EssentiallySports had an Exclusive interview with the Mets’ famous former GM Steve Phillips. Discussions were held over small-market teams where Phillips shared how different things are for such teams. They have to contend with a lot of issues that big market teams rarely face. Then he talked about one particular team that gave Rays of hope to every franchise.

While talking about the success of this franchise, Phillips noted a few risks involved with it. The first is the rather limited window of success that forces these small-market teams to make tough decisions. But the most surprising one was how the success of this team has led to the competitors trying to poach the executives from them.

Vultures are always circling over the small-market teams

“It takes critical thinking. It is a bit more difficult. You have to be very creative. Sometimes you have to make really hard decisions that you don’t wanna make, but you have to make. That its the nature of what you’re doing.” Phillips stated all this when EssentiallySports’ Abhay Agrawal asked about how the small market teams survive in the increasingly expensive MLB sphere. To better explain this, Phillips singled out the Tampa Bay Rays as the perfect small-market team. 

“Tampa Bay Rays are, of the small market teams, the one you want to model yourself after. That’s why you see teams trying to cherry-pick executives from them. Because they’ve got a system to get the most out of their players.” Phillips explained how the traditionally small market Rays have found a way to maximize the potential of their players. The success has been so immense that other franchises try to poach the Rays’ executives to improve their structure. As a result, the Rays have to fight the vultures that fly over their baseball operations.

Steve further explained why the Rays’ system works so effectively: “They evaluate their players very well, they evaluate your players very well! And they’ve made very good trades. So if they want one of your guys, you better be concerned, because maybe they see something or think you can get something out of them that you haven’t been able to.” Certainly, by consistently producing stars like Tyler Glasnow, the Rays have a knack for punching way above their weight in the league. 

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But Phillips did clarify that these teams have a limited window for success. So trading stars becomes their primary source of acquisition. With the Rays consistently contending with a budget that’s even below the league average, certainly, the executives are doing something right. But it begs the question, is it the executives who are functioning well or is it the structure that they’ve been given by the Rays? 

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