The Rays Way Has Won The Team Games Not Fans

This trade deadline was a great example of the Tampa Bay Rays philosophy in action. Their modus operandi has always been to trade away players before they get costly. This trade deadline was no different. Tampa had a fire sale dealing away Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes, Shawn Armstrong, Jason Adam, and Ahmed Rosario. In return, they received numerous top prospects including MLB-ready players Christopher Morel and Dylan Carlson. The Rays way has led them to success; however, it hasn’t won them any fans.

The Rays Way Was Fully In Action This Trade Deadline

With it being a sellers’ market and the Rays only hovering in the playoff picture, Tampa was smart to sell at the deadline. They traded Randy Arozarena, Zach Efflin, Isaac Paredes, Shawn Armstrong, Jason Adam, and Ahmed Rosario away. In return, Tampa received many top prospects and MLB-ready players, Christopher Morel and Dylan Carlson. While this decision has set the team up nicely for the future, it hasn’t won them over any more fans.

It’s Hard To Buy A Rays Jersey

Whenever someone is shopping for a Rays jersey, they almost always hesitate to buy it. This is because they know that player won’t be on the team forever. After a player starts entering their arbitration years, the Rays almost instantly look to trade them. Over the years, the Rays have dealt away stars like Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, David Price, Evan Longoria, and most recently Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena. It’s hard to have a fan base when people know that the team will trade them away after a few seasons.

The Team Doesn’t Have A Player That People Can Count On Being There Long-Term

Fans want a player they can expect to see play every season. The Brewers have that with Christian Yelich, the Guardians with Jose Ramirez, the Mariners with Julio Rodriguez, the Angels when Mike Trout is healthy, and other teams like the Yankees and Dodgers have multiple players. The Rays don’t have any players who people can depend on seeing every season for multiple years. In the franchise’s history, the team has never had a player play for them for the entirety of their career. While Tampa has tried to do that with players like Evan Longoria and Wander Franco, they ended up never being Rays for the rest of their careers. The team goes back to its tried-and-true methods of dealing away players for prospects to keep their payroll low. In Franco’s case, his recent legal problems blew up in the franchise’s face. I doubt Tampa will do a deal like the one they had with Franco again. People should count on them trading another star in the coming years and not keeping them long-term.

The Rays Way Wins Games Not Fans

The Rays’ way has no doubt helped the team be successful. It has helped them appear in the World Series twice. It also most recently got them to the postseason five years in a row. However, Tampa’s refusal to keep players is one reason why they haven’t been able to have a larger fan base. While the Rays way has won them games, it hasn’t attracted newer fans.

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