Reid Brignac Promoted

R.J. Anderson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:32:10 -0000

Elliot Johnson played shortstop last night for the Bulls, and with Sean Rodriguez, Henry Mateo, and Ray Olmedo around, I suppose the Rays feel Brignac's ability to fill in for Jason Bartlett is a better usage of his time than playing for Durham.

David Price, Reid Brignac, Justin Ruggiano, Elliot Johnson, and John Jaso Optioned to Durham

R.J. Anderson — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:06:04 -0000

A few days ago Tommy suggested that Adam Kennedy had a good shot at making the opening day 25-man roster. With today's moves -- announced via press release -- that seems even more likely.

Everyone knows about Price and the work he needs to do on his change and efficiency. The added benefit of keeping Price's innings in check is simply the cherry on top. Don't expect Price to be down for too long either. Getting to work with James Shields, Jim Hickey, and then Xavier Hernandez on his change-up should do wonders for him.

Brignac was never a serious option to start in the majors barring injury and it would make absolutely no sense to place him on the bench when he needs the reps in Durham. It'll be interesting to see if the Rays continue to cross-train Brignac at second base, or if they let him play shortstop for the majority of the time.

Johnson would've been the more likely bench candidate, but Kennedy offers more in the way of defense. Jaso, again, had little chance at the roster.

Ruggiano is the surprise. Apparently, Ben Zobrist will be the reserve outfielder in combination with the non-Gabe of the day. It makes sense, the two differ very little in offensive or defensive talents, Zobrist has added flexibility, but frankly that's a bit overrated given his lack of defensive talents at the infield positions. As mentioned above, Adam Kennedy looks likely to make the roster.

Here are some links to DRaysBay's coverage on the David Price decision:

One Pitch, Two Pitch, Fast Pitch, Slow Pitch

More On Fastballs, Sliders and David Price

David Price: "My slider's gone away"

So, Jason Hammel Might Be The Rays Fifth Starter

Update: A few quotes from David Price and Andrew Friedman from Raysbaseball.com

Friedman on making the decision.

"We had a lot of conversations about ways to get creative. And went through it for the last two or three weeks at length and ultimately decided that -- all things considered -- that this was the right move for David and in turn the organization."

Friedman on how the organization's approach has changed.

"As we've demonstrated in the past, we're very dogmatic when it comes to our young pitchers and building them up," Friedman said. "And we were in a different position in '06 and '07, when we could shut guys down near the end of seasons and not have it present a problem.

"But we're in a different situation now. We have expectations and hopes of playing in October, and we feel like we'll be a better team with David as a part of that and also continuing to work on the developmental things we've laid out as well."

Friedman on what they want to see improved.

"Being able to get deep into games, which all comes back to being able to command his fastball at will," Friedman said. "The great thing about David is, whenever you lay a challenge in front of him, he exceeds your expectations and what you ask of him. And so that's something that we've laid out."

Price on the "sting" of the news

"It's just, I don't know, I haven't really thought about it a whole lot right now," Price said. "Probably a couple of days, I'll have some feelings about it, but right now it kind of stings a little bit."

Price showing amazing maturity and knows that it is the right decision

"I talked to my agent quite a bit, and he told me kind of what to expect," Price said. "So I came in and had fun. This is where I want to be, so have fun. It was a fun Spring Training, a great group of guys right here. Hopefully, I get to join them sooner or later."
"Yeah, it's a business," Price said. "They have to look out for their best interest. If I was the owner of the team, I would be doing the same thing."

B.J. Upton Likely To Miss Opening Day After Setback

Tommy Rancel — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:35:50 -0000

The good news is it still looks like B.J. Upton's hand injury is a minor one. The bad news is it's a big enough setback that Upton is "definitely" expecting to the season on the DL.

Upton now figures he will open the season on the DL with hopes of being ready for the April 13 home opener.

"Definitely,'' Upton said. "Obviously I was pushing it, but I think they're definitely going to want to take it a lot slower now.'' --Heater

While it was a long shot for Upton making the opening day roster to begin with, he was progressing nicely this spring and just last week started to play in minor league games. Saturday was his first game playing both defense and offense. According to the report, Upton's hand is still swollen and will visit with Dr. Koko Eaton today for futher evaluation. B.J. still has hopes of playing in a regular spring training game this week, but we all know the Rays are very cautious with injuries.

The Rays could go a few ways with Upton's roster spot. They could give it to a true outfielder like Justin Ruggiano, who has the ability to play all three spots. Or they may opt to keep a utilty infielder around like Adam Kennedy or Elliot Johnson, who both have also played some outfield this spring. This scenario would depend on how comfortable the team is with Ben Zobrist's ability to back up the outfield.

SB Nation - Elliot Johnson

Reid Brignac Promoted

David Price, Reid Brignac, Justin Ruggiano, Elliot Johnson, and John Jaso Optioned to Durham

B.J. Upton Likely To Miss Opening Day After Setback