Orlando, Fla. (WFLA) – This offseason, the Rays signed Zach Eflin to a record three-year, $40 million-dollar deal – the most the franchise has ever paid a free agent. He joins four returning Rays players in their starting rotation, which should prove to be one of the strongest facets of this team—just ask fellow starter, Jeffrey Springs. 

“I don’t know, to put one word on it? Nasty?” Springs said of the quality of their starting pitchers.

“I just watched Zach [Eflin] and Shane [McClanahan] and Glas [Tyler Glasnow] throw bullpens and it’s like they hadn’t missed a beat. The stuff’s unbelievable. You add Eflin— I actually played catch with him today, got to watch him on TV last year in the postseason. Drew [Rasmussen], you know, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” 

“I feel like we have six, seven, eight guys that could be easily in anybody’s rotation,” said starting pitcher Shane McClanahan. “Easily anybody’s one-two. I think that just shows the depth we have.” 

McClanahan also said that beyond their starting pitchers, they also have the deepest bullpen staff he’s seen in his time with the Rays. But now they need to carry that over to the field this season. 

“We’re all excited about where our rotation is,” said Rays Manager Kevin Cash. “We talked about yesterday the depth that we have behind it, but it’s kind of on us to go out there and back up whatever’s being said. We would expect that these guys—they work well together. There’s no doubt that the talent is there.”

This stacked pitching staff is one of the reasons Eflin ultimately decided to sign with the Rays. 

“You look at all the guys that we have and everybody can post numbers,” Eflin said. “Everybody can keep us in a ballgame to win the game ultimately. So it’s going to be fun to work with a staff like that. I had an awesome opportunity to work with a great staff in Philly and this is just right up there with it—if not better—so I’m really excited to get going and really know these guys inside and out.”