The Tampa Bay Rays have plenty of issues to address when it comes to their outfield. They need to raise the ceiling on a group that was massively disappointing last season. The club needs to be precise in making the right decisions. What if the Rays could execute the biggest slam dunk of the winter with a simple phone call?
All they have to do is pick up the phone.
Rays Should Enlist Former Gold Glover To Help Their Outfielders
An Old Friend Wants To Return
The Rays employed one of the game’s best center fielders for a grand total of ten seasons. What a wild ride filled with highlight plays that will be celebrated in the future. Former center fielder Kevin Kiermaier patrolled the Tropicana Field turf and consistently demonstrated his defensive prowess. He batted .248 with 82 homers, 316 RBIs, and 410 runs scored in 914 games for the Rays. Importantly, he won three of his four career Gold Gloves in Tampa Bay.
Now, as he begins his post-playing career, the native of Indiana is making it clear that he is transitioning into a new line of work. The fan favorite took to X and argued that he should be enlisted for a position helping outfielders. “To all 30 MLB teams out there. I’m being creative here, but just need to get the word out,” Kiermaier wrote on X. “I wanna revolutionize outfield defence on many levels. No one loves this stuff like I do!”
A No-Brainer
The news came out of left field because most observers assumed he was still working with the Toronto Blue Jays in a special assistant role. The Blue Jays recently lost a World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers and appear to be altering the makeup of their coaching staff. Interestingly enough, Kiermaier spent the end of 2024 on the Dodgers after the Blue Jays traded him at the July deadline.
This is really a layup for the Rays. It’s a win-win situation where they could enlist one of the game’s premier outfield defenders to coach up the collection of young outfielders. Think about the difference that Kiermaier could make on Chandler Simpson in the grass. Simpson lived up to his reputation defensively. He posted a -5 OAA but compensated for that with a 29.6 Sprint Speed (97th percentile). By all accounts, Simpson is evolving as a player and can immensely benefit from the instruction of a pro like Kiermaier.
An Interesting Wrinkle
The Rays definitely need to pounce on this opportunity. Having said that, Kiermaier mentioned during his video that he would be open to working with multiple clubs and not just one club. “I don’t want to commit to one organization necessarily. I want to see how many organizations out there would love to have me around for like, five days at a time,” Kiermaier said.
The Rays need to make sure he isn’t passing along his wisdom to their division rivals. Anyone else? Not a big deal because the Rays would benefit greatly from someone who can connect with the modern player. He is familiar with the organization and knows Tropicana Field about as well as someone could possibly know that place.
In conclusion, the Rays can win the news cycle on this one. What a great way for ownership to ingratiate themselves to the fans. The Rays are planning to induct fan favorite Evan Longoria into the team Hall of Fame next summer and Kiermaier may not be far behind.
Main Photo Credits: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
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