Parades do what he did again. A lot to be excited about.”
The Rays will hold their first full-squad workout on Monday, Feb. 19.
