Rays Must Address “Offensive” Production At Deadline

Heading into Friday night’s game at Kansas City, the Tampa Bay Rays had lost seven straight road games, while scoring all of nine runs and batting .181, including .128 with runners in scoring position. The team has one of the league’s best records at home (40-16) but are just 19-26 on the road. For a team that has thoughts of playing into October, that has to change.

With the non-waiver trade deadline set for Thursday, July 31, at 3 pm, the Rays have a couple more days left to address their offensive production, or lack thereof. The Rays have talent on their roster capable of generating some pretty decent power numbers, but in 2008, it just hasn’t happened. Here are the players in the Rays lineup that aren’t producing:

• Last year’s Comeback Player of the Year, Carlos Pena, signed a three-year contract in the off-season. The Rays were hoping for three more years like the one he had in 2007 (.282, 46, 121). What they’ve gotten so far is anything but. Pena is second on the team in homers (15) and RBIs (50), but the Rays need more than those numbers to justify the $8 million salary he’ll earn through 2010. He is also batting a paltry .230 with a .426 slugging percentage.

• Centerfielder BJ Upton, who last year batted .300 and hit 24 homers, has hit only six so far this season (one in his last 36 games), while seeing his average drop to .269. In his last 31 games, he is 24-115 (.209). Upton has been marred by shoulder problems throughout his young career, and there are rumors around the team that he will undergo off-season surgery. The Rays can only hope that is the reason for his struggles at the plate this year.

• Upton’s outfield mate, Carl Crawford, is having the worst season of his big-league career. His numbers are down in almost every offensive category. He is batting only .140 in his last 12 games, including only one extra-base hit and no steals. He has only nine doubles and five triples this season (last year he had 37 and nine, respectively). He also has only 23 stolen bases, which puts him well-behind the pace to reach his average of over 50. His lack of steals and shortage of power would indicate something wrong with him physically, as well, and if you saw him in the clubhouse after the game, you’d agree. The guy looks like a mummy he is covered in so much wrap.

When asked at what point it was time to panic about the team’s offensive woes, Rays manager Joe Maddon said “not until September 30.” He said that he knows they’ll get better and he knows “how good [they] are, and I know what they’re capable of doing.”

While fans around the Tampa Bay area and local media seem to think the team absolutely has to add a bat before the deadline, Maddon isn’t so sure.

“We do talk about different things that may help us, and we always will. If you’re going to make a move, you have to be absolutely certain it upgrades you. You’ve got be really careful if you do make a move, and you have to be certain that it makes you better.”

Closer Troy Percival, who has been around long enough to know what to expect around trade-deadline time, said that’s it best not to expect anything.

“If they go out and get us somebody, and they help, that’s great. But if you’re looking for help, you get nothing but disappointed when it doesn’t happen.”

The Rays have plenty of pitching prospects in their system, including former number one overall pick David Price. Price is “untouchable”, but the Rays may decide to move some lesser prospects in a package to obtain an outfielder.

The trade deadline is Thursday, but for the Rays, the time to add some offense is right now.