Enemy Lines

an opposing team's scout sizes up the Devil Rays

"This team is still weak offensively but is improved overall. They're headed in the right direction....

Steve Cox is going to be a pretty good hitter. He doesn't pull the ball much, but he can hit with power to left center. He's strong defensively, too....

The outfield is not one of their strong points. It's not an outfield that will give you run production, and it's not a good defensive outfield either. Ben Grieve leaves a lot to be desired. He plays rightfield, but he doesn't have a rightfielder's arm, and he doesn't cover much ground. He didn't have a good year with the bat last year, and I haven't seen it come alive this spring....

The best centerfielder they've got is Jason Conti. He's a line drive hitter who can really track it in the outfield. They keep waiting for Randy Winn to develop. I don't see him blossoming. He doesn't have good instincts in the field or on the bases. His bat doesn't fit any of the three outfield positions, unless he learns how to bunt, slash and chop the ball to use his speed. Jason Tyner is a Punch and Judy hitter with very good speed, but Conti runs every bit as well, maybe even better....

Esteban Yan is their closer, but I think they have two guys who are a hell of a lot better than Yan—Jesus Colome and Victor Zambrano. Both have closer's stuff....

The rotation is better than they've had before. Wilson Alvarez has looked pretty good this spring. He's got his curveball almost back to where it was before he got hurt [May 2000 rotator-cuff surgery]. Unless he breaks down again, he's going to be a big part of their rotation."