Tampa Bay Devil Rays (67-95, .414, 5th in AL East)

Oh, sweet Jesus... not the Devil Rays... Not the Devil Rays!

OK, the plusses - Scott Kazmir, Aubrey Huff and Rocco Baldelli on a good day. That's about it. No, really, that's about it.

The team is comprised with a few guys who always pop up in fantasy leagues, usually when injuries kick in beginning in June. However, even the most die-hard Rays fan (heh... gotcha!) would be a first-class jackass to consider Julio Lugo and Jorge Cantu top-tier players. They re serviceable, but when that's the bright spots for your team, you've got prolems.

Kazmir was a lot of fun to watch last year and Baldelli is just funny in the way Forrest Gump and other fast white guys are funny. It was just a few seasons ago where Rocco was being groomed as a possible modern-day Joe DiMaggio. Now, I think even Rocco would settle for Dom.

Carl Crawford, Baldelli and Huff are all the outfielders right now, but with the Rays in on 60 percent of the late trade rumors any of them could move before spring training is over. I could write another 1,000 words ad not talk myself into backing the Rays, but let's face it - they were last in the East in 2005 and will be last again in 2006.

However, I'd be OK with them continuing their new tradition of 'Yankee-killing.'

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
C: Hall; Paul
1B: Lee; Huff; Wigginton
2B: Cantu; Green
SS: Lugo; Cantu
3B: Burroughs; Wigginton; Green
LF: Crawford; Hollins; Gathright; Gomes
CF: Baldelli; Hollins; Gathright
RF: Huff; Hollins; Gomes
DH: Gomes; Wigginton

SP: Kazmir; Hendrickson; Fossum; McClung; Waechter
CP: (?)