Tampa Bay Rays part ways with Chris Prieto and Dan DeMent for next season amid Kevin Cash's uncertain future

When the Tampa Bay Rays began 2023 with a historic 13-0 record, many believed that the team would be unstoppable. However, the highly promising campaign ended with considerable disappointment.

After the team was outscored 11-1 over two games in the AL Wild Card Series, serious questions began to get hurled at their front office. As if the lackluster playoff performance was not bad enough, the Rays fell to the Texas Rangers at home in front of fewer than 20,000 fans in both games.

On October 17, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that first base coach Chris Prieto, as well as hitting coach Dan DeMont, would not be returning to the club in 2024. Many view this as a result of the underwhelming fashion in which the season ended.

"#Rays announce that first base coach Chris Prieto and assistant hitting coach Dan DeMent won't be back for 2024." - Marc Tompkin

The apparent dismissal of these two key parts of the Rays' coaching staff comes against a backdrop of uncertainty revolving around head coach Kevin Cash. Cash, a two-time manager of the year, was rumored to be interviewing with the Cleveland Guardians for a head coaching role. However, the 45-year-old has denied these rumors.

Since 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays have won more games than any other team in baseball, save for the Dodgers and New York Yankees. However, apart from a World Series appearance in the shortened season of 2020, the team's playoff record is void.

The Rays consistently rank among the teams with the lowest attendance in baseball. The poor turnout for the AL Wild Card series against the Texas Rangers led to many questions being posed in the media about the location and state of their home park, Tropicana Field, which is located some 40 minutes away from Tampa City Center.

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Tampa Bay Rays might need an even bigger shakeup to cure their ills

As the saying goes, you cannot fire players. With the move to relieve both Prieto and DeMent of their duties, the Rays are showing their fanbase that they are ostensibly serious about changing things for the better.

However, the 2023 season was a source of massive disappointment and confusion for fans. To exacerbate the team's problems, Wander Franco, who signed the largest deal in franchise history, may never play again.

There are certainly some big issues in Tampa, ones that are much deeper than any one player or coach.