SAN DIEGO (WDAE) -- With the 2019 Winter Meetings officially kicking off Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays found things to be quiet on the conversation front.
After flying in to town late Sunday evening, general manager Erik Neander and the club were presented with the Best Organization Award at a luncheon by Baseball America Monday.
"Winning a World Series is certainly the ultimate accomplishment in recognition in a given season," Neander said. "But to be recognized for something like that that really highlights the quality of the organization top to bottom, and all the many, many people that contribue to it, it is special."
But when you're receiving an award, you're usually not having those conversations with other clubs. And while the Rays may not be looking at making a move during the meetings just for the sake of making a move, you can rest assured that they are listening and watching to what other teams are doing and saying.
Meanwhile, manager Kevin Cash arrived in town Monday afternoon, and talked about looking forward to meeting the newest member of the team -- outfielder Hunter Renfroe.
"I'm excited to get Hunter in and get him sat down," Cash said. "He was having a tremendous year before the injury and want to learn him a little bit and obviously the other player everybody is talking about is talented, younger, his path is maybe farther away, but excited to get him."
But Cash admitted it will not be the same without Tommy Pham this year.
We're going to miss Tommy Pham, no denying that," Cash said. "When we acquired Tommy a year and a half ago, that was right about the time stuff started to change, and we started to have more of a presence in the lineup and the box and Tommy was a big part of that."
Click below to listen to the full press conference from Cash below.