![[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Spring Invites, CC As Fielder, And Owing The State Some Money](http://www.raysindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/icon_13915633-150x150.jpg){kind=icon}
The Rays have extended Spring Training invitations (has a player ever declined a spring training “invitation”?) to shortstops Tim Beckham and Hak-Ju Lee, catchers Nevin Ashley and Craig Albernaz, and pitchers Ricky Orta, Ryan Reid, Bryan Augenstein and Marquis Fleming. We’re glad the Rays are more patient than we are. [...]
The Rays added the extra bat they were looking for tonight when they signed Jeff Keppinger to a one-year deal (via Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com). The agreement is a major league contract, so it would seem that Elliot Johnson’s chances of making the team just took a big hit. Keppinger [...]
We will update the 25-man roster projection tomorrow, but first, let’s take a look at the payroll projection… With the addition of Carlos Pena, the 2012 payroll projects to be approximately $63.6 million, an increase of 54.7 percent over last season. This is based on raises already built into existing [...]
Back in 2008, the Rays fired Kelly Frank, the woman inside the Raymond costume at The Trop for the previous five seasons. And now, four years later, it looks like she has been fired again, this time as the Tampa Bay Lightning mascot “Thunderbug.” Late last week we showed you [...]
Evan Longoria’s latest commercial (video is below) is reminiscent of Fred McGriff’s “Tom Emansky” commercial. Longoria is endorsing a product called the “Hitting Jack-It,” which appears to be a hitting doughnut that can be used during batting practice. Interestingly, this comes after recent research shows that batting doughnuts might actually [...]
![[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Pena’s Presser, Moving Ruggy, And Dickie V’s Bay Area Emotions](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6760153191_be381ca790.jpg)
Off-Season (click image for random Wikipedia page) The Rays officially announced the signing of Carlos Pena [video of the press conference via Tampa Bay Times is below]. And the Rays posted billboards throughout the area welcoming El Gato back to the team. But more importantly, as we have been speculating [...]
Stuart Sternberg was on hand Saturday night to accept Joe Maddon’s Manager of the Year award and Jeremy Hellickson’s Rookie of the Year award. Sternberg, showing his lighter side, joked that he drove down from posh Westchester County because the team couldn’t afford airfare for Maddon and Hellickson. He also [...]
Hellickson may regain his confidence if he can develop his cutter.
Elliot Johnson’s job on the Rays bench is in jeopardy.
![[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Farm Life, Johnny’s Desires, And Maddon’s Grand Gesture](http://www.raysindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/357090318104_Reds_v_Rays.jpg)
Off-Season (click image for random Wikipedia page) We are back from our little mini-vacation and find that John Sickels of Minor League Ball ranks the Rays farm system as just the seventh-best in baseball… Impact depth behind Matt Moore has slipped but this is still a robust organization. Although, we would [...]
