When the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Jesus Sucre earlier this month, the transaction was generally met with a yawn. He was expected to be nothing more than a depth piece, staying in Durham unless an emergency necessitated that he make a brief stint on the Major League roster. After all, his lifetime .209/.246/.278 batting line, worth an OPS+ of 48, does not exactly inspire confidence.
However, there is something to be said for making a first impression. Sucre has certainly done that with the Rays, displaying far more offense than anyone could have imagined. In his Spring Training debut on Saturday, Sucre hit a home run.