Tampa Bay Rays: All-Franchise Team

This is the sixth offering in my series of All-Franchise teams. Since Tampa Bay along with Florida are relatively new franchises, I have relaxed the rules a tad for the two. There is no minimum requirement as to tenure with the franchise. Unlike most franchises you will not find any current Hall of Famers on this list.

C, Toby Hall

7 yrs: 2000-2006

Toby Hall began his career with the Rays in 2000 and played there until 2006 when he was traded to the Dodgers.  His best overall year was 2005 when he batted .287 with five HR and 48 RBI in 135 games.

1B, Carlos Pena

4 yrs: 2007-2010

Carlos Pena was signed as a Free Agent by the Rays in 2007 and played there until he was signed by the  Chicago Cubs after the 2010 season.  He was on the 2009 All-Star team and led the American League with 39 HR. He also won a Silver Slugger Award and a Gold Glove with the Rays. A pure power-hitter, he hit 46, 31, 39 and 28 HR respectively while in Tampa Bay. His best season there was 2007 when he hit 46 HR, drove in 121 and batted .282 with an OBP of .411. He holds the franchise record for OBP in a season with .411 (in 2007), in SLG in a season with .627 (in 2007), in OPS in a season with 1.037 (in 2007) and career (.884), in HR in a season with 46 (in 2007) and career (144), in RBI in a season with 121 (in 2007), in BB in a season with 103 (in 2007) and career (373), in OPS+ in a season with 172 (in 2007) and career (134), runs created in a season with 135 (in 2007), in offensive win percentage in a season with .770 (in 2007) and career (.657).

2B, Miguel Cairo

3 yrs: 1998-2000

Miguel Cairo came to Tampa Bay from Chicago in the expansion draft for the 1998 season and played there until the Rays released him in 2000. His best year was 1998 when he hit .268 with five HR and 46 RBI with 138 H. He holds the franchise record for Defensive WAR+ in a season with 2.3 (in 1998).

3B, Evan Longoria

3 yrs: 2008-2010

Evan Longoria was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008 and has been on the All-Star team in all three of his seasons with the Rays.  He played in the 2008 World Series, where he batted a dismal .050 with one hit in 20 AB. He also has two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award. His best overall year was 2009, when he hit 33 HR with 113 RBI and batted .281. He holds the franchise record for WAR in a season with 7.7 (in 2010). He also has the record for Offensive WAR+ in a season with 6.2 (in 2010) and in career SLG with .521.

SS, Julio Lugo

4 yrs: 2003-2006

After being released by the Houston Astros, Julio Lugo was signed as a Free Agent by the Rays in 2003. He stayed there until 2006, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Joel Guzman.  His best season in Tampa Bay was 2005, when he batted .295 with six HR and 57 RBI with 182 H.

LF, Carl Crawford

9 yrs: 2002-2010

Carl Crawford began his career in 2002 with Tampa Bay and stayed there until after the 2010 season, when he was obtained as a Free Agent by the Boston Red Sox. He was a four-time All-Star and played in the 2008 World Series, where he batted .263 with two HR. His best overall season was 2005, when he hit 15 HR with 81 RBI, and batted .301 with 194 hits and 101 R. He has led the American League in stolen bases four times and in triples four times.  Crawford has batted over .300 five times and scored over 100 runs on three occasions. He holds the franchise record for career BA with .296, in WAR for career, Offensive WAR for career, Defensive WAR for career, in games played, AB, PA, R in a season with 110 (in 2010), and career with 765, career hits with 1480, TB with 2217, career doubles with 215, career triples with 105, RBI with 592, SB in a season with 60 (2009) and career with 409, career singles with 1056, runs created in career with 789, and extra base hits with 425.

CF, B.J. Upton

6 yrs: 2004, 2006-2010

B.J. Upton has spent his six-year career with Tampa Bay. His best season was 2007. He batted .300 and hit 24 HR and 82 RBI. Upton played in the 2008 World Series where he batted .250, with one RBI.

RF, Rocco Baldelli

6 yrs: 2003-2004, 2006-2008, 2010

Rocco Baldelli finished third in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year in 2003. He hit 11 HR and drove in 78 while batting .289 with 184 hits. Except for 2009, when he played for the Red Sox, Baldelli has spent his career in Tampa Bay.  He also hit one HR in the ’08 World Series. He has been plagued with bad health for the past several years.

DH, Aubrey Huff

7 yrs: 2000-2006

Aubrey Huff began his MLB career in 2000 with the Rays and stayed until the middle of the ’06 season when he was traded to the Astros for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot. His best season in Tampa Bay was 2003 when he batted .311 with 34 HR and 107 RBI, and 198 H. While with the Rays he hit over 20 HR four times, and had over 100 RBI twice. He still holds the franchise record for hits in a season with 198 (2003), total bases in a season with 353 (2003), doubles in a season with 47 (2003), extra base hits in a season with 84 (2003), times on base is a season with 259 (2003), and intentional walks in a season with 17 (2003) and career with 49.

SP, Scott Kazmir

6 yrs: 2004-2009

Scott Kazmir began his MLB career in Tampa Bay in 2004 and stayed until he was traded to the Angels during the ’09 season.  He was on two All-Star teams while in Tampa Bay and won the ’08 Mid-Summer Classic. He also pitched two games in the ’08 World Series, where he had an ERA of 4.50 without a decision. His best year with the Rays was ’07 when he was 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA.  He led the league in games started with 34 and in strikeouts with 239. Kazmir holds the franchise pitching record for WAR in a season with 5.8 (2007) and career with 16.7, H/9 in a season with 7.267 (2008), SO/9 in a season with 10. four (2007) and career with 9.432, strikeouts in a season with 239 (2007) and career with 874, games started in a season with 34 (2007), in HR/9 in a season with 0.581 (2005) and career with 0.939, in ERA+ for a career with 114.

SP, James Shields

5 yrs: 2006-2010

James Shields has played his entire career with Tampa Bay, beginning in 2006. His best season was ’08 when he was 14-8 with an ERA of 3.56 and led the American League with two shutouts. He pitched in the ’08 World Series and was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, pitching five innings of shutout ball. Shields has the team franchise record for wins in a career with 56, WHIP in a season with 1.107 (2007), BB/9 in a season with 1.507 (2007) and career with 1.998, games started in a career with 151, SO/BB in a season with 5.11 (2007) and career with 3.696.

SP, Matt Garza

3 yrs: 2008-2010

Matt Garza came to Tampa Bay in a five-player trade with the Minnesota Twins in 2008. He is coming off his best season in 2010 when he was 15-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He shared the league lead in shutouts in ’08 with teammate James Shields with two.  He started one game in the ’08 World Series, with six IP and a 6.00 ERA, with no decision. He is the franchise leader in career ERA with 3.86, in WHIP for career at 1.251, in H/9 for career with 8.205, in career complete games with six, and in career shutouts with three.

SP, Victor Zambrano

4 yrs: 2001-2004

Victor Zambrano began his big league career in Tampa Bay in 2001 and stayed until 2004 when he was traded to the New York Mets for Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz. His best year with the Rays was 2003, when he was 12-10 with an ERA of 4.21. Zambrano holds the career record for career W-L percentage, with .565.

SP, David Price

3 yrs: 2008-2010

David Price was drafted in the 19th round by the Dodgers in the 2004 draft, but he didn’t sign. He was the Rays No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and began playing with the team in 2008. He was in two games with the Rays in the ’08 World Series. Both appearances were in relief, and his record stands at 0-0, with a very fine 2.70 ERA.  Price was runner-up in the Cy Young Award voting for the 2010 season to Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. Price, who also started the All-Star game that year, was 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA. He has the franchise record for ERA in a season with 2.72 (2010), in wins in a season with 19 (2010), in W-L percentage in a season with .760 (2010), and in ERA+ in a season with 145 (2010).

CL, Roberto Hernandez

3 yrs: 1998-2000

Roberto Hernandez was signed in 1997 as a Free Agent by the Rays. He was part of a three-team deal that sent him to Kansas City prior to the 2001 season. His best season in Tampa Bay was 1999, when he was an All-Star and finished 10th in voting for the American League Cy Young Award. He was 2-3 with a 3.07 ERA. He finished a league leading 66 games with a career best 43 saves. He still has the franchise record for career saves with 101, in GF in a season with 66 (1999) and career with 182.

SU, Grant Balfour

4 yrs: 2007-2010

Grant Balfour was traded to Tampa Bay during the ’07 season from Milwaukee for Seth McClung. His best season with the Rays was 2008 when he was 6-2 with a 1.54 ERA, with 82 strikeouts in 58 innings. Balfour made three appearances in the ’08 World Series without a decision, posting an ERA of 3.00.

View the other All-Franchise teams that I have already completed:

Orioles

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Reds

Rays