Has Erik Neander change his approach?

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Through the recent trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays were, with a slight argument, the most active of major league clubs. In the span of a few days, Erik Neander, the club’s president of baseball operations, traded one-third of the starting rotation, the two-man catching tandem was dismantled, the American League leading base stealer for the past two seasons was traded, and the roster underway went a dramatic transformation.

That was not the dynamic method of preparing a club with a recent history of achievement for any post-season run. After all, the Rays were within striking distance of the New York Yankees, and behind the Bombers by mere percentage points early last month. The break-up of a club that was thought to be competitive was dismantled and a team dropped considerably from any post-season conversation.

Then, personnel changes and a dramatic fall from grace.

Starting a six-game road trip to Cleveland and Washington on Aug. 25, the Rays were 6.5 games from qualifying for post-season play. To accomplish this feat, the team must leapfrog over three teams. For the agony over the past several weeks, the Rays’ method of dealing with impending free agents and Neander’s penchant to contractually “control” younger players represent important factors in the Rays’ recent demise.

“The Rays will operate always as they always operate and be savvy in ways they think that will bear success.” said right-hander Zack Littell recently in the Cincinnati clubhouse. “This year, they definitely walked the line of still trying to give themselves a chance and heat up down the stretch. With the contract situations they had, they turned over the roster a little bit.”

Littell, a mainstay in the Rays’ rotation until dealt to the Reds at the trade deadline of July for left-hander Adam Serwinowski and right-hander Brian Van Belle, faces free agency at the end of the current season ($5.720 million for the 2025 season). For Neander, a trade was clearly a practical option. This gives the Rays an opportunity to “control” Serwinowski and Van Belle and eliminate the need for free agency discussion.

At the time of the deal, Littell put together a solid season for the Rays. In 22 starts, the 29-year-old compiled an 8-8 record and a commendable 3.58 ERA. That included his first career complete game on May 31 of this season at Houston.

The trade that Neander triggered was the same approach within the philosophy and desire to economically “control” players.

That was a similar tactic in reference to catcher Danny Jansen. After the veteran back-stopper signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay ($8-million), Neander was not prepared to engage Jansen in any post-2025 conversation. In 73 games with the Rays, Jansen, a free agent after the current season, was hitting .204, and Neander decided bringing back Jansen had little value.

The same could be presented for utility player Jose Caballero, who led the American League in stolen bases last season and led the league at the time of his trade to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline

Given the Rays’ lack of power issues, and an option to manufacture runs through “small ball,” utilizing Caballero’s speed could be a potential option.

Not really, is the way Littell defined the Rays’ approach

“I don’t think they ever thought ‘small ball’ was sustainable around here,” Littell said. “They thought that was not a viable option to mix in there. I’m not sure the Rays are a team to put all their eggs in one basket, whether this was power, small ball, pitching, or anything else. With (Ha-Seong Kim) coming back, (Taylor Walls) playing the caliber of defense he’s always played, having Brandon Lowe in there and Carson (Williams) banging on the door, I think Caballero was just a bit redundant.”

If Neander thought dealing pending free agents and picking up younger thrust directly in the quest for post-season play was a viable option, the transition to the nature of a major league season, let alone the intensity of post-drive, were factors overlooked. Littell pointed out that Neander had confidence in the Tampa Bay group in early July, and then the wheels clearly fell off.

“It felt like (the Rays) were right there and ready to get going,” Littell said. “It never quite worked out that way. It’s really hard to bring in that many new faces and expect to just compete right away. It’s hard enough to compete with a group of guys who are tight-knit and playing with each other all year. Then, (Neander) brings in a whole new group. I think (Neander) considered that, and he is calculated in what he does. He has a track record of being pretty good at what he does.”

Elsewhere … if pitching and defense remain the catalyst for success, a microcosm was displayed Aug. 24 in Chase Field. With the Cincinnati Reds challenging for a wild-card slot in the National League, starter Brady Singer provided the component to such a surge.  Retiring the final 10 hitters consecutively and allowing one hit and five base runners, Singer served notice that starting pitching remains a key factor, Though he did not receive credit for an eventual 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks before a Sunday crowd of 25,496 in the desert, Terry Francona, the Reds skipper, simply said of Singer, “he did give up one run early and then buckled down. Instead of being frustrated, he kept them right where he wanted.” Though his season record remained 11-8, Singer allowed that one hit, one run, and fanned nine hitters in six solid innings of work. In his 26th start of the season, Singer threw 95 pitches and, save for a 21-pitch third inning, the most delivered were 18 pitches in the second inning.

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