Glenn Davis

USATODAY

Not all sports businesses are created equal - monetary resources, location, and ownership, among other factors, combine to give some franchises pronounced advantages. But some teams that appear challenged beat the odds and find success. We looked at both the standings and payrolls to find out which teams did the most with the least in the four major U.S. pro sports. First up: Major League Baseball.

Thanks to Moneyball, Michael Lewis' chronicle of the small-market Oakland A's outperforming their stature to win big, baseball put the art of contending with a relatively small payroll in the spotlight. But despite a recent resurgence – Oakland has made two straight playoff appearances with payrolls in the bottom five both years - they didn't come out on top when we analyzed won-loss and payroll data from the 2009-13 seasons to determine MLB's most consistent winner on a tight budget.

That honor went to the Tampa Bay Rays. Over the past five seasons, the Rays failed to win 90 games just once, and never had a payroll ranked higher than 19th. In every season but one, their payroll was ranked 25th or lower. Led by players such as David Price and Evan Longoria, and under the watchful eye of general manager Andrew Friedman, the Rays keep churning out winning seasons. That they do so in the talent-rich American League East, competing against traditional powerhouses in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, is even more impressive. No other team in the last half-decade has won more consistently, or more frugally. How do the Rays do it?

The first key is talent development. The Rays used high draft picks from their earlier lean years to draft Longoria (third overall in 2006) and Price (first overall in 2007). And while they can't keep everyone long term, when they have a player worth handing a big contract, they're proactive. They locked up Longoria with a six-year, $17.5 million deal when he'd played just a few games in the major leagues. He immediately made himself a bargain by blossoming into one of baseball's premier third basemen. The Rays then rewarded Longoria in turn with a six-year, $100 million contract extension that ensured he'll be a Ray throughout his prime.

Another key is knowing when to sell high. (Fitting, then, that so much has been made of Friedman's Wall Street background.) The Rays traded Matt Garza, one of their top pitchers, to the Cubs before the 2011 season. In return they received a package of prospects including right-hander Chris Archer, who last year finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and is one of baseball's most promising young pitchers. They traded away another of their best pitchers, James Shields, prior to last season. The centerpiece of their haul was Wil Myers, who finished first in Rookie of the Year voting, seamlessly transitioning from one of baseball's top prospects to one of baseball's best young players, period.

There's a lot the outside observer can't see. We might be able to glean that the team places a premium on defense and baserunning, but the book about Friedman's success with the Rays is called The Extra 2% for a reason. The advantages the team is trying to exploit are small, and if someone for another team finds out how they do it, that advantage disappears. Friedman, who did not respond to interview requests for this story, is reluctant to discuss how he and his team arrive at those 2 percent advantages. Even this review of The Extra 2% hammers home just how tight-lipped the Rays' front office is about its methods.

It's hard to blame the Rays. Why mess with what works? While Friedman's front office hasn't had a 100 percent success rate - 2008 No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham thus far has a grand total of seven major league at bats - it's done more with less over the last half-decade than any other team in baseball. In the post-Moneyball era, the Rays stand out as the model franchise for any team trying to compete on a relative shoestring budget.