Carlos Pena: Offseason Additions Paying off Early for Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are already seeing their return on investment from their offseason acquisitions. Carlos Pena, Luke Scott, Jeff Keppinger and Fernando Rodney all made significant contributions to the team's season-opening sweep of the New York Yankees.

This time last season, the talk centered around whether or not the team would be able to compete after losing key players from their roster including Pena, Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano. The Rays started off the 2011 season 0-8, but as we all know ended the season clinching the Wild Card in the most dramatic finish the sport has ever seen.

After last season's accomplishments, the optimism is high for a team that has added key pieces coming into the 2012 season. Although the season is only three games old and there are 159 games left to play, it is very hard to envision a postseason this year without the Rays in the mix.

A lot of that success will be based on the effort of the players brought in to improve the team.

Here is a look at the contributions this weekend from the team's newest additions.

Jeff Keppinger

Who is Jeff Keppinger?

That's the question a lot of casual Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees fans were asking when Keppinger stepped to the plate as the team's designated hitter on Opening Day. After his four hits in the series, including the home run in Sunday's game, fans of both teams know his name.

Keppinger came to the Rays in search of a realistic chance of being on a competitive team. Only once since his career started in 2004 has he played on a winning team.

So far he is doing his part to make being on a winning team the norm rather than the exception.

Luke Scott

Luke Scott came to the Rays to add some more power to the lineup.

He made his presence felt in the second game of the opening series against the Yankees with his three hits and three RBI.

He would've liked to have added more to the start of the season, but Scott left Sunday's game early with a tight hamstring.

Fernando Rodney

Fernando Rodney was called on to record the final out in the ninth inning of all three of Tampa Bay's opening series games against New York.

That is because manager Joe Maddon does not have any pitcher designated as the team's closer.

Regardless of title, Rodney came through for the team each night in a different way.

In the first game, he recorded the final three outs in the team's exciting walk-off win. He only needed to throw one pitch in the second game to Alex Rodriguez to get the save. And he was the icing on Jeremy Hellickson's birthday cake Sunday, recording the final out for his second save of the season.

Three games, two saves and one win.

Looks like he is earning his keep thus far.

Carlos Pena

For Carlos Pena there is no place like home.

Pena started his return to Tampa Bay with a grand slam in the first game of the season. He made Yankees manager Joe Girardi regret the decision to walk Sean Rodriguez and load the bases in order to face Pena.

Later in the opening game, Pena's walk-off hit gave the Rays their first win and spoiled Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's attempt at his 604th career save.

After the first series of the season Pena is batting .500 with seven RBI and two home runs. Although Casey Kotchman provided the team with a consistent bat in the lineup in 2011, Pena is reminding everyone early about the power the lineup lacked.

If Pena and the Rays can continue to consistently score runs over the season coupled with their expected levels of great pitching and defense, this team is poised to run away with the AL East in 2012.