Kevin Cash Keeps Rays Focused After Yankees Sweep

The Rays earned their way out of the American League Division Series with a sweep of the Yankees, and Kevin Cash’s message in the visiting clubhouse was that the October meal is not finished yet.

Cash returned to the tomahawk-steak image that followed Tampa Bay’s postseason clinch, telling his players there were still “two more bites on the bone” before sending them into the celebration. His other instruction was simpler: “Nobody sleeps!”

That unusual calendar is now part of Tampa Bay’s advantage. The Rays won the AL East, avoiding the Wild Card round, then handled New York in three games. With scheduled breaks also built into the Division Series, they will arrive at Monday night’s AL Championship Series opener at Tropicana Field having played only three games across a two-week span.

The club flew home Thursday afternoon and received the remainder of the day off. Players returned for a full pregame-style workout Friday, with an intrasquad game planned for Saturday and another regular workout on Sunday. Their opponent will not be settled until Cleveland hosts a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday.

Rest without losing the edge

Cash called the extra recovery time a privilege after the grind of a 162-game season and the pressure of postseason baseball. He described playoff games as draining from both a physical and mental standpoint, even when they last only nine innings.

“They get the rest, but they can turn it back on when needed,” Cash said.

The Rays are not treating the pause as an excuse to become passive. Tampa Bay remembers the 2023 Rangers arriving at the Trop after a taxing finish, only to overpower the Rays in the Wild Card Series and continue on to a championship.

Outfielder Jonny DeLuca said the club’s approach will remain centered on its own preparation. “We’re just going to focus on us and be in the moment,” he said.

The longer runway should allow Tampa Bay to arrange its rotation without asking starters to pitch on four days of rest or less. It also gives regular position players a chance to ramp back up before a best-of-seven series that contains only two scheduled off-days, following Games 2 and 5.

Keeping the bullpen active

Only three primary relievers appeared during the sweep, aside from starters Ian Seymour and Griffin Jax making bullpen appearances. That creates a different task during the break: making sure the arms that did not pitch in the Division Series remain ready without overworking them in simulated action.

Kelly said the club has tried to find the middle ground between too much throwing and too much inactivity. He welcomed the downtime while noting that relief usage can pile up quickly around the league during October.

“The usage has been good,” Kelly said.

Rotation decision still pending

Cash said the Rays have a strong outline for their Championship Series pitching plans, but the final arrangement will wait until Saturday night, when the matchup becomes known. Drew Rasmussen is positioned to start Game 1, as he did in the ALDS, though Cash stopped short of making it official.

“We’ve got a lot of conversations to talk through,” Cash said.

Tampa Bay used five starters in meaningful roles against the Yankees, and Cash expects that group to remain central to the next round. He said he would be comfortable continuing to lean heavily on those starters.

The Rays can also revise their roster between series. No decision has been made on the ALCS group, but Cash indicated it should look much like the roster that completed the New York sweep. For now, the clubhouse has recovery, workouts and a Saturday scrimmage ahead of Monday’s first pitch at the Trop.