SB Nation User Blog: raysfaninminnesota

Some more rosterbation fun

raysfaninminnesota — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:10:23 -0000

In addition to all the rosterbation rumors of Milton Bradley (and the soon-to-be rumored 3 way between Mets, Cubs and Rays) when looking around the league one team sticks out like a sore thumb who matches up best with the Rays needs...and that team is the Oakland Athletics.

Currently they have amazing (and cheap) bullpen depth. They have a young catcher who would look good in a Rays uni. They have SS needs and maybe OF needs. Those happen to be areas of depth for the Rays.

If the Rays truly don't believe they can resign CC or don't think that's the best use of resources, maybe him and Brignac could make a nice package to bring in Kurt Suzuki, Michael Wuertz, and Andrew Bailey. The Rays may have to send along someone like Nick Barnese to complete the deal, but this would be an extremely cheap deal to make, as those three are not likely to bank over 3-5 million combined next season.

Oakland has Joey Devine coming back from Tommy John surgery and latest reports have him way ahead of schedule. They have other young arms that have performed pretty well last year. CC could be Matt Holliday version 2.0 for them, and they'd have their shortstop of the future under lock and key for 6 team-controlled seasons. And if it cost the Rays Nick Barnese to make the deal happen, it would still be worth it, especially if the Rays wanted to dabble in the free agent market. (They'd still have up to 6 mil of what they had budgeted for CC and whatever they were willing to spend in free agency if they didn't make the trade).

Just for fun, this would give the Rays a bullpen of:

Bailey, Howell, Wuertz, Wheeler, Balfour, (Choate), Cormier/Sonny.

Not to mention a catcher who hit for over 50 extra base hits while playing solid defense behind the plate.

The depth for both teams matches each other's needs. And with two free-wheeling GM's in Friedman and Beane, it seems like it might make for an excellent deal waiting to happen. Thoughts?

Time for a little bullpen de ja vu

raysfaninminnesota — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:09:45 -0000

There are times when some things deserve a second go-around. For the Rays bullpen, there is someone who deserves that chance--Danys Baez. The 32 year old reliever posted solid numbers for Baltimore this past season and was very effective against right-handed hitters, holding them to around a .200 average. With all the big name relievers out there, Baez is the type to get overlooked. But he is a workhorse, has a ton of experience pitching in the AL East and would be more than willing to return to Tampa Bay once again with his home still in Miami.

Based on financial cost and proven ability, Baez and Calero represent the best arms to target. Both have shown they can handle the AL, one is one year removed from surgery and the other has settled into a solid middle reliever on a bad team. Neither one of these guys will make the big bucks, but both of these guys can stablize our bullpen.

It still would be nice to add 1 more 'sure' thing (as if that even exists in the relief world) like a Rafael Betancourt, Billy Wagner, Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano, but the Rays may not be able to afford that. But if they add Baez and Calero (and maybe resign Choate) that will still stabilize a bullpen in need of some tweaking.

Howell, Wheeler, Balfour, Baez, Calero, Choate, Cormier -- I could live with that...could you?

How new mayor affects Rays

raysfaninminnesota — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:52:34 -0000

Now that we know who the mayor is, this is just a cut and paste out of a previous article that can be read in its entirety here.

Bill Foster[ix]:

I am fully aware of the desire of the Rays organization to have a new stadium, and equally aware of the respective economic impacts 1) for the owners with the construction of a new stadium, and 2) to the City by having a major league baseball team in St. Petersburg. Historically, in the late 80's and early 90's, I was a part of a team that sold seat deposits, and lobbied for the expansion of MLB to St. Petersburg. After a great effort, and many heartaches, we finally succeeded. With all of the community effort it took to get the team, we must exert as much, if not more, effort to keep this team in St. Petersburg. I will take a leadership role with our "partners and stakeholders" (our Citizens, Rays, MLB, Florida, Pinellas), to negotiate the use agreement of a new facility located in St. Petersburg, with construction beginning sometime after 2015, which encompasses all 85+ acres of the Trop site. Whatever the use and financing terms, it must be such that passes the muster of our citizen who may be asked to pay a portion of the bills. My terms: 1) approved by voter referendum; 2) construction to begin after 2015 (when the property is free and clear); 3) little taxpayer burden, with primary financing by the Rays, TDC, and bonds secured by revenues; and 4) constructed at existing Trop site. If we all do our jobs equitably and correctly, it should pass a vote by our citizens, but timing, location, design, and financing are critical elements.

Analysis: Candidate Foster’s plan contains more concrete details than any other and his history with Tropicana underscores a complete understanding of the issues. He is committed to keeping baseball at the current site, which the Rays and the ABC Committee have determined is no longer feasible. His statements regarding a potential financing structure are realistic and well balanced.

Burrell or Bradley?

raysfaninminnesota — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:32:17 -0000

Burrell or Bradley?

Last offseason there was a good debate on this website on who we should pursue as our DH. Here Bradley was listed as a prime candidate. But the Cubs overpaid and we went with Burrell. Fast forward to now and neither team got what they wanted. Bradley was placed in a high-stress situation and Burrell apparantly never adjusted to switching leagues and positions. Would a change of scenery do them both well?

The Times Romano believes a swap (if the Rays got additional salary relief for Bradley's 12 mil 2011 salary) would be a good idea.

So the question is, now that the Rays may have a chance to go back and make the decision all over again...would you change it? Which would you rather have (if the Cubs pay most of his 12 mil 2011 salary), Burrell or Bradley?

Rays and Vlad would make me glad

raysfaninminnesota — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:17:52 -0000

The Rays have a few holes to fill this offseason (see catcher and bullpen) but there may be something to consider if this offseason is another product of reduced prices thanks to the economy. These are the years the Rays need to excel in free agency. They can get talent for prices they couldn't even have touched a few years ago and soon enough will probably not be able to touch again. One such talent is Vladimir Guerrero.

Guerrero may be in the final stages of his career but his bat still has a few years left on it. Coming off an injury-shortened season, and in this economy and with his once good defense taken away by age, he's only going to be viewed as a DH, and is only going to make a portion of his previous year's salary. There already is a platform to go off of who is on his team: Bobby Abreu

Like Abreu, Guerrero has been a model of consistency, aiming for his 13th consecutive season of .300. 11 of his past 12 seasons he has had no fewer than 25 HRs (this injury-shortened season being the only season with less). This marks only the second time in 12 years he will end up with less than 500 AB. And in his entire career he's never reached the 100 strikeout plateau (highest was 95, but never more than 77 in last 8 years), an attractive feature to a team with a lot of swing and misses.

If the Rays could acquire him for Abreu-money (of 2008 not what he'll get this offseason), it's an option worth pursuing. The roadblock obviously is where does he fit in the Rays lineup. It would be nice if he could play in the outfield once in a while, but with the turf, that would appear likely.

The only scenario where this plays out is at DH. This would happen only if the Rays could trade Burrell. I may be completely wrong, but I wonder if it still is possible, provided the Rays pay a good portion of his salary. Would a team be willing to pick him up (without giving up anything of real value in return) if the Rays paid half his salary and kept Burrell's incoming cost to say, 4 million? I wonder if a team would view that as a buy-low opportunity.

If it were even possible to trade Burrell, the 4-5 mil of savings would come close to paying for Guerrero. In essence it wouldn't cost them any more than the overall cost of Burrell. But I'm guessing this still is just wishful thinking.

Either way, I wouldn't push it past Maddon to find a way to pair back up with Guerrero in St. Pete. If at that price, it is indeed worth considering.

Are there any others out there that might be 'good deals' in this economy, worth the Rays considering? Jermaine Dye is another who might fit that bill, although there are now questions as to how much he can still play in the field.

3 major changes brings Rays playoffs next year

raysfaninminnesota — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:52:09 -0000

The Rays have most of what they need from within the organization. The Rays have two outfields in AAA that are ready to start, and a shortstop and utility player. They have a good bullpen arm in AA and another one working his way back from Tommy John. Starting pitching abounds. But there are 2 positions that need to be filled from elsewhere.

1) Catcher. There is absolutely no way Navy is offered arbitration by the Rays. His production does not match his salary. Some possible additions: Mike Napoli, Buster Posey, Ryan Doumit.

It would have been awesome if the Rays could have gotten Napoli in the Kazmir trade, but I don't see the Rays matching up well to make another Angels trade. Buster Posey only comes if the Rays are willing to trade Bartlett or CC, Upton...but I don't think the Giants would take Upton straight up for Posey. If this was last year...different story. But the trade that makes the most sense is for Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit. Coming off an injury shortened season, Doumit would be a buy-low candidate and has a team-friendly contract (09:$2.05M, 10:$3.55M, 11:$5.1M, 12:$7.25M club option, 13:$8.25M club option ($0.5M buyout), along with the fact that Pittsburgh has been trading off veterans right and left.

Doumit would cost no more than Navy salary-wise and wouldn't require trading a CC or Barty to make it work.

2) Closer. Now, please, this is not a knock on Howell. He has done well in the role, but the rest of the bullpen has been overused. A closer can be expensive, but it adds value to the rest of the bullpen. It pushes Howell into a setup role with Wheeler and Balfour. It would give the Rays 4 quality late-inning relievers. Maybe the Rays could resign Choate as their LOOGY and Bradford as the ground-ball specialist on small deals. I'd rather see the Rays spend money on a closer than resign Aki, or even keeping a CC or Barty. If this team wants to rely on pitching, then it's important to add as much top-notch pitching as possible.

Possible options: Bobby Jenks, Heath Bell, Jose Valverde, Billy Wagner, J.J. Putz, other setup relievers

Jenks will earn too much in his final arb year, Valverde still averages over 10k/IP, but a team like the Cubs might offer him big bucks. What makes him even possible is none of the big-market teams need a closer; Boston, both New York teams, Dodgers, Angels--all set on closers. The odds are he resigns with Houston or goes to the Cubs. Best shot for the Rays? Wagner or Putz. Putz, if healthy, was very very good for Seattle, and this year was most likely an aberration with the Mets. Wagner, if he still has enough left in the tank, could be a 1 year solution (and a much better option than Percival, because Wagner has a night and day injury history compared to Percy). Bell would be a great get if available from Padres, but the trade cost would probably be prohibitive. Wagner or Putz would be good buy-low candidates. (if you could get either for a 1 yr, 4-5mil deal w/ club option, it would be worth the short-term risk)

What to do with CC, Upton or Barty? It's easy to speculate, but it depends if any team tries to blow them away with an offer. But even w/ an off-season of Doumit and Putz/Wagner wouldn't be a bad one.

Putting to bed Upton end of season rumors

raysfaninminnesota — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:47:00 -0000

ESPN's Buster Olney sparked a controversy saying the Rays were going to market Upton in the offseason. Upton haters have been saying good riddance because of perceived attitude issues/regression/lack of hustle, ec. Upton supporters have been screaming this is foolish to even consider because of immense potential/still under team control for a few seasons/selling low, etc.

Both sides are wrong.

The Rays should consider Upton offers the same way they would for any player. Having a surplus of outfielders means there's some flexibility there. Regardless of Upton's year, he still could fetch a very good haul.

And that is the only way he puts on a different uniform.

Adrian Gonzalez. Felix Hernandez. Matt Cain. Buster Posey. If names like these are not part of the consideration, then no trade is happening. If Upton isn't part of a Delmon Young-type package, this isn't happening.

Felix Hernandez is extremely interesting. It would take a huge package, but there are a few reasons why the Rays are a good fit. Seattle has an affection for Reid Brignac. Thanks to trading Adam Jones, they are in need for an impact CF. Some sort of a Upton/Brignac and a Niemann/Davis/Hellickson could get a deal done.

A deal like that makes sense.

Hernandez is under contract through 2011. Is two years of Hernandez worth Upton, Brignac and a Niemann/Davis? Yes and then some. Hernandez would be an even bigger name if he was in a larger market. Players of his age and caliber are rarely ever available.

Which brings us back to Upton. You don't give up on a player of his potential nor do you sell for pennies on the dollar. I still believe there is a strong likelihood Upton is traded. But if he does, I'm sure the haul will be worth the trade.

Great homestand, great attendance

raysfaninminnesota — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:02:37 -0000

Great homestand, great attendance

A 6-3 record in a 9 game homestand is pretty good, and so is an attendance of 275,252 in that span. That's an average of 30,583. There were a lot of reasons to show up at the park on this homestand. The Yankees. The Red Sox. 2 concerts. The next homestand will be more telling. 3 against Toronto. 3 against Baltimore. 3 against Texas. Hopefully we can average 25k during that 9 game stretch.

Rays building bullpen arms

raysfaninminnesota — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:04:30 -0000

It hasn't usually been organizational philosophy so far, but it seems as if the Rays are slowly accumulating bullpen arms. One of the unsung FO moves of the year might have been acquiring John Meloan. Moved back into a bullpen role, it seems as if he's starting to show once again why he was a highly regarded bullpen arm. Matt Gorgen is transitioning nicely into double A ball. Eduardo Morlan wasn't ready for the big time after being a Rule 5 pickup and was sent back to the Rays and is putting up a solid season in Montgomery. People tend to forget that he doesn't turn 24 until next year. A guy like Mitch Talbot seems like he's a arm that could transition well into the bullpen. Even Joe Maddon wondered aloud if Jake McGee would be a awesome power lefty in the pen.

Some of this is circumstances, but the Rays are slowly assembling some promising arms for the bullpen. And more ways of cutting costs next year. Guys like Meloan and even Sonny could replace Nelson and Cormier. Talbot could do the same.

What is the thought on Meloan? Can he be a good reliever in Tampa Bay next year? Is there any other prospects that show promise in a relief role?

It needs to be said: Rays FO made it's 1st mistake

raysfaninminnesota — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:27:23 -0000

I can understand the Josh Hamilton rule 5 dilemma. Couldn't have predicted what he would do. I can understand trading Edwin Jackson. How many years can you wait for a guy to show his upside on a consistent basis when he's also getting ready to enter arbitration. No, the Rays FO first mistake came at this trading deadline.

Players were available. Impact players. A reigning Cy Young. An impact bat. One of the best arms of the decade. Another impact bat. Contenders made their moves. The Rays stood pat.

Matt Holliday to the Cardinals. Jarrod Washburn to the Tigers. George Sherrill to the Dodgers. Jake Peavy to the White Sox. Rays? Rays? Bueller? Bueller?

Should the Rays have gotten any of these guys? No. Holliday maybe coming into this season, but he was also out of our price range and that makes sense. But there's two very important pieces not mentioned:

Cliff Lee to the Phillies. Victor Martinez to the Sox. One of them should have been a Ray.

The Cliff Lee trade was almost comparable to the Lakers getting Pau Gasol for a small bag of beans, and maybe a jack nicholson autograph. A reigning Cy Young winner who was under contract for next season at a rate we were only paying Scott Kazmir? The Phillies gave up less for Lee than the Brewers did for a rental of Sabbathia.

Even the Twins made a deadline deal. This is the same thing as Vince Vaughn in The Legend of Ron Burgendy saying "even the guy who doesn't speak said something." Someone check on Terry Ryan. He should be put on suicide watch.

Does it make sense for the Rays to do a rental? Not at the cost of prospects for a team that has minimal financial means. But when you can get an impact player that can affect your ability to win for two seasons? At some point you have to be willing to take a chance. At some point you have to look at your opponents and when you identify their weaknesses, you have to take advantage of them.

The Yankees are again good. They will win the division this year. Boston? They have weaknesses. Bullpen? shaky, even Papelbum has had his moments recently. Starting rotation? Weak at the end. Lineup? Many holes. The Wild Card? Rays had a chance and a greater chance with a little help.

Instead they let Boston improve their chances. Not only did they not improve themselves, but they allowed one of their chief Wild Card competitors to improve themselves.

What's more is when you look at the cost. The Phillies didn't give up Kyle Drabeck or even Happ. Boston didn't give up Clay Bucholz. For a recount, that's last year's World Series winner and ALCS runner-up improving themselves. The Rays? As the Times so eloquently put it, we got Pat Burrell.

Somewhere along the way, you have to be willing to make changes. Neither one of these players would have made much in the final third of this season. They could have even put the money they allotted to Jason Isringhausen and paid either one of these players without adding more to payroll.

This is why we have a front office! When a team is floundering and maybe some decisions when, made at the time were good and the right decisions, but haven't executed the way you planned, this is why we have a trading deadline. And instead of strengthening themselves, by not putting up the right offer, they allowed other contending teams to strengthen themselves, not just for this year, but also for next.

Either one of these players was worth Wade Davis and Reid Brignac. The Rays still have Jeremy Hellickson in AAA. They have Sonny who was just called up. And a new wave of arms in A that will be moving up next year. Yes, Victor Martinez isn't a good defender...but neither has Navarro this year. And you can alternate him between C/DH/1B. But even more so, Cliff Lee made a lot of sense. He was the poor man's Roy Halladay, and a damn good one.

Maybe they wanted more than Davis and Brignac. Maybe there's more to the picture than we are seeing. But we can only go by what we see. When we see what the Phillies and Sox paid, it seems like some sick, twisted joke.

And sadly, the joke's on us.