Rays vs. Dodgers: Examining Likelihood of Rematch in 2021 World Series

Major League Baseball fans couldn't have asked for much more out of the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.

There was star power with Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager bolstering their resumes for the Dodgers and Randy Arozarena becoming a household name for even casual fans of the Rays.

There was incredible drama with Tampa Bay winning Game 4 on a final play that featured two errors in a stunning moment.

And there was a managerial decision that will go down in baseball history, which fans will surely debate for years to come. The Dodgers clinched the title with a 3-1 victory in Tuesday's Game 6, but it appeared as though there would be a Game 7 with Blake Snell cruising on the mound.

That is when Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to take him out in the sixth inning with 73 pitches for Nick Anderson, who proceeded to give up a double to Betts to put runners on second and third, throw a wild pitch to give up the lead and allow a run-scoring fielder's choice on a ground ball from Seager.

Los Angeles took the lead for good at that point, and Betts added some insurance with a solo homer in the eighth.

The question now is if the Rays will get a chance at redemption in a rematch next year.

Unfortunately for them, recent history suggests it is far more likely the Dodgers will be back in the Fall Classic as the National League representative. They are a modern-day powerhouse who have won the NL West eight years in a row and reached three World Series and five NL Championship Series during that span.

Kershaw and Walker Buehler will be back to anchor the rotation, and they figure to be joined by five-time All-Star David Price, who opted out of the 2020 season. Seager, Betts, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and more will all be in their powerful lineup again as well.

There are some decisions to be made, perhaps most notably with Justin Turner as he heads into free agency, but Los Angeles is not a team that shies away from spending money to improve the on-field product and had the second-highest payroll in the league this year.

The same cannot be said for the Rays, who were 28th in payroll.

That they still made it as far as they did is a testament to the ability and perseverance of everyone on that roster, but it is also difficult to envision the front office adding any significant pieces. That is even more true during an offseason filled with financial uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tampa Bay also has to deal with the powerhouse New York Yankees—who had the highest payroll in baseball this year—in the American League East and face the daunting task of even defending its division crown, let alone league pennant.

The biggest thing on the Rays' to-do list for the offseason will likely be getting postseason hero Arozarena a new contract, but most of their key pieces should at least be back.

According to Spotrac, only relief pitcher Aaron Loup is scheduled for free agency in 2021 from the team's current contracts. That could mean a number of familiar faces returning to the Rays' lineup, although emerging from the American League twice in a row with such a low payroll would be a stunning development.

Look for the Dodgers to return to the World Series but face another team in 2021.