As always, DRaysBay has the best look at the trades that went down didn’t go down for the Rays. Steve Slowinski writes:
I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t disappointed… Just like the last few years, though, the Rays talked to everyone, but didn’t pull the trigger on a big trade. They acquired Chad Qualls, but they didn’t get the big bat that we wanted for the middle of the line-up. Disappointed? Yeah, that’s me.
Still, the Rays have earned the second best record in baseball, with the players they’ve had all year. Their competitors didn’t do much, either. The Red Sox (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) did not make a significant upgrade, while the Yankees did what the Yankees do – grabbed three players who may or may not help, just because they can.
We’ll see how it all pans out, but I still like the Rays’ chances.