Reported Rasmus Addition Can Help Rays in Numerous Ways

While it’s still not official pending a physical, the reported Rays free agent signing of Colby Rasmus (by Jon Heyman, Ken Rosenthal and Joel Sherman) can have a very positive effect on Tampa Bay in 2017. That is assuming health, as Rasmus had below career norms last year in large part due to injury.

Defensive Improvement: When the Rays have been successful, by and large it’s been built on pitching and defense. Last year’s outfield defense, Kevin Kiermaier aside, was below the standard. Rasmus can help in several ways. For one, he will be a better backup to Kiermaier in center field than last year’s group of Desmond Jennings, Brandon Guyer and Mikie Mahtook.

The hope is that Rasmus would spend the majority of his time in a corner outfield spot, where he also would help Tampa Bay. In four of the past five seasons, Rasmus has had above league average defensive metrics. That’s including last year, when he was injured. That said, Rasmus had one of his best defensive seasons in 2016, playing primarily in left. His 14 defensive runs saved in LF would have been second overall on the Rays, and third in the majors at that position.

Mottola Factor: Rasmus has a comfort level with Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola, in large part because of Rasmus’ success in 2013. That’s because that was Rasmus’ best overall year, and second best offensively. His OPS in 2013 with Toronto was .840, and against righties it was .893. That was Mottola’s one year as Toronto’s hitting coach. Rasmus’ number against righties in 2013 would have been better against RHP than any player on the Rays in 2016, including Evan Longoria.

Lineup Flexibility: The Rays now can play an all left-handed hitting outfield and DH against righty pitching. The past two years, the Rays have struggled markedly against RHP. Now they can play Rasmus, Kiermaier, Corey Dickerson, and/or Nick Franklin at those four spots. They also could continue to play Steven Souza Jr every day, but now they have more options if a player is injured or struggling and can maximize lineups and potential outputs. Rasmus before last year had averaged 22 homers the three previous seasons, so he gives the group more power than it had in 2017.

Intangibles: Rasmus is in a one-year deal, which is motivation to produce and get a better opportunity the following season. He also played for a winning club in Houston the past couple of years,. When you include recent additions Matt Duffy and Wilson Ramos, Tampa Bay has been adding players who’ve been part of winning teams and organizations. Rasmus also is considered an above-average baserunner, rating above the norm in seven of the past eight seasons. The AL East is not an easy division, and Rasmus has been through this grind before.

There’s still plenty of work to be done over the next month, but the likely addition of Rasmus would appear to be another positive step.