Projected 2010 Tampa Bay Rays 25-Man Roster
25-man Roster March 5th. 2010, 11:00amNow that spring games have started and we are four weeks from opening day, let’s take another look at the 25-Man Roster Projection (notes and explanations on the projection can be found following the roster)…
Notes on the 25-man roster projection…
- LINEUP: There are only two questions here. One is simple, one is not: 1) Will Kelly Shoppach or Dioner Navarro step up and command more starts once the season starts? If not, Joe Maddon will just play matchups every night; 2) Who will play 2B and RF? Gabe Kapler will start in RF versus lefties. Ben Zobrist will likely see time at both spots, but how much will depend on who else makes the roster. Specifically, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac are likely competing for two spots. If Rodriguez and Brignac make the team, they could share 2B with Zobrist in RF most days. If Joyce makes the team, he will get a lot of starts in RF against RHP and either Rodriguez or Brignac will be the backup middle infielder. Got that?
- BENCH: Dioner Navarro, Willy Aybar and Gabe Kapler are the locks. Again, the last spot will be one of Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac.What we do know is that all four players on the bench will see a lot of playing time this season.
- ROTATION: The official stance is that the top four spots are locks and Wade Davis is competing with Andy Sonnanstine for the 5th spot. In reality, Davis will be in the rotation and Sonnanstine is likely back in Durham to serve as the emergency starter.
- BULLPEN: Six of the seven spots appear to be spoken for. The Rays brought in Joaquin Benoit to fill the seventh spot, but if he is not ready to work back-to-back days, this spot could go to Andy Sonnanstine. Dale Thayer or Winston Abreu could also be in the mix for this spot, but they are likely long-shots. If Benoit or Abreu takes this spot, the Rays will have to add them to the 40-man roster.
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Good to see we only have 1 lefty in the rotation now that we don’t have Kazmir.
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NOT!
Idiot…
Pencil in Alex Jr for openning day…. maybe starting….gets down to Brignac… just another infielder who can’t hit as good as the ones we have, and Joyce whos an outfielder we probably need, plus the embarassment in giving EJ away for him…..its early… I’ll go for Joyce , he can be sent down later and is probably as good/bad as Kaplar!
ya Rodriguez should be a lock unless he strikes out in every other plate appearance which wont happen.
The best thing about A Jr right now is not only the home runs.. its about making contact/hits EVERYTIME at the plate…. he looks like a “hitter”… not the Pena Home run or strike out deal…
Thats what the Rays need, a hitter
Just thinking about the line about Price needing to get his confidence back….maybe he really did need another year in AAA after all? Seems like the Rays brought him up last year when he still had things he needed to work on — hard to do that in the majors.
Is Kapler gauranteed his million? I think we almost have to have joyce on the opening roster, right? If we cut Kapler (or if willy’s wrist isn’t ready), do we keep Brignac, Joyce and SeanJohn?