Deep roster to keep Cash tinkering

ST. PETERSBURG -- After Rays manager Kevin Cash filled out his Opening Day lineup, he admitted that it was tough to tell some players, especially a veteran like Avisail Garcia, that they were not on the lineup card.

“Yesterday was tough for me,” Cash said. “To look at him and tell him he wasn’t playing. He’s played probably every Opening Day that he’s been a big leaguer. That was tough, and he handled it well. We’re sensitive to all of that.”

The sensitivity aspect of managing playing time is something that Cash will likely deal with all season. Due to injuries, trades and callups, the Rays finished the 2018 season with 151 different starting lineups. The Rays believe they have more depth than they had a year ago, and they are also carrying 13 position players, whom they would like to get in the game.

“We’ve kind of laid it out to them that that’s how it’s kind of going to go, especially early on,” Cash said. “Look, everybody gets out of spring fairly fresh, and sometimes you can catch yourself three weeks in or a month in where you have not utilized anybody from your bench, and that Spring Training becomes wasted for them. We’re going to make sure that everybody stays fresh and playing and helping us win games as one unit.”

Over the next couple of weeks, the Rays will continue to tinker with their lineup and rotations to find the most balanced unit. Usually, matchups against the opposing pitcher will be the biggest factor, but Cash will also make it a point to divide up the playing time.

“We’re going to learn that kind of on the fly a little bit, because we do think we have a very deep bench,” Cash said. “It’s going to take some time to learn when to gauge it. If we feel like we have a better matchup in the middle of the game, I think we’re going to go for it and try and use [our bench].”

For Thursday’s game against Justin Verlander, Cash opted to have a pair of left-handed hitters toward the top of the lineup, with Austin Meadows, Ji-Man Choi and Brandon Lowe all hitting in the first four spots. But Friday against righty Gerrit Cole, Cash inserted right-handers Daniel Robertson and Garcia into the lineup.

The versatility and the options could end up being the reason the Rays get into the summer with a little more energy than previous years. But with all the talent on the roster, it could take some time for the players and coaches to get accustomed to all the different lineups.

“I would imagine Cash would want all of his players to want to play,” infielder Joey Wendle said. “The competitor in us is going to want to play every day. I think everybody is going to want that. But I think ... we can buy in to the fact that in the long run it’s going to help us as a team, and the ultimate goal is about the team, so I’m taking that approach.”