Rays manager Kevin Cash has determined the the Rays will be rolling with a three-man rotation, followed by two Opener’s — at least until a bulk guy or prospect forces their hand into establishing another traditional starter.
The rotation will be as follows:
- Charlie Morton
- Tyler Glasnow
- Opener / Bulk Guy
- Opener / Bulk Guy
With the team yet to commit to who those bulk guys will be, it will be a wide open competition between several names for something like four or five long relief slots on the roster, including (but not limited to):
- LHP Jalen Beeks
- RHP Yonny Chirinos
- RHP Jake Faria
- RHP Wilmer Font
- LHP Ryan Merritt*
- RHP Andrew Moore
- RHP Austin Pruitt
- RHP Casey Sadler*
- RHP Luis Santos*
- LHP Ryan Yarbrough
*player not on 40-man roster
You can read the full story on the initial rotation announcement from Juan Toribio here, and the decision to roll with Openers in the 4-5 slots from Marc Topkin here ($), with the following from Kevin Cash:
“We kind of picked it apart with staggering it, but for the sake of the starters, and giving Charlie and Glasnow the extra day (of rest) in the first month, which is important, it made the most sense to keep them back to back.