Rays head to Meetings with open minds

ST. PETERSBURG — Making deals is the sexy part of the Winter Meetings. However, that lure won’t necessarily prompt the Rays to agree to any deals.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations so far this offseason and expect plenty more as we move into the Winter Meetings,” said Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. “Whenever all 30 clubs gather in one place, you can expect it to be busy; there will be a ton of dialogue and many different things to consider. We’ll look forward to exploring the landscape thoroughly and seeking opportunities to improve our club.”

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MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C., beginning Monday. Fans can catch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Thus far this offseason, the Rays have traded infielders/outfielders Taylor Motter and Richie Shaffer to Seattle for Minor League prospects. Both were once considered top prospects, but each appeared blocked given the other options available to the team.

Where do these moves leave Tampa Bay? In a flexible position where the team can listen but doesn’t have to deal.

Historically, the Rays have not been big players at the Winter Meetings. But they have explored possible deals while gathered with the other 29 teams, and that exploration has led to deals coming to fruition after the Meetings.

At times, the initial conversations Tampa Bay had brought forth future conversations a year or two later that also launch movement. But it’s always hard to predict whether anything concrete will happen in and around the Meetings.

The Rays feel confident that 2016 was an aberration and that the ’17 squad can compete for the postseason. Their organizational philosophy mandates that they always balance the present with the future. To accomplish that often delicate task, Tampa Bay strives to make sure the organization has the runway of players and prospects to stay competitive given its financial resources. That philosophy factors into the way the Rays view possible trades and evaluate potential moves.

“For us to compete over the course of 162 games, we need a functional, flexible roster with players who complement each other and can win games in many different ways,” Bloom said. “Front-line talent matters, but so does depth. So while we might have areas of greater surplus or need, the bottom line is that we’re looking to make ourselves better however we can, and we won’t close off any avenues to accomplish that.”

One thing is for sure — Rays fans …

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