Ian Seymour keeps making a case for October, and Thursday night at Yankee Stadium was another loud one.
The left-hander carved through the Yankees for five scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while striking out three and walking none, as the Rays dropped a 6-4 decision and fell to 96-63. Seymour’s outing came with the Rays still sorting through their plans for the American League Division Series, and manager Kevin Cash said Thursday afternoon that no decisions have been made on the starting rotation yet.
There’s no rush. Game 1 of the ALDS is more than a week away, on Oct. 3, and the Rays have built-in off-days that likely mean they’ll need only three starters in the series. The leading candidates are Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez and Freddy Peralta, though Cash also said the club could find playoff roles for Seymour and Griffin Jax, both of whom began the season in Tampa Bay’s bullpen.
“It does help. I mean, we haven’t decided which way we’re going on anything right now.
We’ve had very preliminary conversations,” Cash said. “Even behind an opener, coming out of the bullpen, they’ve done that before.
So I’d like to think that helps them.”
Seymour has done just about everything asked of him since shifting out of the bullpen in early June. In 20 appearances, he owns a 3.91 ERA with 125 strikeouts and 21 walks over 101 1/3 innings, and that swing-and-miss ability has made him one of the more interesting options on the roster if the Rays need help in relief or another start down the line.
“I feel pretty comfortable in just about any position that they could put me in,” Seymour said. “Whatever is needed from that aspect to help the guys out, that's what I'm here for. [I] just enjoy being with the guys, and I want to see this thing continue.”
The Rays did get offense from Yandy Díaz, who collected two hits, and Junior Caminero, who drove in his 98th and 99th runs of the season. Those RBIs are the third most in the American League. But Tampa Bay couldn’t hold the line late, surrendering five runs in the seventh and eighth innings before heading to Philadelphia for its final regular-season series.
Jax is also in the mix, and his profile gives Tampa Bay another interesting October wrinkle. He’s scheduled to make his final regular-season start Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, but he has far more experience as a reliever and has already handled high-leverage work in the past.
Still, his move into the rotation has gone well. Over 22 starts, Jax has a 3.23 ERA with 105 strikeouts and 28 walks in 100 1/3 innings, and he’s been especially strong lately, allowing just one run in his last 15 innings.
“Regardless if I’m starting the game or coming in sometime in the middle or the end of the game, like I have some experience doing, I’d be glad and willing to do it,” Jax said recently. “Mindset changes a little bit coming back out of the bullpen. Swing and miss is key in October, and I know I’ve got that, so we might be looking toward that.”
In Other News...
Rays Make A Bullpen Move With Bigger October Implications
The Rays made another bullpen adjustment as they continue to manage innings with the top spot in the American League already secured. Tampa Bay reinstated right-hander Manuel Rodrguez from the 15-day injured list and moved right-hander Jake Woodford off the roster to make room, a reminder that even with the standings settled, the club is still treating the back end of the season like a rehearsal for what comes next.
Woodford now goes on waivers and could either elect free agency or accept an outright assignment, while Rodrguez returns to give the Rays another arm they can plug into a bullpen that has been shaped as much by workload as by performance. For a team that has spent much of the season juggling pitchers carefully, the move carries a bigger October feel than a standard late-season transaction. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Painful Freddy Peralta Reality This October
The Rays head into October with the American League East wrapped up and the best record in the league, but the mood around the roster is already getting complicated by what comes next. Freddy Peralta, the trade deadline pickup who quickly became one of the most important arms in the mix, is lined up to start in the ALDS, giving Tampa Bay a proven postseason option at exactly the right time.
Peraltas sharper run with the Rays has also pushed his free-agent stock upward, which is where the long view gets uneasy for Tampa Bay. There is already speculation about a possible move to San Diego this offseason, and the Rays expected reluctance to spend heavily until the new stadium is built only adds to the uncertainty around whether they can keep a pitcher who has changed their October outlook. [Read more 🡒]
Chandler Simpson Gives Rays A Playoff Element Opponents Rarely See
Chandler Simpson is giving the Rays something a lot of October teams do not have to plan for. The 25-year-old is set for his postseason debut as Tampa Bay returns to the playoffs, bringing a different kind of threat to the table with a high batting average, a game built around contact, and speed that has already produced 46 stolen bases this season.
Simpson also has quietly added value in the outfield, where his defensive work has improved as the year has gone on. He has not hit a home run this season, but that has hardly been the point for a player whose impact comes from putting pressure on defenses, turning singles into movement, and forcing opponents to account for a runner who can change an inning in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]