What was the Rays front office thinking when they cut Jonny Gomes and kept Gabe Gross? What were they thinking when they traded our 14 game winner Edwin Jackson for a RF with similiar yet better skills and then signing Gross for over a million dollars? What were they thinking when they let Rocco go for less then what they paid Gross and Kapler? I know Pat Burrell is a upgrade but how much of a upgrade is he to the platoon of Hinske/Rocco/Floyd. To me the good does not outweigh the bad. We only got better at DH basically with no improvement to the RF scenario as long as Gross is out there.

Read this line and tell me if he even deserves a minor league offer.

Worst post season line ever

19 abs 7 k's, 1 h , .174 ops, .053 SLG , 174 OBP 0 HR no extra base hits and some of the worst defense I have ever seen in RF. It was like he was playing for the Phillies the whole game.

Can you say CHOKE artist.

Rocco has a .OPS of 804 and he hit some dramatic home runs and hits that counted. We could of resigned him for a simliar deal. Yet we hand out million dollar contracts to washed up journeymen relievers  and outfielders who have somewhat decent seasons.

I think there is some huge concern to be made seeing as there are alot of irrational descisions being made in light of all the goodwill to the core players who got us to where we went.

The solution to all of this is to allow Matt Joyce to platoon with Gabe Kapler and hope for the best. There will be no improvement in RF as long as they keep running Gabriel Gross out there!

I do not like to write negative things about my team but it seems like the injury bug has bitten us right in the behind with no time to spare. Losing Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and now B.J. Upton has killed us offensively. No one can get anything done defensively and currently our best offensive player is Jason Bartlett and he has 1 home run this year. I am starting to second guess the front office now because they could of traded some of those arms they have stashed in AAA for someone who could of helped this team. Clearly everyone in our system is better then anything the RED SOX or YANKEES gave up! I hope Longoria starts hitting soon or we are going into the Wild card (MAYBE) and may lose a chance at homefield advantage. Clearly something we do is take advantage of teams at home and that would ride us nice into the World Series. This might be our best chance to save baseball in this miserable town. I know we could treat the ballplayers alot better and drive out there and support this team 

. I grew up around Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr. and many other Oriole greats they played the game the right way and Cal barely missed a game as the IRON MAN. Fans packed Memorial stadium in the 80's and Camden yard in the 90's to see them play even though they sucked 1985-1997.  My grand father worked for the Orioles and HTS Home Team sports many years ago as a program director and covered world series games as well as Colts games before they bolted Baltimore which hurt alot but thats another story. I am a transplant and have been here since 1985 and love the Rays with all my heart. I was there for the inaugural season I still wear my 1998 Devil Rays shirt in public even though its too small for me. I love this team with all my heart even more then my former beloved Orioles. I wish nothing more then for them to beat Boston tonight. But if they cannot do that our chances of a AL championship and perhaps a World Series are over!

Basically my rant is this it is ALL OR NOTHING TONIGHT. WE MUST DEFEAT BOSTON OR ELSE.

Carl Crawford Is having a great season He is a leader at his position in the AL and cannot be replaced this year.

Here are some examples

As a LF He leads the AL in the following categories

SB with 25
3B with 11

He is also is in the top 10 of many other categories
 
2nd in runs with 68
3rd in hits with 119
6th  in rbi with 55
8th in batting .272
10th in OBP .314

And he plays gold glove defense. Where would we be without Carl Crawford?

I know this in not fully accurate but based on playing time this is how it would break down at our RF/DH platoon. It is definately a upgrade over last year with Delmon Young.

gabe gross    12 hr 312 ab
cliff floyd          16     297
jonny gomes  14   242
eric hinske     24  411

1262 abs projected are accurate and seem about right given a full season.

66  home runs combined

16.5 home runs each split by four.  If scored by position 33 home runs per position RF /DH Platoon
19 ab home run rate

This is the best I could come up with with the season happening as it is.

Last years home run leaders at position were Ken Griffey Jr with 30hr in RF and Jim Thome/David Ortiz at DH with 35.

Almost league leading averages.

Eric Hinske is tied for no. 7 overall in MLB for RF

Cliff Floyd is no. 8 overall as a DH

From MLBTraderumors.com

Rays won a waiver claim on reliever Chad Bradford.  They'll send a player to be named later to the Orioles for him.  The Rays strengthened an already excellent bullpen.

Bradford, 34 next month, has a 2.45 ERA in 40.1 innings this year.  His strikeout rate is dangerously low, but he's not walking anyone or allowing home runs.  He also has a very strong groundball rate.

Bradford has $1.05MM left on his contract this year plus $3.5MM in '09.  Aside from the Angels, all the other American League teams passed on the chance to claim Bradford.

I literally hit the ceiling when reading this. Another shutdown arm in the bullpen this year and one hell of a submarine pitcher. One of the hardest to pick up pitchers in the league since Eckersley.

Ken Griffey jr has been traded to the White Sox. Honestly this trade makes no sense as they already have full OF and DH spots. Perhaps they will trade Nick Swisher for a starter now and run Carlos Quentin out in CF. Seems to me the White Sox have one of the premier offenses in the league now. Kenny Williams has once again showed he is willing to make risks to keep his team in the playoff hunt this year.

1. SS Orlando Cabrera
2. 2b Alexei Ramirez
3. LF Carlos Quentin
4. CF Ken Griffey Jr/Nick Swisher
5. 1b Paul Konerko
6. DH Jim Thome
7. RF Jermaine Dye
8. 3b Joe Crede/Josh Fields
9. C AJ Pierzynski

Another Scary lineup night in and night out.

We better make a move to keep up with all these AL teams making big moves to stay in the race.

Seems like the Yankees are scoring every player they need at ever position. Now if only they would sign Barry Bonds. Wishful thinking but probally not happening. All they had to give up was Kyle Farnsworth. Wonder who they use to replace him now? Scary to think the Yankees are not missing a beat when it comes to a trade this year for need.

The Yans line up now looks like this

1. LF Jonny Damon
2. SS Derek Jeter
3. RF Bobby Abreu
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez
5. 1B Richie Sexson
6. DH Xavier Nady/ Jason Giambi
7 . 2B Robinson Cano
8. C Ivan Rodriguez
9. CF Melky Cabrera

Scary lineup night in and night out.

I think it would be wise to trade a few pitching prospects  and maybe a AAA position player for Gary Sheffield if Detroit will eat half his salary. Just think about this he is the most feared Right Hander in the league next to A-Rod when he is healthy. He has gotten his stroke back in the past few weeks. And he has one hell of a arm in the OF , keep in mind he was pitcher in high school. Now many of you must think I am crazy but the man has a few years left in him. He can help us win NOW and he can probally get to 500 home runs in his hometown something Fred MCgriff tried desperately but could not do. We need a veteran right handed at bat and honestly all there is out there is a couple flukes and over priced bench bats. The only bats I think who can help this team are Adam Dunn, Matt Murton, Casey Blake, Gary Sheffield and Ken Griffey Jr. If the Rays want to keep up with the Yanks and Sox they better aquire a big time player.

Looks like we can cross Off Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the list. The Pirates will receive right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf, right-handed pitcher George Kontos, left-handed pitcher Phil Coke and right fielder Jose Tabata in return.

Seems to me the Yankees got a steal as Nady is signed for the next year. I guess that also eliminates the need for one Barry Bonds as well. The Yanks filled the 2 biggest holes on their team and probally pulled off the blockbuster trade of the summer.

Nice to see the Rays won a few midseason awards from Tom Verducci.

1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
2. Joba Chamberlain, New York
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston

Bottom line: The Yankees are being rewarded for using Chamberlain carefully and smartly to wind up with the most valuable commodity in baseball: a power-throwing ace. Longoria, though, has the edge to this point because of the way Chamberlain's innings were managed.

1. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay
2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota
3. Bob Geren, Oakland

Bottom line: Maddon could be on the verge of something historic here, so he gets the edge in a strong field.

Here is hoping some of the players pick up some and Kazmir gets the nod for the AL Cy Young award.