Rays announce Minor League Rosters

The Rays announced their minor league rosters this morning, and with that comes quite a bit of news and some observations. Right off the bat, we have several Rays depth pieces that did not compete for a serious role in the 2015 team, and we can now see they are on the Disabled List:

LHP Enny Romero
RHP Burch Smith
LHP Grayson Garvin

All three players could have been a part of the Rays in April, but fell out of contention early on. Their injury specifics are not disclosed, and Garvin is slotted to Montgomery again.

Now let's get to the roster observations:

Mikie Mahtook is the only stand out name in the Bulls outfield here, with invitees rounding out the rest of the playing time. That outfield depth you want to see is waiting to bang down the door to Durham just a level below.

Taylor Motter made the jump to Triple-A after a strong showing in Spring, and good for him. He's a possible utility type that could get versatile and wiggle his way into a promotion.

The outfield defense in Durham looks particularly strong given the four names listed above. How they divide playing time may be interesting to follow. All four look like minor league starters, but have been pushed together into a Montgomery showdown. Among the four, Powell was expected to start in Charlotte, but here we are.

On the flip side, Cameron Seitzer and Richie Shaffer were each expected to join Durham this season, and may down the road, but to be sent to Double-A again at this stage in their career does not inspire confidence.

It's worth noting that Jake Hager is also on the DL, and not on Durham's roster just yet. He required knee surgery of some kind.

The infield of Charlotte has the most to watch, with all but Bauers being flexible in position, it should be intriguing to see how the group is deployed. Kean Wong is your likely second baseman, so Adames and Velazquez should split time on the left side, but rotating the players through for the best fit wouldn't be surprising. Whether Adames continues to be a short stop should make itself evident this year.

Ryne Stanek and German Marquez will be fun to watch in Charlotte.

The state of first base depth slots first round draft pick Casey Gillaspie into Bowling Green, which is not an aggressive move for a college player you'd like to see escalated. How long will he stay at this level? The same should be asked of Riley Unroe and Justin Williams.

Meanwhile, Honeywell makes his way to Bowling Green this season, with the eyes of the Rays world on him.