Why are the Rays so good? They can hit, pitch, play defense, steal bases and hit with runners in scoring position. Sound familiar? It’s the exact ingredients the 1998 Yankees had. This team is for real and the Yankees will be chancing them all year. The Yankees are in bad shape with a host of key injuries at this point of the season. The Rays are taking every advantage, like a shark that looks for an easy meal such as a hurt fish.

The Rays best chance to win a title is now. The Rays aren’t a big market team like the Yankees and Red Sox. They can’t afford the $20-$25 million per year contracts and at the end of the 2010 season; they have a few key players that will become free agents.

Tampa Bay Rays Free Agent List after 2010:

Carl Crawford (.321 average, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 32 Runs and 11 SB) Crawford will probably sign elsewhere and most likely the New York Yankees.

Carlos Pena (.190 average, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 21 Runs and 2 SB) Pena is not having a stellar year average wise, but he is still a power threat. The Rays might be able to resign Carlos if his batting average is near the Mendoza line for the remainder of 2010.

Grant Balfour is having a good year at relief, after 18 innings pitched, he has an earn run average of 2.45.

Pat Burrell who turns 35 at the end of the season is on the decline. Pat is a lifetime .253 hitter and I am not sure if the Rays will resign him. Burrell did hit 33 homers for Philly in 2008.

See the entire list of potential free agents for 2011.

The Rays are firing on all cylinders and this year will be their best chance of winning a title. Joe Maddon has the Rays fine tuned and motivated. Maddon is schooling other managers in the league and hopefully they’re taking notice.

MLBTradeRumors.com: Rays owner Stuart Sternberg talked to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times about impending free agent Carl Crawford: “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he stays here longer.”

There was talk this winter about the Yankees interest in Crawford, but it was premature as he still has another year left on his contract with the Rays. I am sure the Yankees, if the opportunity is there, will sign Crawford in 2011.

The Yankees outfield would be tremendous defensively, but it would also add a lot of speed on the base paths, and I mean a lot! The Yankees would score well over a 1000 runs per year and the big 3, 4 and 5 hitters would have a ton of RBI.

It must be nice being a Yankees fan.

The Yankees should platoon speedster Brett Gardner in left with newly acquired Hoffman, but the Yanks are looking for depth and a low priced player. I am not sure if the Yankees will get Dye for less than 6 million even though it’s for one year. The Yankees are buying time for the big prize (Carl Crawford) in next year’s free agent market.

The biggest concern is that Dye is not a good OF and left field in Yankee stadium is like playing center field. But was Damon any better? They could move Swisher to left and Dye to right as a possibility. You still have a 36 year old player that should be a DH, but that train left a long time ago after the Yankees acquired Nick Johnson.

Jermaine Dye’s bat would fit well behind Tex and A-Rod and would be an upgrade over Posada or Swisher. The Yankees could put Dye in left, and if they need defense to protect a game, they can opt to put in Gardner.

The Yankees should not be in any rush to obtain outfield depth. There will be many second-tier outfielders for them to choose from until the end of January. If they play their cards right by taking their time, the price tag for available outfielders will fall.

They could sign Nady, Dye, Marlon Byrd, Jerry Hairston or even Randy Winn. If I was a betting man, I bet on Dye.

What are your thoughts?