The Rays aren’t in any hurry to tip their hand.
Fresh off a sweep of the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series, Tampa Bay is waiting to see whether it will face the Cleveland Guardians or Chicago White Sox in the AL Championship Series before manager Kevin Cash lays out the pitching plan. That ALDS matchup goes to Game 5 on Saturday, and until it’s settled, Cash is keeping things under wraps.
“Kevin Cash says they’re not prepared to announce anything in regard to a pitching plan,” Closky shared on Friday afternoon. “Obviously, Rasmussen is a safe assumption for Game 1.
Says four starters are likely - but in general, will lean heavily on all those guys. Tampa Bay will play a sim game tomorrow.”
The Rays already showed one version of that approach against New York. Drew Rasmussen opened Game 1, Freddy Peralta handled Game 2 after Rasmussen’s no-hit bid, and veteran Nick Martinez got the ball in the Game 3 clincher at Yankee Stadium. If Tampa Bay sticks with a similar formula in the ALCS, it could be chasing the same kind of payoff.
That setup makes sense given the shape of the bracket. The Rays will likely be favored against either opponent, and the winner of the White Sox-Guardians series could arrive worn down after a full five games. Tampa Bay has been doing things its own way for a long time, and Cash knows the system well in his 16th season as manager.
For now, the wait continues. If holding back the pitching plan gives the Rays even a small edge, Cash clearly sees value in keeping that card hidden until the matchup is known. And if that edge carries Tampa Bay all the way to its third World Series berth, the Rays could be chasing their first title this October, too.
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Cam Schlittler offered a public vote of confidence in Boone, framing the skipper as someone the clubhouse can rely on in a tense moment. Still, with the Yankees now weighing bigger questions about how to move forward, Boones standing remains part of a much larger offseason conversation that wont be settled by one players backing alone. [Read more 🡒]