The AL East is only getting stronger, so how the heck can the Rays become competitive again?

Alright guys, it's time for us to be honest here.

As the roster stands right now, we're looking at a slightly above .500 team with wild card aspirations at best. Don't get me wrong here, this is a very good team, but that isn't going to get it done. There's no doubt that this Rays team has tons of talent, but in a division that is overflowing with talent, it probably isn't enough. The trade at the deadline was a great start, and a full season of a healthy Matt Duffy is bound to improve this team, but some retooling must be done to make this team a threat in the division.

The most obvious option here would be to trade away Chris Archer to make position player improvements, but if this team wants to be competitive, that could be a mistake. The left side of the infield is set in stone with Longoria and Duffy, and it appears that Brad Miller will continue to perform competently at first base, and his power should continue to cement his spot in the starting lineup regardless of how he plays defensively. Nobody is taking away the Outlaw's spot out in center field and factor in Corey Dickerson out in left field with his above average bat along with Forsythe over at second base. Steven Souza Jr. can hold down right field with his stellar defense and good bat. At this point, you might be reading this thinking, "Wait, didn't he say that this team isn't good enough to compete? All of those players are pretty good, so what's the problem?"

This leads us to the biggest problem this Tampa Bay team has, and it's a problem that, if fixed, could make these team a competitor once again: The catcher.

The glaring hole at catcher presents the most obvious need for this Tampa Bay team. Hank Conger's ghastly .194/.265/.306 line made it pretty clear that he was not the best fit for this team, Curt Casali's .186/.273/.336 still is not enough to get it done, and finally, Luke Maile wasn't much better either, slashing .227/.252/.361. Fast forward to present day, to an overall unimpressive free agent class, notably lacking pitching.

The Free Agent Options:

One option would be to shell out the money and sign a free agent catcher. Coming off a season in which Wilson Ramos slashed .307/.354/.496 while hitting 22 home runs and eventually winning a Silver Slugger award. However, as most of you probably know by now, Ramos tore his ACL late in the season and is still reportedly seeking a four or five-year deal. I don't know about you, but it doesn't seem very smart to give a 29-year old catcher coming off a torn ACL a four or five-year deal, potentially clogging up what is already a very limited payroll.

Let's also go ahead and rule out Matt Wieters for similar reasons. Not only does it not make the most baseball sense to sign a 30-year old catcher to what one would expect to end up being a long-term deal, Wieters is also represented by Scott Boras, an agent who is notorious for encouraging his clients to go for the most money possible. The last thing this team needs going into next offseason's absolutely loaded free agent class is a Boras client taking up 20-30% of their payroll. Don't get me wrong, Wieters would be an incredible addition to this team, but could end up hurting the franchise in the long run.

That leaves us with Jason Castro, the left-handed catcher coming off a relatively disappointing season with the Astros. The attractive thing about Castro, however, is that he is pretty effective against right-handed pitching, slashing .247/.328/.424 since debuting in 2010. Combine that with Curt Casali's career .220/.313/.432 line against left-handed pitching, and you have at least an average catching platoon. Of all of the free agent catchers on the market, Castro might make the most sense for the Rays.

The Trade Market:

If the Rays aren't comfortable enough with Ramos, Wieters, or Castro, then the only other option would be to go to the trade market. As I mentioned earlier, I think it would be a mistake to trade away Chris Archer if this team wants to be competitive going forward. Trading away Blake Snell after a solid rookie campaign wouldn't be smart since he has the talent and the stuff to be a long-term piece in the rotation. Ruling out those two leaves us with two valuable trade pieces: Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi. Moving one of these two starters would allow the Rays to keep their rotation's ace, and while it would not be easy to move a solid pitcher like Cobb and Odorizzi, they are valuable enough to bring back enough talent in a trade that would make it easier to part with them.

For the sake of keeping this as an article instead of a novel, I'm just going to propose one trade for now that would make sense for the Rays if they want to be competitive in 2017 without selling the farm or going into a full rebuild. Keep in mind these are just based on my own opinions as to what makes sense for Tampa Bay, and are not necessarily based on any rumors.

Trade Scenario: Rays send RHP Jake Odorizzi to the Padres in exchange for C Derek Norris and minor league 2B/3B/SS Luis Urias

The Padres have a weak rotation and look to be heading towards at least a minor rebuild, and it's no secret that they would like to unload Norris following a very disappointing 2016 season with Christian Bethancourt and Austin Hedges as more viable options for the starting job behind the plate for them. Although Norris hit for a miserable .186/.255/.328 in 2016, he is still well above the Mendoza Line over the course of his career, and if he could return to form, Norris is a prime bounce-back candidate and would be an upgrade over any catching options that the Rays currently have.

It wouldn't be easy to part with Jake Odorizzi due to how much team control his contract has remaining, but it would make the Padres more willing to part with Urias, their number 11-ranked prospect. Urias has serious upside at the plate, slashing .330/.397/.440 this past season at the Advanced A level, and has a ton of flexibility defensively, being able to play just about anywhere in the infield. This defensively flexibility makes him an attractive piece for the Rays, since Urias should be ready for the majors around 2018-2019, which is when Logan Forsythe will most likely be on the way out.

So yes, the Rays have a tough choice to make. While there are options in the free agent market, there aren't very many that would be the best fit for this organization, and getting a catcher in a trade would mean having to painfully part with major league talent. The Red Sox and Blue Jays look to be a major force in this division for several years going forward, and the Yankees aren't far behind.

While acquiring a catcher does not make this team a World Series favorite, it will at least allow the Rays to remain competitive and in the playoff hunt for the 2017 season, and lets the team begin to gear up to get ready for these loaded free agent classes that are going to hit the market over the next several offseasons. What are the Tampa Bay Rays going to do?

Stay tuned to find out.