So here's the good news.
The Rays are 60-58 after taking two out of three in Toronto. Their so-called "tanking'' plan isn't really a total tank job after all. Call it a rebuilding project, and this rebuilding project looks way ahead of schedule. Not only do the Rays appear on the verge of another good run of winning seasons, you could make the case they already are pretty good. They're two games over .500. Pretty impressive, especially after a 1-8 start.
Now the bad news: Does any of this even matter?
Because as hard as the Rays are running, it looks like they will keep smacking into a massive wall being built by the Red Sox and Yankees — the two heavyweights the Rays will play over the next week.