Archive for the 'JP Howell' Category

Jan 16

Rays And JP Howell Avoid Arbitration

JP Howell Cork Gaines 10 Comments »

The Rays and JP Howell have agreed to a 1-year, $1.35 million contract, avoiding arbitration (per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Howell was projected to make $1.4 million through arbitration, so the Rays may have saved a couple of dollars by avoiding the arbitration process.

The Rays still have four players that are eligible for arbitration, including David Price, BJ Upton, Jeff Niemann, and recently acquired reliever Burke Badenhop. If those players do not agree to a contract extension by tomorrow, the Rays will have their 2012 salaries determined by an arbitrator.

If tomorrow’s deadline passes, there is still the possibility that the players could avoid arbitration by signing a multi-year deal. However, the Rays will not grant anymore 1-year deals to the arb-eligible players, per team policy.

Dec 19

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss The Marlins New Digs, An Injury, And More Rumors

Carlos Beltran, Jose Lobaton, JP Howell, Wade Davis Cork Gaines 3 Comments »
Click Here For Boxscore
Off-Season (click image for random Wikipedia page)

Curious as to what the city of Miami is getting for their $2 billion? The Marlins new stadium is nearly done, and you can get a close-up look over at BI Sports. [BI Sports]

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Jose Lobaton has been sidelined from his winter league team due to weakness in his shoulder. The Rays don’t sound worried. But when do they ever? [TampaBay.com]
  • It looks like the next big Japanese import is heading to the AL East, but not to the Yankees or Red Sox. [BI Sports]
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Marlins are interested in Wade Davis. [@TroyRenck]
  • According to Ken Rosenthal, the Rays are keeping their eye on Read the rest of this entry »
Dec 13

Rays Dump Sonnanstine, Add Middle Reliever From Marlins

Andy Sonnanstine, Burke Badenhop, Jake Jefferies, JP Howell Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

Last night, the Rays decided not to tender a contract to Andy Sonnanstine. This came just hours after the Rays added a middle reliever in a minor trade with the Marlins.

In explaining the decision to non-tender Sonny, Andrew Friedman made it clear that there is no longer room on the roster for a player that is rarely used (via Marc Topkin of TampaBay.com).

Friedman said there was no longer “an optimal fit” for Sonnanstine.

And just like that, the Sonnanstine era with the Tampa Bay Rays appears to have come to an end. We will always have a fond spot in our hearts for the guy we affectionately called “The Duke” (El Duque Hernandez’ twin brother from a caucasian mother).

The remainder of the Rays’ arbitration-eligible players were tendered contracts including JP Howell.

One reason it was easier to move Sonnanstine was the addition of Read the rest of this entry »

Dec 12

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss TV Deals, Tender Deals, And Maddon Serving

Andy Sonnanstine, JP Howell, Pudge Rodriguez Cork Gaines 22 Comments »
Click Here For Boxscore
Off-Season (click image for random Wikipedia page)

Angels owner Arte Moreno used to be very vocal in his opposition to huge contracts. Then he gave Albert Pujols $254 million.

The difference? A new (very large) TV deal is on the horizon.

The Angels next TV deal could be worth $150 million per year.  For comparison, one of the biggest reasons the Rays consistently have a low payroll is their TV deal which pays them in the neighborhood of $20 million per year.

All of a sudden, $25 million a year for Pujols doesn’t seem that crazy.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Tonight is the deadline to tender contracts. For arbitration-eligible players (more than 3 years, but less than 6 years experience), if a contract is tendered they will have their 2012 salary determined by an arbitration hearing. If not tendered, they will become free agents. Marc Topkin speculates that JP Howell and Andy Sonnanstine are two that could be non-tendered. [TampaBay.com]
  • Would the Rays give Pudge Rodriguez a shot behind the plate? Jon Heyman thinks it is possible. [@Jon_Heyman]
  • Last Friday was Joe Maddon’s annual Thanksmas dinner. Here is a pic of Maddon stirring a big pot of pasta sauce. [Hardball Talk]
  • Todd Glaesmann, OF, the Rays third round pick in 2009 is playing winter ball in Australia and has been named to the ABL All-Star team (thanks Adam). [ABL]
  • The shine has come off of Raheem Morris. [Joe Bucs Fan]
Dec 06

Joe Maddon Met With The Media, Said Things

Joe Maddon, Jose Lobaton, JP Howell, Matt Moore, Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriguez Cork Gaines No Comments »

At the opening of the 2011 Winter Meetings, Joe Maddon met with the media and answered a number of questions. You can read the full transcript HERE. But if you want the Cliffs Notes version, you will find it below…

On who will play shortstop…

It’s an open competition is what it is [between Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac]. I thought Sean did really well at the end of last year.  Sean probably exceeded our expectations what he’s going to be able to do defensively.  Even as offense I think there’s a lot of room for improvement there, too.  But Sean is a wonderful baseball player and that’s why we love to have him on the field.  Reid one of the better young defenders, I think, at shortstop in the game.  Obviously did not have the offensive year that we were looking for, so he needs to really pick up there.  Again, talking to both of them, they’re both aware that they’ll be battling it out for that job in Spring Training.

On the bullpen…

You’ve got Kyle [Farnsworth] and Joel [Peralta] and then [Jake McGee and Brandon Gomes], I don’t know exactly where J.P. Read the rest of this entry »

Oct 05

If You Booed JP Howell, Joe Maddon Thinks You Are Insane

Joe Maddon, JP Howell Cork Gaines 44 Comments »

Maybe the key moment in the Rays game three loss was the two-out, two-run single by Josh Hamilton off of JP Howell in the seventh inning. The hit made the score 4-1 and the Rays would eventually lose the game by one run, 4-3.

At the time, a lot of fans questioned the move by Joe Maddon to Howell, who had struggled this season with a 6.16 ERA. However, Howell was better in the final two months of the season, allowing just three runs in 12 innings (2.25 ERA).

And whether it was anger towards Howell, or annoyance with Maddon, or just frustration with the situation, some fans booed as Howell was removed from the game. Whatever the reason, Maddon made it clear that booing Howell is completely unacceptable.

“It’s really wrong. I don’t understand why the folks would have gone there on him…It’s inappropriate. Here’s a guy who was a big part of our World Series run, is coming off a severe injury and has done some really good work this year, particularly against left-handers. He’s given up a couple of homers. That’s why the numbers are so high. He’s not been as bad as it seems. But that was the right moment for him, that was the right situation, him versus Hamilton. I felt good about it.”

Yes, Howell’s home run rate was higher this year. And that could be a sign of just plain ol bad luck. But he also went from an arsenal of 4-5 pitches in 2009 to a two-pitch pitcher in 2011. That may have allowed batters to sit on his fastball. And if a batter is sitting on an 86 mph fastball, they can do a lot of damage. But that is another discussion for another time.

Maddon went on to say that blaming the loss on Howell “is absolutely insane as far as [he is] concerned.”

Hey, we know Maddon will always Read the rest of this entry »

Oct 04

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Disappearing Offense, Longo’s Struggle, And Maddon’s Misguided Loyalty

Evan Longoria, Jeff Niemann, Joe Maddon, JP Howell, Kyle Farnsworth, Manny Ramirez Cork Gaines 11 Comments »
Click Here For Boxscore
Rangers 4, Rays 3 (click image for boxscore)

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: David Price. There were concerns about Price heading into this game and whether he could be counted on in a big game. As far as we’re concerned, Price came through big time. He held the lethal Rangers offense scoreless for six innings before finally yielding a home run in the 7th inning. Loss was not his fault…Desmond Jennings. Flash struggled in September. October seems to suit him much better. Two home runs for Jennings. Too bad nobody else showed up for the offense.

THE BAD: Joe Maddon. Hey, you want to stick with your guys on the postseason roster even if they struggled. That’s cool. But the Rays never show loyalty to relief pitchers. So Joe Maddon’s loyalty to JP Howell is perplexing. Did we really need to see Howell in a 1-run game with the bases loaded and Josh Hamilton at the plate? Maddon has now gone from walking Hamilton with the bases loaded during the regular season to giving him a BP pitcher in the playoffs…The Offense. No baserunners in the first 3 innings. Only 3 baserunners in the first 6 innings. Yeah. That’s not going to win too many playoff games. The Red Sox aren’t around now to help. The Rays gotta figure out a way to win this thing on their own…Evan Longoria. It is not too often that Longoria doesn’t show up. He didn’t show up last night. He went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts. And after the third strikeout, he even showed a bit of frustration, throwing the bat. And if BJ Upton is not caught stealing in the 8th, Longoria might have struck out again. Once Upton was off the bases, the Rangers pitched around Longo and gave him first base.

THE TELLING: In the 8 postseason matchups between these two teams, the home team is now 1-7…Kyle Farnsworth was available last night and even warmed up at one point. But he never got into the game.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

Aug 27

Postgame Shot Of Joe: Winning As Yanks Tread Water

Jake McGee, JP Howell Joe Rays Fan 3 Comments »

The bullpen reared its scary head in Toronto, sans Kyle Farnsworth, and held on today to put the Rays seven back of the Yankees in the Wild Card chase.

Obviously, the bullpen was more rested than any history. Then why did Joe Maddon pull J.P. Howell for Jake McGee — lefty for lefty — to open the eighth after Howell went six pitches (two outs) to close the seventh? Howell had given up just one hit over his previous nine outings.

Surely Howell was capable of more. And right on cue, McGee served up a gopher ball and put the Jays back in the game.

Oh, well. There’s no use questioning everyone’s favorite manager, especially after a win. The team is confident and swinging the big boy sticks, and it’s certainly not Maddon’s fault the Rays left another pile of runners on base to keep the game close.

It was interesting to see that during today’s in-broadcast sales pitch for 2012 season tickets, there was no offer dangling priority purchasing for 2011 playoff tickets, which is pretty standard for any team in a pennant race. Shouldn’t the Rays believe? Or at least put that vibe out there? Matt Silverman needs to smack someone for that.

And speaking of the Yankees, their pitching is imploding and a slew of Hurricane Irene rainouts and other lost games leave them with an overloaded schedule of epic proportions.

Assuming the fix isn’t in and Major League Baseball doesn’t find a way to give the Yanks a break somehow, the whole scenario can only help the Rays.

Oh, the glorious potential irony of the Yanks getting screwed by the Rays, in part, because they don’t play in a rickety old dome.

Aug 12

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Niemann’s Status, Double-Play D, And JP’s Struggles

Andrew Friedman, Hak-Ju Lee, Jeff Niemann, JP Howell, Tim Beckham Cork Gaines 15 Comments »
Click Here For Boxscore
Rays 4, Royals 1 (click image for boxscore)

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: Jeff Niemann. Is Jeff Niemann making himself the great pitcher we always hoped? Or is he just making himself into a winter trade candidate? In his last 7 starts he has an ERA of 1.65 and has worked into the 7th inning 5 times…Joel Peralta. Where would the bullpen be this season without Peralta? After JP Howell did his best to make an easy win more difficult, Peralta came in with 2 on in the 7th and got a big strikeout. He then got a big double-play to end the 8th…Double-Play D. The Rays got two huge inning-ending double-plays. In the 7th, on a strikeout with 2 runners stealing, Kelly Shoppach threw out the runner at second rather than try for the runner at third. Then in the 8th, with a runner on first and a groundball to first, Casey Kotchman took a huge step towards the mound before throwing to second, making sure that the throw would easily clear the runner and give Elliot Johnson a clear look back to first base.

THE BAD: JP Howell. This is where Joe Maddon drives fans nuts. At this point, why is Howell even a consideration in high-leverage situations? He has zero confidence in himself. And the opposing hitters know this. And when your fastball is upper-80s, it is hard to be successful without any confidence in your stuff.

THE TELLING: If the Yankees go 23-23 down the stretch, they will finish 94-68. The Rays would need to go 31-14 to tie…

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • A young Rays catching prospect had himself quite a season, setting records and winning league MVP in the Venezuelan Summer League. [Biscuit Crumbs]
  • Here are the draft picks that have until Monday to sign with the Rays. [Rays Prospects]
  • The New Jersey Star-Ledger spoke with some of Andrew Friedman’s Wall Street co-workers. [NJ.com]
  • David Price got quite the Read the rest of this entry »
Jul 15

Surprise! Shields And Farnsworth Were Top Arms In First Half

Jake McGee, James Shields, JP Howell, Kyle Farnsworth Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

Yesterday we looked the Rays biggest first-half bats. Well, we can also use WPA to look at which pitchers came through when it mattered the most so far this season.

In short, WPA gives the pitchers points for a good play and takes away points for bad plays. The amount of points depends on how much of an impact that play had on the Rays winning the game (for an intro to WPA, please check yesterday’s post).

Here are the pitchers so far this season…

James Shields has been the Rays most important pitcher, by far. Of course, that is no surprise.

An interesting thing to look at here is the differences between relievers and starters. We always work under the assumption that starting pitchers are more important than relievers because they work far more innings.

However, the outs later in the game can be far more important than the outs early in the game. And if a relief pitcher is given regular work in high-leverage situations, they can have just as much of an impact as some starters.

For example, Kyle Farnsworth has been the Rays second most important pitcher so far this season. One thing that helps Farnsworth is Joe Maddon’s trust. Unlike Rafael Soriano, Farnsworth has come into several games this season in the 8th inning with runners on base. Those outs tend to be far more valuable than the leadoff hitters in the 9th inning with a 2- or 3-run lead.

Of course, if the reliever sucks, those negative points can add up. And we see that with Andy Sonnanstine (although some of that was as a starter), JP Howell, Adam Russell, Jake McGee, and Cesar Ramos, the Rays five pitchers that have hurt the team the most.

We can also scale these values to get a better sense of who is making the most of their opportunities. Here is the WPA per 9 innings…

And now we can really see how important those late inning outs can be, with the good (Farnsworth) and the bad (McGee).

And we also see which relievers should be getting the ball in critical situations (Farnsworth, Juan Cruz) and who shouldn’t (Howell, Ramos, Russell). Then again, most of you guys probably already knew that. But at least we have numbers now to prove it.

Previous Entries