Tampa Bay Rays

Those sneaky Tampa Bay Rays have been anything but complacent this week as they aim for their fourth playoff berth in six seasons.

Things have really come together for the surging Tampa Bay Rays in the past month. With yesterday's big win in Boston, they've won six straight games and a franchise-record 21 of their last 25.

Let's take a look at how the Rays came from being last place in the AL East to just a half game out of first place and having the third-best record in baseball.

The Pitching

When the Tampa Bay Rays signed veteran catcher Jose Molina to a two-year deal worth $3.3 million following the 2011 season, they actually got much more than what the 37-year-old's numbers show.

A David Price trade is pretty much inevitable; the question is: When? And with which team?

The reigning Cy Young award winner could leave Tampa as early as this summer if the Rays fall out of contention, but he could possibly stick around for two or even three more years. My guess is that he's dealt this offseason, but when GM Andrew Friedman decides to pull the trigger depends on many factors.

The 2013 MLB season is now in full swing, and the Rays haven't had very good start to their year. Tampa Bay stands at 3-4 after the first week of baseball, dropping a couple of tough games but showing some bright signs as well.

It's just the beginning of what should be an exciting year for this talented Rays team.

Here are five things I've taken away from the first seven games of the season.

The weather is starting to warm up (in the wrong parts of the country), and people are starting to book their vacation trips to Arizona and Florida. Every baseball fan is starting to come out of hibernation and are ready for Spring Training to get started.

We're going to see lots of speculating at who this year's World Series champions will be and whom the the front-runners for all the major awards are.

Pitchers and catchers are slated to report to their spring training camps starting on February 11, yet top free agent Michael Bourn has yet to find a home.

This series will evaluate one team per day, starting on January 23, 2013 and ending on February 22, 2013 (the first game of spring training). It is based on last season's performance, offseason changes since and the author's outlook for the team in 2013. Please keep in mind that rosters can, and will, change before Opening Day. We start in the AL East and go in ABC order; next up, the Tampa Bay Rays.

If the Tampa Bay Rays want to make a power play in what is a very deep AL East, they should consider signing the top free agent left on the open market: Speedy center fielder Michael Bourn.

After insisting on a three year deal but ultimately failing to land one, first baseman Adam LaRoche agreed to resign with the Washington Nationals for a two year deal with a mutual third year option.