Archive for April 18th, 2008

Apr 18

[DAN JOHNSON] Rays Pick Dan Johnson Off Waivers From A’s

Calvin Medlock, Carlos Pena, Dan Johnson, Jorge Cantu, Justin Ruggiano Cork Gaines 5 Comments »

[Update 4:24 PM] Marc Lancaster is reporting that Calvin Medlock has been designated for assignment to clear room for Johnson on the 40-man roster. However, there is still no word on who is being dropped from the 25-man roster although Justin Ruggiano seems like the obvious choice. Lancaster also notes that Carlos Pena will not be going on the DL. Medlock came from the Reds in the Jorge Cantu trade.

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Tampa Bay Rays have claimed Dan Johnson off of waivers from the Oakland A’s.

Johnson, a first baseman and DH, hit .236/.349/.418 with 18 home runs in 117 games last season.

With Carlos Pena nursing a sore hamstring, he could get the start at first base for the next few days and afterwards he will likely DH against right handed pitchers.

This is a very interesting move for the Rays and more evidence that the team has switched gears towards a win-now philosophy. With Eric Hinske, Cliff Floyd, Willy Aybar and Pena already providing left-handed bats for first base and DH, this signing appears to just be a short-term fix until Floyd and Aybar return from the DL. Afterwards it is hard to imagine that there will be room on the roster for Johnson.

No word yet on who will be removed from the 25-man roster to make room for Johnson.

Tampa Bay Claims Johnson [San Francisco Chronicle]
Dan Johnson claimed by the Rays [Rays Report]

Apr 18

[EVAN LONGORIA] Rays Sign Evan Longoria To $44MM Extension

Evan Longoria Cork Gaines 12 Comments »

[Update: 1:29 PM] Anybody still think the Rays could send Longoria back to Durham when Willy Aybar comes off the DL?

[Update: 1:20 PM] Bill Chastain has the details and they are a doozy. With options, it can be as long as 9-years (!) and as much as $44 million.

The salaries for the first six years of the agreement are guaranteed with the team holding a one-year option for 2014 season and a subsequent two-year option for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The contract guarantees $17.5 million. If the Rays exercise both options, Longoria would earn more than $44 million over the life of the nine-year agreement.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that the Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement with Evan Longoria on a long-term contract.

The details of the contract are not yet known, but it is believed that the deal will be for six years in the $17 million range with option scenarios that will enable the Rays to buy out two years of Longoria’s free agency.

The contract, to be announced at 1 p.m. ET, also is expected to include escalators that will enable Longoria to add to his guaranteed money if he develops into a major star.

Well, that certainly takes the arbitration-clock out of play.

Sources: Rays near big deal with Longoria [Fox Sports]
Rays sign Longoria to multiyear contract [MLB]

Apr 18

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Scott Kazmir To Make Rehab Start Tonight

Brian Matusz, Dioner Navarro, James Houser, Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir, Tim Beckham Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

Columbus 11, Durham 8. Mike Prochaska was touched for 7 runs (6 earned) in only 4 innings…Reid Brignac and Fernando Perez were both 1-5.

Montgomery 10, Tennessee 5. Richard De los Santos picked up his 2nd win of the year with only 1 run allowed in 7 innings. He gave up 7 hits but did not walk a batter…The Biscuits clubbed a team-record 5 home runs, including Erold Andrus’ 2nd, Chris Nowak’s 2nd, Gabby Martinez’ 1st, Sergio Pedroza’s 1st and Patrick Cottrell’s 2nd. Pedroza had 3 RBI.

Vero Beach 1, Jupiter 0. Matt Walker pitched 5 hitless innings but did walk 4…Matt Fields provided all the offense needed with a solo home run in the 8th inning.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Both Scott Kazmir and Dioner Navarro will make rehab starts for Vero Beach tonight. Navarro will DH tomorrow and then will catch again on Sunday for Matt Garza in his first rehab start. Kazmir is scheduled to throw 45 pitches, while Garza will throw about 60. [St. Pete Times]
  • Rays of Light has started a series of profiles of the Rays top prospects. Up first is James Houser, performance enhancing drug-extraordinare. [Rays of Light]
  • DRays Bay continues their series on the top candidates to be the top pick by the Rays in the June amateur draft. Up next is Brian Matusz and our personal favorite Tim Beckham. [DRays Bay]
  • Columbus pitcher Jason Ragan was names the pitcher-of-the-week for the South Atlantic League. [Ledger-Enquirer]
Apr 18

[THE HANGOVER] Jason Hammel Continues To Ease Loss Of Scott Kazmir

Carlos Pena, Edwin Jackson, Juan Salas, New Stadium, Power Rankings Cork Gaines 10 Comments »


THE GOOD: Eric Hinske hit his 4th home run and is red hot. That is a home run in back-to-back games and 3 in the past week, of which he has started 6 games. Since April 9, he is 9-24 (.375) with 3 home runs and 5 RBI…We would be remiss if we did not point out the great stop and throw made by Jason Bartlett for the 2nd out in the 3rd. With a runner on first and 1 out, Bartlett ranged to his right to grab a ground ball in the hole, spun 180 degrees and fired to Akinori Iwamura at second base for the force…The bullpen continues to shine. JP Howell picked up his first career save, of the 3-inning variety. He did not allow a run and gave up only 2 hits, no walks. The bullpen now has an ERA of 3.08, which is a little better than the 6.20 ERA posted in 2007…We don’t want to go crazy about Jason Hammel’s performance, 6 hits, 2 walks, 3 runs in 6 innings, but he has given the Rays exactly what any team needs from a 5th starter. He goes out and gives the Rays 6+ inning, and gives the team a chance to win.

THE BAD: Carlos Pena left the game in the 4th inning with “hamstring tightness”. He is listed as day-to-day…In the 4th inning, with the Rays up 3-1 and with Justin Morneau on second base after a lead off double, Delmon Young came to the plate. Why would anybody ever throw Young a first-pitch strike? There is ZERO reason. Hammel throws a pitch down, but in the zone and Young ropes it for an RBI single. Not smart…Will the baserunning brainfarts ever end? With 2 outs in the 6th, Carl Crawford was picked off first base.

THE TELLING:The Rays are now 1-2 in games started by Hammel, meaning that the Rays have lost at most 2 wins so far due to the injury of Scott Kazmir, but more likely only 1 win…Evan Longoria is not about to sell out on any pitches. With 2 strikes in the 5th inning, he nearly spun himself into the ground with a huge swing. He struck out…Jonny Gomes started for the 3rd straight game and the 2nd straight against a right handed pitcher, going 1-4 with a double and RBI…Mike DiFelice got his 3rd start in 5 games, and we have to wonder if he stays once Dioner Navarro comes off the DL and it is Shawn Riggans that is sent to Durham…The Yankees play in Baltimore this weekend and we have no idea who to root for? It depends on whether you are rooting for the Rays to finish 4th or if you think there is still a chance for the Rays to make a run for the playoffs…San Diego and Colorado did not score a single run for the first 14 innings last night. Considering the Rays offense, the offenses of the rest of the AL East and the still shaky nature of the Rays pitching staff, what is the over/under on most innings the Rays will go this year in a game with a scoreless tie? We say 6.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Another power ranking with the Rays in the top 10? Hell is a little colder today. [Bugs & Cranks]
  • Jayson Stark takes a look at some early season performances and tries to determine which are real and which are not. Edwin Jackson comes in a third category “Hung Jury”. [ESPN]

“…while he had more “for real” votes than “not for real,” he even makes his supporters nervous. One scout praised his improved take-a-little-off-to-get-strike-one approach, quipping: “He’s like a NASCAR driver working the gas pedal. When he goes into the corners, he slows up. When he gets into a straightaway, he lets it loose.” But another spoke for just about everyone when he said: “I’d lean more toward ‘for real’ than not. But even when he’s good, your instinct is not to believe it because you’ve seen too much of the other way.”

  • Juan Salas has finally arrived. It is like the Beatles landing in the U.S. for the first time. WooHoo! Salas was placed on the 30-day restricted list, in essence giving the Rays 30 days before they have to decide what to do with him. [MLB]
  • If you are curious, Marc Lancaster explains why the Rays just played back-to-back 2-game series. [Tampa Tribune]
  • In a move about as surprising as a Shawn Camp implosion, St. Petersburg’s Council of Neighborhood Associations voted against the Rays proposed waterfront stadium, 19-3…The council cited reasons such as “will block view of the bay”, “fear of crowds”, “fear of change”, “onorariness”, “worried other people will want to live in downtown St. Pete” and “a love of being pains in the ass”…OK, maybe they didn’t give those reasons, but those are the real reasons. [Bay News 9]