Kevin Kiermaier Rips Rays' Roster Moves: 'I Am 100 Percent Frustrated'

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier isn't happy with the organization's recent strategy when it comes to personnel. 

"I am 100 percent frustrated and very upset with the moves," he said Monday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "No beating around the bush. It's one of those things that makes you scratch your head, you don't know the reasoning why. And then you see the team's explanation and still it's just like, okay, well, so be it."

The Rays recently traded starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi while designating outfielder Corey Dickerson for assignment.

Odorizzi, who had a respectable 3.82 ERA in five seasons with the Rays, was traded Saturday in exchange for Single-A infielder Jermaine Palacios. Dickerson was an All-Star in 2017 while hitting a career-high 27 home runs, but he was a roster casualty to make room for first baseman C.J. Cron.

Although Cron has shown some power in the past with 16 home runs in each of the last three years, he is clearly an inferior player to Dickerson and has never played more than 116 games in a season.

According to Topkin, the moves cleared about $10 million from the payroll.

The Rays went 80-82 last season but missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Unfortunately, the team made few moves to improve the roster and have now gotten rid of two key players from 2017. Alex Cobb also remains a free agent after leading the team in wins and ERA last season.

Kiermaier is signed through at least 2022 with a team option for 2023, so he will likely be in Tampa Bay for quite some time. Unfortunately, the recent developments could make it tougher for him to contend for a championship any time soon.

According to Odds Shark, the Rays are currently 66-1 to win a World Series.