by Marc LancasterFiled under: Cubs, Rays, AL East
By all rights, the Rays should already have forfeited any claim to contending in the AL East by now. A little more than a month away from the opening of spring training, they have jettisoned seven major contributors from the roster that brought them a second division title in three seasons, and the deal set to send Matt Garza to the Cubs will make it eight.
Three of their eight everyday position players are gone, in Carl Crawford (Red Sox), Carlos Pena (Cubs) and Jason Bartlett (Padres). Their bullpen has been gutted by the departure of Rafael Soriano (TBD), Joaquin Benoit (Tigers), Dan Wheeler (Red Sox), Randy Choate (Marlins) and Grant Balfour (TBD). And now Garza, a rotation stalwart the last three years, is on the way out. Throw in part-timers Brad Hawpe (Padres) and Dioner Navarro (Dodgers), too, if you like.
In all, the players gone from Tampa Bay's 2010 roster are in line to make about $60 million from their new clubs in 2011, factoring in guesstimates at arbitration outcomes for Bartlett and Garza and Soriano and Balfour finally finding new homes. The Rays' entire year-end payroll in 2010 was about $77.5 million.
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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/07/as-matt-garza-joins-tampa-bay-exodus-rays-try-to-defy-expectati/
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