ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Moment after moment, Drew Smyly revealed the inner fire that could make him more than what met the eye when the Tampa Bay Rays traded for him July 31.
There was the swinging strikeout of Chris Davis in the fourth after the Baltimore Orioles' first baseman smashed a 371-foot home run to right field off him in the second. There was the slight twirl on the mound and the slap with his right hand into his glove after striking out Adam Jones swinging to end the top of the fifth with runners stranded on first and second bases. There were the postgame comments with Smyly standing just feet to the right of where the Rays' former ace once dressed and saying, "You can't limit yourself. I can't say, 'Oh, I can never be that guy. I can never be David Price.' "
Smyly's potential is a secret no more, his promising future obvious with the 3-1 record and 1.70 ERA posted in seven starts with the Rays since his move from the Detroit Tigers. If his six-inning outing in a 3-2 victory over the Orioles on Saturday at Tropicana Field was the end of his short stint with Tampa Bay this year -- manager Joe Maddon called Smyly "right on the edge" of being shut down -- then it was quite the teaser for 2015 and beyond. If there's concern about stretching Smyly beyond a reasonable limit, then he must be saved for next spring.
Caution is the wisest strategy with the Rays' postseason hopes all but dashed.
Still, who thought any of this was possible?
Throughout Tampa Bay, early reaction to the blockbuster deal that sent Price to Detroit rivaled the response of a young boy who unwrapped boxers instead of an Xbox 360 on Christmas morning. Smyly had never pitched more in the majors than the 99 1/3 innings he threw as a rookie in 2012, and Maddon said "I'm very aware that he has not been a big-inning guy" in some of the manager's first comments about the Rays' new acquisition.
"What were they thinking ..." and "They could have received more ..." became understood responses after the smoke had cleared from the fireworks that came with the non-waiver trade deadline's final hours. One era ended and another began with a backdrop of doubt.
No more. The concerns have turned into intrigue about Smyly's possibility, curiosity that shouldn't be risked if the time is right for the 25-year-old left-hander to call it a season now.
"Whether it's the last one or one more, who knows?" Smyly said. "But I just keep trying to finish strong. You want to end on a good note, whether it's this game or next game. ... You want to keep going. It understand it completely on their side, but as a competitor, you want to keep going out there."
An answer should arrive soon. Maddon said he and Andrew Friedman, the Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations, will meet in the coming days and discuss their plan for Smyly. Likely, a resolution will come by Tuesday.
There's little reason to push the young pitcher this September, and with five teams ahead of the Rays in the race for the American League's second wild-card spot, Maddon and Friedman should err on the side of caution. Smyly's starts with them since Aug. 5 were about building toward the future anyway.
Nothing constructive can be gained by seeing how much more can be received from him after he has thrown 153 innings already this year, if the choice of whether to give Smyly another start is a borderline call. Maddon and Friedman can't become greedy.
"He can be what you're seeing right now," Maddon said. "That's a pretty complete pitcher. We're just holding him back right now."
Holding Smyly back more would be the right choice if there's any doubt that a time for rest has come. This should be an easy decision. Choose preservation. Choose the future.
Still, Smyly impressed Saturday, and if this afternoon was the final glimpse of him this season, it was a good way to go out. He allowed just one run, four hits and struck out eight in a no-decision. Overall, he's 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA and 133 strikeouts this year.
Smyly came to Tampa Bay with a perceived ceiling as a middle-of-the-rotation option. About a month later, with those initial doubts long gone, he has changed the dialogue about his potential.
Think more. Dream larger.
"Look at Cliff Lee," Smyly said. "That's who I try to make myself after. He throws 90 (mph), just dices guys up every game. He's outstanding. So if he can do it, why can't I do it? All you've got to do is command your pitches, execute them -- don't give in, be a competitor. The ceilings, I think, are very high."
"He's throwing strikes," Rays reliever Jake McGee said. "He works really quick too.
"I think everyone in our rotation could be a one or two (starter), because everyone's young in our rotation, so there's room to grow."
Maddon understands Smyly's growth possibility as well. Late Saturday afternoon, he sat in his office and was asked about the trade that will become a lasting memory of this season. He rubbed his chin with his right hand. He looked pleased.
"It's worked out pretty well for both sides," Maddon said. "That's the essence of a good trade."
The good, from the Rays' perspective, can become great in time if they don't jeopardize the future.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
