Jan 27
With the addition of Carlos Pena, the Rays 25-man roster is now nearly set, barring any trades. And really, we don’t see a lot of jobs up for grabs in spring training.
Let’s take a look…
A few notes on this projection…
- Barring a trade, the 13 positions spots seem set to us. Can you make a case for Elliot Johnson? Or maybe you think Robinson Chirinos has a shot to beat out Jose Lobaton for the second catcher’s position? Seem like long shots to us.
- The only question we see with the hitters is determining who will play shortstop. Our belief is that, unless there is a bat that is clearly superior on an everyday basis, Reid Brignac will be the shortstop versus righties. His wOBA was 100 points higher in 2010 than in 2011 and he will be given a shot to get back to that level. Against lefties, we see Jeff Keppinger at shortstop and Sean Rodriguez at second base. But you could easily flip-flop their positions.
- We put question marks next to Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann because we feel the recent signings (Carlos Pena, Luke Scott) tell us the Rays are going for it in 2012. That means James Shields is not going anywhere and if somebody is moved to make room for Matt Moore it will be The Giraffe or Big Dub. The Rays could send Davis to the minors, but that seems unlikely.
- Josh Lueke and Burke Badenhop have the best shots at crashing the bullpen party. But it might take a monster spring training to beat out Cesar Ramos or Jake McGee.
Jan 12
With the signing of Luke Scott, it appear that the only position that is still in doubt is first base. And with Johnny Damon now unlikely to return, we will have one less familiar face on the roster come April.
In fact, if we look back to the miracle run of 2008, there are only four players still on the roster from that opening day squad. And one of those players, Elliot Johnson, was just filling in for an injured player and played in just seven games that season.
So let’s take a look at the opening day rosters for the Rays three playoff teams and how they compare to the projected 2012 roster…
A couple of things stand out to us…
- BJ Upton is the only regular player that has been with the team since 2008.
- The rotation, the strength of this team, has been Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 01
With the Rays picking up the options on James Shields and Kyle Farnsworth, and declining the option on Kelly Shoppach, the Rays have made their first significant moves of the off-season. But unlike last winter, this Hot Stove season could see far fewer changes to the roster.
Keep in mind, this “projected roster” is not what we expect the Rays to look like on opening day. Rather, this is what the roster might look like if the 2012 season started today. In other words, we are just considering players currently in the organization, and are using this as a way to gauge where changes may happen.
Here is the projection (players in blue are the most likely to be replaced)…
A Few notes on this roster…
LINEUP
First base and designated hitter are the two most glaring needs. We would be surprised if either position is filled by players currently in the organization. And who fills those holes depends greatly on how much money Stuart Sternberg gives Andrew Friedman to spend.
As it stands right now, the two catchers would be John Jaso and Jose Lobaton. But the Rays could also bring back Kelly Shoppach or add somebody from outside the organization.
At shortstop, Sean Rodriguez figures to see a lot of playing time, but he probably won’t be the everyday guy. Reid Brignac needs to show some dramatic improvement, or he will be headed to the bench.
BENCH
Unlike most off-seasons, the Rays bench looks nearly set. Jose Lobaton and Sean Rodriguez should see extensive playing time. Sam Fuld is Read the rest of this entry »
Sep 29
Ok, let’s discuss the roster…
A few notes…
- LINEUP: The lineup seems pretty straight forward unless you can make a case for Jose Lobaton over John Jaso. We do know that Brandon Guyer did not make the trip to Texas even though he has been starting in right field versus lefties recently. Does that mean Justin Ruggiano will start versus lefties, or will Ben Zobrist move to right field with Sean Rodriguez moving over to second base? Zobrist hasn’t started in right field since August 23.
- ROTATION: This is the big question mark. We know Read the rest of this entry »
Mar 26
Yesterday, the Rays demoted two relievers, Rob Delaney and Cory Wade. And today, seven more position players were reassigned, including Casey Kotchman, Felipe Lopez, Joe Inglett, Chris Carter, Ray Olmedo, Craig Albernaz and Justin Ruggiano.
[Update] The Rays have also reassigned Jose Lobaton.
SEE THE UPDATED OPENING DAY ROSTER AT THE END OF THIS POST
These moves confirm what we have expected for a while…
- John Jaso must be fine with Jose Lobaton being cut.
- With Kotchman being demoted, Dan Johnson will be the first baseman.
- Elliot Johnson will be the Rays backup middle infielder and utility player now that Felipe Lopez has been reassigned.
- Sam Fuld will indeed be the fourth outfielder.
- Juan Cruz and Jake McGee will be in the bullpen and Cesar Ramos is likely to get the finally spot unless the Rays make a trade this week.
We will have to wait and see if Kotchman or Lopez received promotion promises. That is, the Rays may have promised to release either or both players if they are not in the big leagues by a certain date.
The Rays spring roster is now Read the rest of this entry »
Mar 14
With Spring Training set to begin this week, let’s take a look at what the opening day roster might look like and some of the questions that remain to be answered…
A few notes on the 25-man roster projection…
LINEUP:
There are three roster spots up for grabs. We are giving Read the rest of this entry »
Feb 14
With Spring Training set to begin this week, let’s take a look at what the opening day roster might look like and some of the questions that remain to be answered…
A few notes on the 25-man roster projection…
LINEUP:
Andrew Friedman said Read the rest of this entry »
Jan 27
With the recent additions of Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, let’s take a look at what the opening day roster would look like if the season started today…
A few notes on the 25-man roster projection…
- LINEUP: Elliot Johnson, Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez will share middle infield duties. The biggest question now is determining who will play first base. Johnny Damon, Ben Zobrist and Dan Johnson could all see time there. And who gets the bulk of the time could be dependent on whether Joe Maddon prefers Matt Joyce or Dan Johnson in the lineup more often.
- BENCH: The final spot may come down to Read the rest of this entry »
Jan 18
With less than a month until pitchers and catchers report, let’s take a look at what the opening day roster would look like if the season started today…
A few notes on the 25-man roster projection…
- For the first time in six years, we are projecting two starting lineups. It only makes sense with Maddon’s platoon mentality. As a result, we are projecting platoons at C, 1B, 2B and LF.
- LINEUP: Andrew Friedman says Read the rest of this entry »
Dec 23
Yesterday we projected the 40-man roster and payroll. Now let’s take a look at what the opening day roster would look like if the season started today…
A few notes on the 25-man roster projection…
- For the first time in six years, we are projecting two starting lineups. It only makes sense with Maddon’s platoon mentality. As a result, we are projecting platoons at C, 1B, 2B and DH.
- LINEUP: Andrew Friedman says Read the rest of this entry »
