A year after winning just 68 games and finishing last in the American League East in 2016, the Tampa Bay Rays improved considerably in '17. They ultimately finished two games below .500 with an 80-82 record, and remained in the AL Wild Card hunt well into the season's final month.
That success hasn't stopped the Rays from slashing payroll with a teardown of their big league roster, though. Since the end of the 2017 season, the club has dealt key players, like franchise cornerstone Evan Longoria (Giants), outfielders Steven Souza Jr. (D-backs) and Corey Dickerson (Pirates), and right-hander Jake Odorizzi (Twins).