Yes, the Rays are serious about signing free-agent first baseman Freddie Freeman, major-league sources say. Yes, they believe they can make it work financially. Will a deal actually come together? Probably not, but just as is the case with their on-field strategy, the Rays’ approach to player acquisition is unique.
Going back to the days of Andrew Friedman, their general manager from late Oct. 2005 to Oct. 2014, the Rays often have explored the acquisitions of high-end players, no matter their price. Their success rate has not been high. Their payrolls have remained low. But club officials see their current group as capable of producing a second straight 100-win season. Most of their players are young and affordable. And the team’s weakest position probably is first base, though even at that spot Ji-Man Choi should provide reasonable production.
It’s difficult to imagine Freeman choosing to play at Tropicana Field over say, Dodger Stadium. In the end, the Rays’ quest for Freeman might only succeed in driving up the price for the Dodgers, their opponent in the 2020 World Series, or the Blue Jays or Yankees, a division rival. That alone would make the venture worthwhile. Yet from the Rays’ perspective, this is not merely a whimsical exercise.
Adding an average player will not make a difference for the Rays. Adding a well-above average, on the other hand, could make a significant difference. Which is why the Rays pursued first baseman Matt Olson before the A’s traded him to the Braves, why they are in the mix for free-agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki, why they are talking about trades for A’s third baseman Matt Chapman, right-hander Frankie Montas and others.
The most likely outcome, as in the past, is that the Rays will end up with the same club, one that was good enough to win the powerful AL East last season, only to fall to the Red Sox in the Division Series, three games to one.
