What is your guess at the current lineup? The pitching staff seems pretty unchanged from last year, and loaded in both rotation and bullpen if guys are healthy, but the lineup seems weaker as of now without Pham and D'Arnaud.
I've been stalling on replying because I continue to think there may be more moves coming. Hopefully trading some OF/1B depth for a catcher and then signing Puig. But pitchers and catchers are in Port Charlotte, so might as well take a crack at it now.
The lineup is....there is no lineup. Rays seem to be planning to respond to the extra roster spot, limit on pitchers and constraint on bullpen usage by looking to achieve maximum lineup flexibility and play hitting matchups even more aggressively than in the past. The 26 man will have overlapping clusters of players who can cover multiple positions and the supercomputer in the basement of the Trop will presumably spit out the best combination based on what the analytics suggest for any given day's opposing pitcher and park, etc. So, with all that said, here is the roadmap to glory.
Position players:
Zunino RH primary C
Perez LH backup C
Ji-Man LH 1B/DH
Martinez RH 1B/DH
Yandy RH 3B/1B/DH
Yoshi LH 3B/LF/DH
Brandon Lowe LH 2B/3B/LF/RF
Brosseau RH 2B/3B/1B/LF/RF or Wendle LH 2B/SS/3B/RF or Robertson RH 2B/SS/3B (prob only room for one, if Brosseau he needs to show he can backup SS)
Adames RH SS (only spot where one player penciled in as every day starter)
Renfroe RH LF/RF/CF/DH
Meadows LH RF/LF/CF/DH
Kiermaier LH CF
Margot RH CF
Arozarena RH RF/CF/LF or O'Grady LH OF/1B or Nate Lowe LH 1B/3B/DH (last spot on bench)
Pitchers:
Starter-ish--> Snell, Glasnow, Morton, Chirinos, Yarborough
Reliever-ish-->Anderson, Castillo, Alvarado, Drake, Poche, Roe, 1 of Fairbanks/Kittredge.
Mckay will be inserted as a starter at some point in the season if not right out of the gate. Possible 6 man rotation early in season.
Beeks and Banda knocking on the door for bulk guy/long relief.
Honeywell coming back from 2 missed seasons and is a total enigma. No timetable but he's throwing and telling people he'll be pitching in the majors sometime this season. Who knows with him. Really unfortunate injuries.