Tampa Bay Rays: A Look Back at Their 2010 Bullpen and Where They Are Now

It was right around this time last season when the Rays watched as the top seven pitchers from their bullpen all moved on to different teams, a turnover that few if any teams have had to deal with.

However, the team found a diamond-in-the-rough closer in Kyle Farnsworth and dealt shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Padres for three relievers who would anchor their bullpen, and in the end, the team didn't miss a beat when the starters left the game.

On the other side of things, many of the players who left signed big-money contracts, and all but a few fell well short of expectations.

So here's a look at what happened to each of those seven pitchers and how they fared in their first season away from Tampa.

Rafael Soriano: Signed three-year, $35 million contract with New York Yankees

After spending part of the 2009 season as the Braves closer, the Rays dealt reliever Jess Chavez to Atlanta for the 30-year-old right-hander prior to the 2010 season and plugged him in as their closer.

He thrived in the role, going 45-of-48 on save opportunities and posting a 1.73 ERA over 62.1 innings of work. That earned him a spot on the All-Star team, eighth-place finish in Cy Young voting and 12th-place finish in MVP voting.

Among the most coveted relievers on the market, Soriano received closer money from the Yankees to pitch in a setup role, much to the chagrin of GM Brian Cashman, but in the end, the Steinbrenners had the final say.

It looked as though Cashman was right too, as Soriano struggled to a 4.12 ERA over 39.1 innings and quickly lost his setup role with the emergence of All-Star David Robertson.

Joaquin Benoit: Signed three-year, $16.5 million contract with Detroit Tigers

Benoit spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Rangers, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen and posting a 4.79 ERA before a torn rotator cuff cost him the entire 2009 season.

He signed a minor league contract with the Rays before the 2010 season and absolutely dominated with a 1.34 ERA and 11.2 K/9 over 60.1 innings of work as he was one of the biggest surprises of the season.

That big year earned him a big paycheck from the Tigers, and he served as the primary setup man to Jose Valverde last season posting a 2.95 ERA in 66 appearances.

Dan Wheeler: Signed one-year, $3 million contract with Boston Red Sox

The veteran of the Rays' 2010 relief corps, Wheeler had 10 big-league seasons under his belt entering what was his third year with the Rays.

Acquired from the Astros for Ty Wigginton at the 2007 deadline, Wheeler spent part of 2008 as the Rays closer, tallying 13 saves, but he would settle into a setup role after that.

He signed with the Red Sox in the offseason, joining Bobby Jenks as low-cost veteran signings the team hoped would provide a steadying presence in their young bullpen. After a shaky start he turned things around and finished the year with a 4.38 ERA over 47 appearances. He signed a minor league deal with the Indians this winter.

Grant Balfour: Signed two-year, $8.1 million contract with Oakland Athletics

Balfour joined the Rays at the deadline in 2007, coming over in a trade with the Brewers that sent Seth McClung to Milwaukee. To that point, he had enjoyed little big-league success, with a 5.44 ERA over 92.2 innings of work in his career.

However, his first full season in Tampa, he emerged as one of the team's most reliable arms, posting a 1.54 ERA in 51 appearances.

He continued his solid play through last season, and with Andrew Bailey traded to the Red Sox, he has a shot at winning the closer's job in Oakland this spring.

Chad Qualls: Signed one-year, $1.5 million contract with San Diego Padres

A teammate of Wheeler's with the Houston Astros, Qualls did not open the 2010 season with the Rays but was acquired from the from the Diamondbacks at the deadline.

In his time in Arizona that season, he had a bloated 8.29 ERA and 12-of-16 save success rate as the team's closer.

He was slightly better after coming to Tampa, although still not great with a 5.57 ERA in 21 innings of work, but he was a veteran arm nonetheless. He signed with San Diego last offseason and posted a 3.51 ERA in 77 appearances. He joined the Phillies this winter on a one-year, $1.15 million deal.

Randy Choate: Signed two-year, $2.5 million contract with Florida Marlins

A lefty specialist, Choate led the American League with 85 appearances in 2010 as he posted a 4.23 ERA in 44.2 innings of work.

He held lefties to a .202 average, while righties hit a whopping .410 against him as he was a specialist in ever sense of the word.

That performance was enough to earn him a two-year deal with the Marlins, and he was stellar last season with a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings of work, as lefties hit just .145 against him.

Lance Cormier: Signed minor league deal with Los Angeles Dodgers

After struggling early in his big-league career, Cormier found a role in Tampa when he joined the team prior to 2009, and over his two seasons with the team, he had a 3.55 ERA in 113 appearances over 139.1 innings.

The Dodgers signed him last offseason to a minor league deal, and he made the club out of spring training. However, he lasted just nine appearances before he was designated for assignment with a 9.88 ERA over 13.2 innings.

2011 Bullpen

Despite those losses, the Rays still managed to make the playoffs with a patchwork bullpen of unknowns who managed to come together and form a solid staff.

Here's a look at who replaced the above players and what they cost in comparison.

Kyle Farnsworth: 63 G, 2.18 ERA, 25 Saves (two-year, $6 million)
Joel Peralta: 71 G, 2.93 ERA, 6 Saves (one-year, $925,000)
Juan Cruz: 56 G, 3.88 ERA (one-year, $850,000)
Cesar Ramos: 59 G, 3.92 ERA (minimum) - acquired in Jason Bartlett trade
Brandon Gomes: 40 G, 2.92 ERA (minimum) - acquired in Jason Bartlett trade
Adam Russell: 36 G, 3.03 ERA (minimum) - acquired in Jason Bartlett trade
J.P. Howell: 46 G, 6.16 ERA (one-year, $1.1 million) - missed 2010 with injury

So for a fraction of the cost, the team was able to piece together a successful bullpen and watch as other teams signed their free agents to mixed results.

That was also part of the reason the team had so many draft picks last summer, as Soriano, Balfour and Wheeler were Type-A free agents while Benoit, Choate and Qualls were Type-B free agents.