Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
The most remarkable thing about the Tampa Bay Rays this season—and pretty much every year they are competitive—is how much better they would be if they were willing to spend money.
The Rays, who had won 11 straight before losing to the Royals, 2–1, Tuesday night, have surged into first place in the AL East and have greatly improved their odds to return to the postseason for the third straight year.