Archive for July 30th, 2008

Jul 30

[TRADE DEADLINE STARE-DOWN] Don’t Expect The Rays To Blink First In Deal For Jason Bay

Jason Bay, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, Reid Brignac Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

[Update 8:40pm] Jayson Stark is reporting that the Rays and Pirates had “very little dialogue” today. This is not surprising and supports the notion that the Rays have made their “final” offer and the Pirates are shopping for better deals. Stark mentions that the Pirates may seek a better deal from the Red Sox who may target Bay if they trade Manny Ramirez…The stare-down continues.

Up until now, we have shied away from most of the trade rumors surrounding the Rays, because most have just been writers telling us what the Rays should or should not do. But for the first time, we are hearing rumors involving the Rays and these rumors seem to have teeth.

If reports are correct, the Rays are having serious conversations with the Pirates about acquiring Jason Bay, who is signed through ’09 and is set to make $7.5 million next season.

The Pirates and Tampa Bay continue to discuss Jason Bay, a process that became deep yesterday, and two prospect names known to be in the mix on the Rays’ end are shortstop Reid Brignac and pitcher Jeremy Hellickson...To be clear, although these names have come up, that does not mean they could be lumped together. Brignac was ranked No. 3 in the rich Tampa system by Baseball America, Hellickson No. 8, and early indications have been that Bay will reap no bounty of prospects.

One can read between those lines and it seems pretty clear the Pirates want Jeremy Hellickson or Reid Brignac. However, most people in the know are saying Hellboy and Brignac are untouchables. We agree the Rays won’t even discuss David Price and Wade Davis, but we have a feeling Hellickson or Brignac could be had in the right deal.

Later in the same piece, Dejan Kovacevic updated the article with this item…

An American League team source just called from Toronto (where the Rays are playing): Says Brignac and pitcher Jeff Niemann are the names coming up most often.

In other words, the Rays are sticking to their guns and insisting the Pirates take Jeff Niemann over one of the top prospects.

Jon Heyman has one source saying the chances of a deal are “50-50″. He also indicates that the Rays offer is the best available, even though Kovacevic says that the Rays have not offered an elite prospect.

No truly elite prospect is being offered for Bay, and no bounty — say, four of a team’s top 10 prospects — is expected, either, as some teams have expressed concern that Bay’s 2008 revival is not far enough removed from his disappointing 2007. That has not stopped management from entertaining offers, though, and doing so seriously…The chance that Bay will stay with the Pirates, the source said, still is better than 50-50.

Right now we have a good old fashioned trade deadline stare-down. Everything we have ever seen from this new Rays’ front office suggests that they will not be the one to blink first. That means no Hellickson. no Brignac.

So now, it seems that the only question is whether another team steps-up and trumps the Rays offer of Niemann (and?) or if the Pirates decide not to trade Bay.

Pirates, Rays, Cardinals discussing Bay [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Five players that could be dealt by deadline [ESPN]
Trade Report Blog [SI.com]
Pirates Notebook [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Jul 30

[RI CONFIDENCE GRAPH] The Rays Index Confidence Graph: Week 18

Confidence graph Cork Gaines No Comments »

The Rays Confidence Graph will appear every Wednesday and is a look at how much confidence Rays fans have in the Tampa Bay Rays. The graph is designed to give us a look at how our emotional bias as Rays fans fluctuates through time. The “confidence” in the team is an inexact measure of how fans feel about the team’s current strength as well as how much confidence fans have in the franchise for the next 3-4 years. Notes on this weeks agida-level can be found after the graph..

Notes on the RI Confidence Graph…

  • The most common response for “Confidence in 2008 Rays” was 8 (They will be in playoff contention all season) with 57.3%.
  • The most common response for “Confidence in future of franchise” was 10 with 36.2%.
  • 96.0% of respondents feel the Rays have a shot at the playoffs in 2008. That number is down from 98.6% a week ago.
  • 100% of respondents feel the Rays should be at least a .500 team in 2008. Last week that number was 100%.
Jul 30

[THE ARCHIVES] Two Years Ago On Rays Index

The Archives Cork Gaines No Comments »

Two years ago on Rays Index, we relayed a story about BJ Upton in which he apparently was more concerned about his “walk-up” music during a triple-A game, and decided to call the pressbox to relay his “frustration”.

Those Crazy Kids Just Can’t Keep Their Mouths Shut [Rays Index]

Jul 30

[THE HANGOVER] Matt Garza Summons The Ghost Of Tom Seaver

Joe Maddon, John Parrish, LL Cool J, Mark Teixeira, Matt Garza, Scott Richmond Cork Gaines No Comments »



THE GOOD: The Ghost of Tom Seaver. At some point in the 3rd or 4th inning, we suddenly remembered a story told by Tom Seaver. Occasionally Seaver would come back to the dugout after warmups or after the first inning and tell his teammates that they only needed to score 1 run that day. Matt Garza was that good last night. With the Rays up 1-0 after Eric Hinske’s home run in the 3rd, we just had a sense that the game was already over, the Jays just didn’t know it yet. At one point Garza retired 14 of 15 from the 3rd until the 7th inning…Big double-play started by Jason Bartlett with men on first and second to end the 2nd inning. The Rays turned 3 double-plays on the night…Another gold glove play by Evan Longoria in which he went into foul territory for a ground ball and made a strong, accurate throw to first to get the runner by 2 full steps.

THE BAD: Somebody missed a sign in the 5th. With Dioner Navarro on first with no outs, Eric Hinske took a called third strike with Navi on the move with the pitch. Navarro was thrown out stealing to kill a potential rally.

THE TELLING: With the Angels running away with the West, it is looking more and more like 5 teams remain in contention for the final 3 playoff spots, with the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the East and the White Sox holding a half-game lead in the Central over the Twins. The Twins are 1 game behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card. No other teams are within 5 games of a playoff spot in the AL (division or wild card). Detroit is an outside possibility, 5.5 back in the Central, but the Rays could add a nail to their coffin this weekend at the Trop.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Sorry, no Live Blog-A-Baloo for today’s afternoon tilt, but we should be back next week.
  • The Jays were originally scheduled to start lefty John Parrish, but instead called up right-hander Scott Richmond who will be making his major league debut. [MLB]
  • Saturday’s game, which features a concert by LL Cool J afterward, is now sold out. [Bradenton Herald]
  • No surprise here… The Rays did not get Mark Teixeira. He was traded to the Angels. [ABC News]
  • Joe Maddon was surprised (as were we) that the Angels landed Mark Teixeira, knowing that the Angels rarely trade away their young talent. [MLB]

“I am [surprised at the Angels making a big deal],” Maddon said. “They’ve never been one to part with youth. And so this is a bit of a radical departure from the past. While I was with the Angels there were no real significant acquisitions. No real names like a Teixeira. We got Alex Ochoa one year. We got Jimmy Abbott one year, though he was kind of on the back side of things. So we never really got that. As much as they hate to see Casey go, they know it’s going to augment them.”

Jul 30

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Rocco Baldelli Very Close To Rejoining Rays

Desmond Jennings, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, Joe Maddon, Rocco Baldelli Cork Gaines No Comments »

Buffalo 8, Durham 7. Jeff Niemann didn’t do the Rays any favors in his last start prior to the trade deadline. In 4.2 innings, he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and walked another 6 batters with only 3 strike outs. Niemann dropped to 7-5 with a 3.53 ERA…Justin Ruggiano was 3-4 with 2 doubles and a solo home run. He had 2 RBI…Fernando Perez went 1-3 with 2 walks and his 34th stolen base…Reid Brignac added a double and a home run in 5 at bats, driving in 3. It was his 25th double and 8th home run.

Montgomery 2, Huntsville 1 (gm 1; 8) . Jeremy Hellickson was dominant, but did not get the win. He struck out 9 in 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and a walk. After giving up a solo home run and a single in the 2nd, Hellboy retired the next 12 in a row, with 7 Ks before giving up a single in the 6th….Chris Nowak was 2-4 with a solo home run in the top of the 8th inning…Rocco Baldelli DH’d, going 1-4 with a double.

Montgomery 4, Huntsville 2 (gm 2). Stephen Andrade filled in as a spot-starter in the nightcap and threw 3 scoreless innings…Eddie Morlan gave up 2 runs in 2 innings of relief…Rashad Eldridge went 2-4 with a double and is hitting .297 with a .395 OBP.

Vero Beach 6, Jupiter 3. Ryan Morse gave up 3 runs (1 earned) in 5 innings…Cesar Suarez broke a 3-3 tie in the 9th with a sac fly, and Matt Fields followed with a 3-run home run.

Columbus 6, Augusta 4. Jeremy Hall struck out 5 in 6.1 innings, and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and no walks…Greg Sexton was 1-5 with a 3-run home run…Stephen Vogt added 3 hits in 4 at bats with a walk and an RBI.

Hudson Valley 7, Tri-City 3.

Princeton (off-day)

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Rocco Baldelli will conclude his rehab assignment on Friday and Joe Maddon hinted that he would rejoin the Rays at that point. However, he did not say if Rocco would be activated or just workout with the Rays. [The Heater]

Maddon said Baldelli wouldn’t need to move up first to Triple-A Durham. “He would come here whenever that moment is” and get readjusted to major-league pitching, Maddon said.

  • Baseball Handyman compares Desmond Jennings to another great athlete in the Cardinals organization. [Baseball Handyman]