ORLANDO, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays opened spring training Wednesday with the first workout for pitchers and catchers. The team will spend the first two weeks of the preseason at the Wide World of Sports complex just outside Orlando. Damage caused by Hurricane Ian forced the Rays to move from their traditional spring training home in Port Charlotte.
The Rays got their first look at right-handed starting pitcher Zach Eflin. Eflin, 28, signed a three-year, $40 million contract this offseason, making him the most expensive free agent in franchise history.
The Orlando native spent his first seven major league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, the guy who grew up going to Rays games at Tropicana Field is wearing a Tampa Bay jersey.
"Everything I’ve heard from guys who’ve been through this organization have been all positive things, amazing things," Eflin said after Wednesday's workout. "Great families. Great teammates, great staff, great front office. To not only be a die-hard Rays fan growing up but to hear all these things complement each other… ultimately just really, really, really excited to be here."
The Rays passed on Eflin in the 2012 draft, but he said he believes in life coming full circle. Now, Eflin joined Tyler Glasnow, Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs, and Drew Rasmussen on one of the deepest starting rotations in baseball.
"You look at all the guys that we have. Everybody can post numbers. Everybody can keep us in a ballgame, to win games, ultimately," Eflin added. "It’s going to be fun to work with a staff like that."
"I don’t know. To put one word on it? Nasty," Spring joked when asked to describe the Rays' rotation. "It’s gonna be a lot of fun. I think I said it before, I think we match up pretty well with anybody. I’m excited to be a part of it and see how far we can take it."
The Rays have made it to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons, but they haven't made it out of the first round since 2020. It's no secret that the team will lean on its pitching. How far they go this season depends on their preparation to perform night in and night out.
"It’s kind of on us to go out there and back up whatever’s being said," Manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday. "And would expect that these guys- they work well together. There’s no doubt the talent is there. So it should be fun watching them build up over the next six weeks."
Cash added that all players expected at camp are present and accounted for. A handful of field players, including Taylor Walls, Harold Ramirez, and Josh Lowe, took batting practice toward the end of Wednesday's session. The entire spring training roster is scheduled to report on Monday.
