Apr 01
Two years ago on Rays Index we called on fans without a favorite team to start jumping on the Rays bandwagon.
Adopt The Tampa Bay Devil Rays As Your Favorite Major League Baseball Team…Seriously [Rays Index]
Archive for April 1st, 2009
Apr 01
Color us surprised…
Via Marc Lancaster’s Twitter account [Ed. note: It is now up on Lancaster's blog] we learn that Matt Joyce will be on the opening day roster and may start in center field in place of BJ Upton and ahead of Ben Zobrist (Does Zobrist start against lefties?). His stay should be short as Upton is expected to be ready after a week or two.
Also from Lancaster…Jeff Niemann says that he and Jason Hammel will not accompany the team to Philadelphia this weekend and will remain in Port Charlotte to workout.
Apr 01
Isringhausen Makes Roster, Goes On DL; Kennedy To Durham; Trades Brewing
Adam Kennedy, Jason Isringhausen, Justin Ruggiano, Matt Joyce 4 Comments »We are much closer to the opening day roster…
Marc Topkin is reporting that Jason Isringhausen will be added to the roster, but will begin the season on the DL. Izzy says he will only need a few weeks in extended spring training, which should buy the Rays a little more time to find room on the 25-man roster.
“It won’t be a couple months – I wouldn’t think so unless there is some kind of setback,” [Isringhausen] said. “I’m thinking a couple, few weeks maybe. You see guys coming off surgeries, arm surgeries, you’ve got to be able to go back to back days numerous times. I just didn’t think my arm strength was ready for that. I think this is the right decision for everybody.”
Meanwhile, we have also learned that Adam Kennedy has been reassigned to minor league camp and will join the Durham roster. This means the final spot will go to either Matt Joyce or Justin Ruggiano with Topkin feeling Ruggiano has the edge with all the lefties the Rays face in the first couple of weeks.
Finally, Topkin says the decision on the final spot in the rotation could come tonight, but that a trade or trades appear to be in the works that will affect that decision.
It sounds like the Rays have some kind of deal, or a number, brewing and if they make the right trade then everything would click into place.
A week ago, we would have thought a trade was a longshot. But with all the chatter, we now would be surprised if the Rays don’t strike a deal in the next day or two.
Apr 01
ESPN.com’s Baseball Tonight crew provided a “Web Gems” segment in which they named the top defensive player at each position based on their PECOTA projections. Two Rays make the list with Carl Crawford in left field and Jason Bartlett (tied with JJ Hardy of the Brewers) at shortstop (thanks Copley).
Including Bartlett on the list, a +9 defender based on PECOTA projections, will certainly ruffle some feathers in the Rays Blogosphere, while at the same time adding weight to the argument that Bartlett was indeed a very valuable addition to the Rays last season.
BBTN Web Gems For March 30th [ESPN]
MVP! MVP! MVP! Marc Topkin Once Again Stirs The Pot [Rays Index]
Apr 01
How many fans do you know that would dye their hair and beard for a spring training road game in late March? Our list is up to one.
As many of you that follow us on Twitter are aware, we were back in the Bay Area this past weekend and took in a couple of Rays spring training games. On Friday we were in Ft. Myers, where even watching James Shields give up 23 kazillion runs, while attending the game with two Twinkies fans could not ruin our day. One of the brighter moments was briefly meeting this gentleman.
Apr 01
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Joyce’s First Home Run, Izzy’s Deal And Sheff’s Square Peg
Chuck Tiffany, Gary Sheffield, Jason Isringhausen 2 Comments »
Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
THE GOOD: Matt Joyce. We still aren’t buying the idea that Joyce has a shot at making the team, but he did hit his first home run with the Rays, finishing 2-4…Gabe Gross. The guy standing between Joyce and an everyday job also hit his first home run of the spring two batters later.
THE BAD: Andy Sonnanstine. The Duke did work 7 innings, but allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He looked good until he gave up a 3-run home run to Jason Varitek in the 7th…Grant Balfour. The Mad Australian was the one relief pitcher who worried us with his workload in 2008 and he has yet to look good this spring. He gave 3 more runs (2 earned) and couldn’t get out of the 8th inning.
THE TELLING: The lineup yesterday was a B-squad, with not a single player that figures to be an everyday player during the season…Today’s game at home against the Twins will be the Rays final spring game in Florida. They will play a pair of exhibition games on Friday and Saturday in Philadelphia against the WFC*.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Both the Rays and Jason Isringhausen sound optimistic that they will come to an agreement on a way to keep Izzy but without him starting the season on the 25-man roster. Marc Topkin says the Rays may add Izzy to the 40-man roster, which will kick in his major league salary and then place him on the DL so that he can continue to work out in extended spring training. Izzy’s agent said the pitcher will not accept a minor league assignment. [St. Pete Times]
- In the same piece, Marc Topkin reports that the Rays are discussing the possibility of adding Gary Sheffield, but notes that while Sheffield has the potential to provide a “menacing bat,” there isn’t likely a good fit between the two sides…And yes, if you polled 30 major league managers and asked them to pick one word to describe Sheff’s bat, 29 would pick “menacing.” And that is just because Joe Maddon would pick the word “loquacious.” [St. Pete Times]
- Marc Lancaster says the Rays would not rule out the possibility of adding Gary Sheffield, but Lancaster says that is standard with any player in that situation but “no matter which way you look at the Rays’ roster, though, there doesn’t appear to be a fit for Sheffield.” [Tampa Tribune]
- Marc Lancaster says the roster should be close to being set when the team breaks camp today, with only a couple of decisions looming. Lancaster suggests that the team has yet to name a fifth starter because they may be hoping to work out a trade for either Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann. [Tampa Tribune]
- Baseball Musings provides their annual AL East preview, giving the Rays a 28% chance of winning the division. [Baseball Musings]
- Stacy Long is reporting that the Rays have released 4 minor leaguers, including Chuck Tiffany, who was considered a key ingredient in the trade that brought the Rays Edwin Jackson. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- The Rays Party takes a look at what the Rays could potentially receive in return for either Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann. [The Rays Party]
- The Rays Party previews the 2009 pitching staff. [The Rays Party]
- David Chalk tells us know why the Red Sox “Ain’t S#!t” compared to the Rays. [Bugs and Cranks]
