PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Through some of the losing seasons in recent years, Rays brass kept reminding people that they felt very strongly about the young crop of players who were developing through the team’s Minor League system.

Last season, that young core showed glimpses of what it is capable of. Tampa Bay had 23 rookies make an appearance throughout the season en route to the Rays finishing with 90 wins in an American League East that saw the Red Sox and Yankees combine for 208 wins.

With the young core now in place, adding veteran pieces was a priority for Tampa Bay this offseason in order to help the team get back to the postseason. The club began the offseason by trading for catcher Mike Zunino in November and capped it off by signing 35-year-old pitcher Charlie Morton to a two-year, $30 million deal and trading for infielder Yandy Díaz.

Even with the additions of Morton, Zunino and Diaz, the Rays remain a young group. For many players, including Willy Adames, this will be their first full season at the big league level. But as the team breaks camp, the expectations are clear: make a run at the postseason.

“When people ask me if I see this team being successful this year -- it’s a hard yes,” Morton said. “Because I think the talent is there and the personalities, the character in a clubhouse is there.”

What's the goal?
Despite winning 90 games last season, the Rays mostly flew under the radar as most of the attention centered around the team’s use of openers and bullpen days. But Tampa Bay was about more than outside-the-box strategies: The club finished with a 19-9 record in September, including series wins over Cleveland and Oakland.

The goal for the Rays this year is to build off a successful 2018 season and make it back to the postseason for the first time since '13. This year, however, Tampa Bay won’t be sneaking up on any teams.

“We’re not going to walk up on someone anymore,” said outfielder Tommy Pham. “Teams know us. They know that we’re young, and they know that we’re good. We’re going to have to bring it, because they’re coming for us now.”

What's the plan?
The Rays are usually built around pitching, and that’ll be the case again in 2019. Tampa Bay will enter the season with a three-man starting rotation, and the Rays will rely a lot on what '18 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Morton will give them in each start. Strong pitching out of that trio will allow Tampa Bay to get creative with openers and bullpen days. They’ll lean on Ryne Stanek, Jose Alvarado, Diego Castillo and Chaz Roe to be solid out of the bullpen, with Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough being used mostly as bulk guys, who immediately follow the opener.

Offensively, Pham will shoulder most of the load this season, while the team is hoping for continued improvement from Adames, Daniel Robertson, Austin Meadows, Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Lowe.

What could go wrong?
Injuries could derail any team, but that particularly rings true when talking about the Rays’ starting rotation. Tampa Bay prides itself on the depth of its pitching, but an extended absence by either Snell, Morton or Glasnow would directly affect the way the Rays use their rotation and the bullpen. Tampa Bay has options with Chirinos, Yarbrough, Wilmer Font and Jalen Beeks also expected to be on the roster, but the team would prefer to leave them in their current bullpen roles.

Who might surprise?
With such a young group, there are several players the Rays hope can have a breakout season. Lowe, who just agreed to a six-year, $24 million extension with the team, is one of the players who could surprise. Lowe hit six home runs over his final 37 games last season and leads the team with 17 RBIs this spring. Despite his slim 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame, Lowe hits the ball hard and has shown the ability to play multiple positions. Adames, Diaz, Robertson and Meadows are also among the young position players Tampa Bay is high on this season.