PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- One by one, they arrive to redefine the Tampa Bay Rays.
The past offseason included change upon change. It happened on the field. It happened in the front office. Right-hander Chris Archer joked that the Rays will need name tags in spring training. The team has a different feel.
The change, though, presents opportunity. What does it mean for the new faces to be part of the evolution? What's it like to be a building block within a new structure?
During spring training, we've been asking new Rays players about how they view their place within Tampa Bay's new normal. Last Thursday, outfielder Steven Souza Jr., who arrived on Dec. 19 from the Washington Nationals in an 11-player trade, three-team trade, shared his thoughts as part of the Rays' new beginning.
FOX SPORTS FLORIDA: What are your initial impressions of the Rays?
SOUZA: "It's pretty impressive what they do with the resources that they've got. They're not the Nationals with the huge payroll or the Yankees. They have to manifest different things through different operations. And so watching the way they go about it and keeping the clubhouse relaxed and allowing players to be themselves, it's pretty cool. It's pretty fun to be around. Not to say that I didn't like D.C. at all, because I loved that environment. But I love it so far."
FSF: Players have talked about the "Rays' Way" in the past. What have you picked up about that concept so far?
SOUZA: "I think it's just not going with the flow. They think outside the box. In order to be different, you've got to think different. In order to win, you have to think different. If everybody did it the same way, and it was the recipe to win, then everybody would do it, and everybody would be winning World Series. But that's not the case. You look at the track record of the wins in the last four years doing it the Rays' Way, being yourself and coming out here and playing free, it speaks for itself."
FSF: What do you think of new manager Kevin Cash?
SOUZA: "I don't think he trains you. I think he allows you to play free, and that's a huge quality in a manager in order to allow that player to be his full self. We're not going crazy, but he allows us to be ourselves on the field. And if you do that, you're comfortable, and you can have fun."
FSF: With all the change, do you see opportunity in being on the ground level of a new direction?
SOUZA: "It's a blessing. I'm just thankful for this opportunity. It's a new start, essentially. So to be a part of a new way, it's going to be exciting. I think it's a bright future ahead, and so it's going to be fun to see where we start and where we head from there."
FSF: Who has helped you the most so far?
SOUZA: "(First-base coach) Rocco (Baldelli). Rocco and I have talked a lot so far. He's been pretty good with helping me on the base pads, defense, settling in at the dish and stuff like that, what my purpose is at the dish. I came into spring, and I came into big-league camp and hit .350 with four homers. And it looked great, but did I really know the pitchers and stuff like that? So he helped me do that stuff."
FSF: What's the best part about spring training?
SOUZA: "The best part is having my wife come down, my brand-new wife. That's the best part, having her come down."
FSF: What's the worst part about spring training?
SOUZA: "Definitely the worst part is making yourself go to bed at 9 o'clock. That's the worst part, because you have to get up so early. That's the one thing I like about the season -- you get up a little later than 6 o'clock."
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
