There has been lots of moving parts for the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason, but for pitcher Tyler Glasnow, it’s been business as usual.
“I got down to Florida relatively early, and worked with Kyle [Snyder] a little bit before, then drove up to Port Charlotte and just kind of had my normal routine this offseason,” Glasnow said. “Everything’s feeling good and healthy, and just excited to get the season going.”
But a normal routine doesn’t mean that Glasnow is resting on what has worked for him since coming to the Rays in 2018 in the deal for Chris Archer. During the offseason, he mentioned working on a third and even a fourth pitch to go along with his nearly triple-digit fastball and knee-buckling curve.
“I guess if you were to count my changeup. I don’t throw it very often, but I’m still working on that. So that’s three,” Glasnow said. “And then the slider I’m working on with Kyle right now. It’s just a cutter-slider thing. Something that I’ve been messing with and we’ve been going into “The Lab.” With all the advanced analytical stuff we have here, it’s just easier to formulate a third pitch and understand how I need to position my hand to throw it.”
The right-hander’s role will be increased this year with the trade of Blake Snell and Charlie Morton leaving via free agency, but he understands the nature of the business.
“If you were to go into it thinking your teammates were going to be your teammates your entire career, you that’s not realistic,” he admitted. “I think it’s just the reality of the situation, and they kind of have to do what they got to do being a low-market team and everything. It’s hurts a bit, but I know the signings we’ve made and the team we have is still really good and we can compete with anyone out there. I’m just looking forward to the season coming up.”
This year, Glasnow will get a chance to share a rotation with the guy he was traded for, as Archer returned to the Rays this off-season on a one-year deal.
“He’s one of the dudes I’ve was really curious to come and pick his brain,” the right-hander said. “It’s just nice to have him on the team. He’s such a good guy. He was a leader on the team. Everyone loves him here. Everyone’s familiar with him. It’s just good to see him out, and he’s happy [after] going through all that stuff to be back home.”
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
