What the Rays have been able to accomplish in recent years is truly remarkable. honestly, give it a thought. you're boston's GM and you have 160 million to work with. and you lose to a team that has only 40 mil and some change. the rays have it figured out. i remember after last season thinking the rays would have to rebuild again. with so many players leaving for FA, i thought the run was over. but here we are. so the question is: what are they doing right?
Is it Joe Maddon? He's a hell of a guy, one of the most well-liked managers in the game, and clearly does a damn good job.
Is it Andrew Friedman? I don't think anyone has drafted better than this guy. On top of that, the money the Rays have is used almost perfectly. Look at where they spend it and the production they get. No money is lost. The reds have a lot to learn from this guy's approach.
Did they just get lucky and catch lightning in a bottle with this bunch of players?
What is the deal?
Regardless, I see the Rays and the voice in my head that says, "the reds just don't have enough money to compete," vanishes. They're in the AL east for christ's sake. Really though, the point of this post was maybe to inspire some hope. Looking at what happened tonight made me realize that anything is possible. From someone who is not terribly optimistic about the Reds position going into next season, I think this story reassures my faith that this could work out. Here's to hoping for the best and cracking open a brew in the honor of next season. it's awhile away, but i'm excited about possible scenarios for next year and the future of the club.
