Rays' Cash: You could argue our starting pitching took a 'step back'

Manager Kevin Cash isn't going to sugarcoat the state of his Tampa Bay Rays' starting rotation after losing star pitchers Blake Snell and Charlie Morton during the offseason.

"It's tough," Cash said Friday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "None of these decisions are easy. But we work within the parameters we think are best for the organization. Trading Blake Snell was extremely tough. Not having Charlie back is really, really tough.

"You could make the argument, make the case, that from a starting pitching standpoint we took a step back. You could certainly say that, losing Blake and Charlie. But we're very excited about the guys we have that are going to come in to compete for the opportunity."

Tampa Bay's rotation is currently projected to include Tyler Glasnow, Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Wacha, Josh Fleming, and Trevor Richards.

The Rays dealt away Snell in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres in late December, while Morton signed with the Atlanta Braves in November after the team declined his 2021 option. The duo, who helped the club make the World Series last season, also has three All-Star nods and a Cy Young award between them.