Red Sox Rival Confident In Having ‘Championship Caliber Team’

The Boston Red Sox are in the middle of a highly-competitive American League East this season, with several squads in contention for the division crown.

However, the second-place Tampa Bay Rays are thinking big picture, positive that they’re not only favorites to win the AL East, but a strong enough club to win the World Series.

“Our guys are committed to putting out a very strong baseball team, and they have,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB Network Radio on Friday. “… I personally think, we have a championship caliber team in our clubhouse right now. Between the athleticism, the way we’re capable of scoring runs — they haven’t come easy as of late — we got a really good team that we should all stay really, really excited about.”

Tampa Bay leads all of Major League Baseball with a 3.67 ERA, having recorded an AL-best 61 victories and stolen bases (115). Doesn’t leave much room to improve with that foundation, right? Well, the Rays don’t see it that way.

Erik Neander said the Rays are approaching the trade deadline "with eyes wide open."

Kevin Cash: "I would expect they're going to do everything they can to improve upon it."#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/ttnty4qqXn

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 21, 2023

Ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, Tampa Bay isn’t trotting around with a complacent approach, intending to leave no stone unturned.

“If there’s something that we think gives us that opportunity we think is worth it, and we can be opportunistic and leverage things in the right moment. That’s always something that’s been there for us.” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neader said July 16, per MLB Network Radio.

Tampa Bay is still on the hunt for its first-ever World Series title, three years removed from its last (and second) Fall Classic appearance.