Rays look to defend AL East title

By Bud L. Ellis

It has taken time, but the Tampa Bay Rays at long last have solidified themselves as a powerhouse in the ultra-tough American League East.

The Rays made it to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons in 2010, winning an AL-best 96 games and capturing the East title. Tampa Bay ran into a buzzsaw in the AL Division Series, falling to eventual AL pennant winner Texas.

Still, the Rays look every bit as powerful in 2011, and figure to challenge both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for supremacy in baseball’s toughest division. But free-agent losses will have to be made up by the existing roster, led by superstar third baseman Evan Longoria.

Two veterans who helped the Red Sox end their World Series curse in 2004 look to fuel the Rays in their first season on Florida’s West Coast. How much Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez have left in the tank will play a big role in whether the Rays’ offense can compensate for offseason losses. David Price returns to anchor a good starting rotation, but the bullpen features plenty of question marks.

The Rays play host to Baltimore to open the season on April 1. The first road game is April 7 at Chicago.

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Friday, March 25, 2011 at 10:51 pm by bud

Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, David Price, Evan Longoria, Johnny Damon, Major League Baseball, Manny Ramirez, New York Yankees, tampa bay rays news, tampa bay rays schedule, tampa bay rays tickets, Texas Rangers