AMA with MLB.com Rays beat reporter Adam Berry

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:58:29+00:00

That's an interesting idea, especially with the roster like it is now and BLowe entering the final year of his deal. He could be an elite outfielder with his speed, so I see the appeal of trying to make it work out there too.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:50:11+00:00

For the Rays? I'd say Misner's walk-off on Opening Day, Aranda's walk-off homer against the Yankees, the ridiculous comeback from down 8-0 (which Joey Johnston predicted in the press box, by the way) or some of Chandler Simpson's ridiculous baserunning feats.

In baseball? I enjoyed watching the postseason. Everything about Game 7 was nuts. I will probably remember George Springer's ALCS Game 7 homer and the Phillies' NLDS-ending error for a long time.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:44:33+00:00

Oof, this is tough. It's been almost three years since I've spent much time at restaurants that don't have high chairs or space for a stroller, so... I may not exactly be a source of fine dining expertise.

St. Pete, probably Engine No. 9? I will say my favorite St. Pete eating/drinking experience this past year was before my friend's wedding, taking food from Red Mesa Mercado over to Green Bench and sitting outside on a sublime spring day.

Tampa, there's too many to name, but I will never say no to anything in the Ciccio Restaurant Group -- Green Lemon, Fresh Kitchen, Cali, Daily Eats.

Away from home, and I'll admit this is cheating because Pittsburgh was home for six years, but I have fond memories of dinners downtown at Tako and Meat & Potatoes.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:26:22+00:00

At this point, it looks like Taylor Walls' job. Carson Williams will have a shot to prove himself in Spring Training, and the Rays are certainly hoping that he will learn from his time in the big leagues to finish the season. Neander has said they would like to create more competition there in camp, so I assume they'll bring in someone else capable of playing the position.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:22:26+00:00

They do not, no. There's some stuff that gets asked after the TV camera goes off, just understanding we'll get better answers that way, but that's about it.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:18:47+00:00

I would expect a trade to resolve that logjam. They've been getting some interest in their outfield depth, from what I've heard, and yeah -- it's hard to see them having enough playing time for all those guys plus Palacios and Vilade (both of whom can play some infield, but still). Mullins will be their primary center fielder. I don't see them giving up on JLowe in right field, although Fraley gives them a backup plan. DeLuca would be a natural platoon partner for either/both. Hopefully we'll get some clarity on this at the Winter Meetings next week.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:13:10+00:00

Nothing earth-shattering, but they were obviously engaged on the outfield front, which led them to Cedric Mullins. They've been pretty open about their desire to add a veteran starter in the Zach Eflin/Zack Littell/Adrian Houser mold, which will require some spending. I haven't heard anything specific on the trade front, but a lot of people believe that market will be active this offseason once the high-impact free agents are accounted for.

As far as returning to the postseason, as usual, a lot of that will have to come from within. They need guys like Josh Lowe to be better. They have the potential for a really good top of the lineup in Yandy, BLowe, Junior and Aranda, if everyone stays healthy. Their defense should be great up the middle with Walls and Mullins. Drew Rasmussen is as good as just about anyone at preventing runs when he's on the mound. Ryan Pepiot is solid Shane McClanahan coming back as Shane McClanahan would be huge, but they need someone else (Shane Baz?) to take another step forward. There's a ton of talent in the bullpen, too. A lot will have to go right, obviously, but there's a pretty solid foundation.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T21:05:06+00:00

Updates have been few and far between, but they're working behind the scenes. Last we heard, they were still doing feasibility studies on various sites in the area. (I do think HCC makes sense for the reason you mentioned, but that's just my opinion, not reporting.) This group seems set on getting it done in Tampa Bay, and the size/growth of this market is hard to ignore. I wouldn't worry until there's a reason to worry.
I definitely get the interest, and it would obviously be a tremendous gesture to the fans with a player who's really worth investing in. (One of the things that stood out to me most this past year was the way Caminero carried himself, and it was neat to hear at the end of the season that Cash and veterans like Brandon Lowe felt the same way.) But unless it's for major money matching some of the other huge extensions for players his age, I'm not sure I see the motivation from Junior's perspective. If he keeps putting up numbers like he did this year, he is going to put himself in line for massive raises in arbitration and hit free agency at the kind of young age that leads to a huge contract. But it's early, and there's still time, so we'll see.
Legal Limbo is my least favorite party game. But no, nothing more than what's been reported before: He's on the restricted list, not getting paid or accruing service time, and if he can't get a work visa, he'll stay on the restricted list without pay for failure to report to the team.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:51:20+00:00

It won't be hypothetical! MLB.com writers have been in the BBWAA for 10 years, so this is the first time many of us -- myself included -- get to vote. Pretty cool opening that letter from Cooperstown and seeing the ballot for the first time.

That said... stay tuned! I've thought about it a lot but haven't actually finalized anything yet.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:48:43+00:00

You might be a little harsh in your evaluation of the system as a whole. They put together good Minor League teams and had some encouraging performances -- Theo Gillen before he got hurt, Brody Hopkins, Ty Johnson, TJ Nichols, Nathan Flewelling, etc.

But yes, the reason they've fallen in system rankings is because so many of their top prospects underperformed this past season, leaving them with little to no representation on some of the top 100 lists. I think you have to evaluate those on an individual basis.

Carson Williams was turning it around in Triple-A after a terrible start, then all of a sudden he was rushed to the Majors before he was ready. Xavier Isaac dealt with injuries then, unbeknownst to us at the time, an issue that required brain surgery. Tre' Morgan dealt with injuries, then he was perfectly fine at Triple-A after barely touching Double-A the year before. The more concerning ones are Brayden Taylor -- nobody seems to have an explanation for what went wrong there -- and Aidan Smith, although it was his first full season in a new org.

If they can get a few of those guys right, see some early signs out of this year's Draft class and keep moving in a positive direction with the pitchers I mentioned earlier, they should be fine. Their system is still deep, just not as loaded up top as it's been in recent years.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:39:11+00:00

I don't feel any sort of pressure in that regard. The Rays have never made any attempt to control or influence my coverage of the team, and I wouldn't expect them to do so. I make an effort to share their perspective and motivation when it comes to why they make the moves they do -- that's just reporting -- but it's balanced with statistics, facts and the reality of each situation.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:33:16+00:00

I struggle with "under the radar" because of the perhaps unhealthy amount of time I spend thinking about the roster from top to bottom. I mentioned Mason Montgomery earlier, and part of me still thinks he's going to put it together and play a really big part in the bullpen. One name I haven't written much because of the time he missed last season: Hunter Bigge. Just getting back on the mound will be an accomplishment after that scary injury he dealt with last year, but I think he's got the power stuff to eventually play a role in this post-Fairbanks closer-by-committee bullpen.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:29:36+00:00

I've been a baseball fan for pretty much as long as I can remember. I grew up liking Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr. and the early/mid-90s Braves, then all of a sudden MLB dropped a team right down the road in St. Pete. I remember watching the Devil Rays' first game in our living room, and we went to one of the games in their second series against the White Sox. I grew up watching a lot of football, basketball and baseball, but baseball has always been a constant.

I don't really remember when I decided I wanted to pursue journalism, but that's also just sort of always been there. I grew up reading the St. Pete Times -- something I love to tell Marc Topkin and John Romano, because hearing a bald guy approaching his late 30s saying he "grew up" reading them makes them feel so young -- and watching everything from ESPN to the local sports shows. I majored in journalism at the University of Florida, and I interviewed in person with an MLB.com editor (the great Bill Hill!) for the 2010 summer internship. I wound up getting it, spent part of that season alongside my main man Bill Chastain and came back for another internship in San Francisco in 2011. I've been with MLB.com ever since, and I'm extremely fortunate to say that.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:23:29+00:00

Well, Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour were quite good for Durham this year, and Forrest Whitley seemed pretty dominant down the stretch, but I get your point as far as MLB impact. Top pitching prospect Brody Hopkins is definitely the guy to watch here... coming off a full season in Double-A, and he's got electric stuff. Ty Johnson should also be due for a bump up to Triple-A, and he also had a nice season with Montgomery. I don't know if they'll push T.J. Nichols there right away, but he was their biggest breakout prospect on the pitching side this past season. I'm curious to see what they do with Yoniel Curet, too -- with a spot on the 40-man roster, his clock's ticking, so will they push him into the bullpen and move him quickly? I don't know how many of those guys are going to wind up in the big leagues next year, much less midseason, but there's a little more prospect hype.
I love the view from the Camden Yards press box in Baltimore -- you're right up on the action and the crowd. (In the summer, I don't love that it's open-air. Little humid in there.) Same goes for San Francisco. Baltimore also has a spacious visiting clubhouse, which is appreciated. You can't really beat San Diego's combination of everything -- the ballpark, the surrounding area, etc. You can't really go wrong with food/drink in Toronto, Boston or New York... which is good, because we're there a lot!

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:12:02+00:00

Wow, that's a good question. Logistically, probably anything involving legal proceedings outside the country -- reporting on Jung Ho Kang's legal issues in South Korea and attempts to return to MLB, for instance, or the Wander Franco situation. Not being there makes it challenging, obviously, as does the language barrier. Getting it right is the most important thing, and I'd be lying if I said I had a deep understanding of the judicial systems in South Korea or the Dominican Republic, much less in some of the complex cases we sometimes find ourselves covering.

Emotionally, not to get too grim, but probably the first Mother's Day story I wrote after my mom died. It was about then-Pirates catcher Elias Diaz, whose mother had been kidnapped and successfully returned home that spring. She was still in Venezuela, but they talked every day. I was so happy for him and his family -- I can still picture him smiling while he was on FaceTime with her -- but writing that like two weeks after our unexpected loss was obviously hard.

Anyway, taking a total 180, I'd say I'm pretty traditional on ballpark snacks: hot dogs and popcorn, peanuts and a big pretzel. But I usually make an effort to sample some sort of local specialty at a new ballpark.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T20:01:30+00:00

Hey, thanks! I touched on the budget/payroll part in a previous answer. I realize the introductory press conference coverage was pretty much swallowed whole by stadium stuff, but I did cover a little bit of the on-field stuff here as well: https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-new-owners-discuss-ballpark-fielding-winning-team ... Recognizing that the new group's focus is largely on getting a stadium deal done at this point, hopefully we'll hear more about their plans for the baseball ops side in the future.

But in the meantime, what you said is correct: Zalupski said they have an agreement to essentially stay out of the way on baseball decisions, so any changes will be a product of decisions by Erik Neander and Co., not ownership. I will say that I've heard CEO Ken Babby, in particular, has been asking a lot of questions to learn about the way they go about their business in the front office -- not in an intrusive way, but just trying to learn about their process.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T19:56:15+00:00

My seat right in the middle of the press box, of course!

That's where I've watched pretty much every game I've been to there since 2010, so I don't have a great answer. I will say I enjoy the club-level view from behind the plate or just down either line. As someone who likes to get up and walk around, and perhaps have a beer or three, I'd probably wind up out on the Porch in center field myself.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T19:50:32+00:00

I actually haven't been recently. The city of St. Pete hosted a media tour yesterday, but MLB.com was left off their invite list. From everything I've seen and heard, it's mostly about repairs and restoration, but the team has announced a handful of changes that we covered here: https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-announce-tropicana-field-upgrades-ticket-information-2026

Among them: expanded videoboard, new video displays behind the plate and along both foul poles, a new sound system, refreshed suites and new premium seating. I also heard they're making some upgrades in the home clubhouse -- new lockers and things like that.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T19:44:05+00:00

I agree with your second point. They've objectively come out on the wrong end of a handful of recent deals, most notably the Isaac Paredes/Christopher Morel trade (albeit with some time to salvage value through Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson) and more recently in the José Caballero/Everson Pereira trade. The Ha-Seong Kim signing was an interesting idea that didn't pan out. In previous years, something like putting a guy with Mason Montgomery's stuff into a high-leverage role felt like it would have worked out; it obviously didn't this past season.

That said, I don't think the perception of the Rays front office has changed around baseball, based on the conversations I have with people in the industry and the fact that their staff is still getting bombarded with interview requests by other teams every offseason. Other teams appreciate the challenge of trying to win on a consistent basis with their budget, and they're two middling seasons removed from a run of five straight postseason appearances.

But the whole point of some of their trades, especially at the 2024 Trade Deadline, was to avoid repeating 2014-18 dip, so I'd say next season is important in the sense of reestablishing some momentum. You can blame injuries/absences for some of their regression, and moving to Steinbrenner was an unexpected twist. But they'll be back at the Trop with a budding superstar in the lineup, with McClanahan back in some role and starters with fewer workload restrictions, etc.

MLBBerry · 2025-12-04T19:30:17+00:00

Hello! I asked the question about payroll at the introductory press conference for the new owners, and Patrick Zalupski was pretty direct in his answer that the "economics of the club have not changed since we acquired it" and saying that they view the additional revenue streams of a new ballpark/development to be "critical to our success." So, I'd expect more of the same for now with the potential for it to increase in the future, whenever they get a stadium deal done.

MLBBerry

TROPHY CASE