(My Sportsbook) - Another All-Star break and another bleak outlook for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The team is all but eliminated from playoff contention with 75 games still left to play. It owns a pitiful 34-53 record heading into the second half of the season and trails the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox by 19 games. Tampa Bay lost 13 of its final 14 games of the first half and could be on its way to the worst record in baseball for a second consecutive year.

Once again the Devil Rays' starting rotation has been ineffective. James Shields (7-4) is the only starter with a winning record, while the rest of the rotation is a combined 16-35 on the year. Edwin Jackson has been the worst of the bunch, going just 1-9 with a 7.23 earned run average. As a team the D- Rays own the league's worst ERA at 5.82.

Part of the problem for that high number has been the Devil Rays' lackluster bullpen, which is just 10-17 on the season. Highly-touted right-hander Brian Stokes, a closer candidate entering the year, is still suffering through growing pains. He has posted a 2-6 record with a 6.69 ERA over just 39 innings.

Tampa Bay has held its own at the plate, batting a respectable .261 as a team. However, they have struck out an American League-worst 692 times this season and are averaging just 4.6 runs per game. Shortstop Brendan Harris has been the leader at the plate, hitting .310 with eight home runs and 39 RBI thus far. His 40 runs scored are tied for second on the team, while his 18 doubles are third-best among Tampa players.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Carl Crawford has been the D-Rays' most consistent player through the first half of the season. The left fielder is batting .285 with six home runs and 51 RBI. He also is ranked third in the AL with 23 stolen bases.

Crawford is young and talented and could be the player the Rays decide to build around. He has played in all but two games this season and is slowly becoming the face of the Tampa Bay organization. However, he is also one of the few players that other teams may be interested at the upcoming trade deadline. It would take an unbelievable offer to convince the Devil Rays to let Crawford go, but if the right deal comes along, his departure is a possibility.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - Center fielder Elijah Dukes has had problems, both on and off the field, during a trying rookie season. The D-Rays had high hopes for Dukes, a third round pick in the 2002 draft, but a slow start and a highly publicized off-the-field domestic incident forced the team to de- activate him until further notice.

Prior to his demotion, the troubled outfielder was batting just .190 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI. Dukes' problems have also hurt the image of a franchise that is trying to promote its young players in an attempt to build an almost non-existent fan base, almost as much as they have hurt the team itself.

SECOND HALF PROJECTION - The Devil Rays are well on their way to a last place finish and probably the first pick in the 2008 First-Year Player draft. Tampa Bay lacks the pitching and consistent hitting needed to compete in the American League. However, there may be a silver lining to all this, as the D-Rays are extremely young and should return most, if not all, of their team next season. The organization has pledged to stick with the youth movement, as they do not have the fan base or money to attract high-quality free agents. The best thing for Tampa Bay can do this season is develop its young pitching staff.

Do not expect much from the Devil Rays at the trade deadline, as they do not have much to offer and are not willing to pay any high-priced players. The best thing for Tampa Bay at this point is to continue to push forward and develop a young nucleus that in time can challenge the Red Sox and Yankees of the world. However, the Rays also need to stay away from becoming a professional farm system that develops young talent only to have a big-market team come in and steal it away.