Akinori Iwamura tore the ACL in his knee and is out for the season. This injury will have more repercussions than simply reassigning the second base job. Let’s take a closer look at the impact on different individuals in the Rays organization…

Aki Iwamura: The Rays have a 2010 club option on Iwamura for $4.25 million ($250K buyout). The Rays will be over budget next season by $15-20 million and there are other options to play second base (Reid Brignac, Willy Aybay, Ben Zobrist). Simply declining the option would be a good start towards balancing the books.

But can the Rays simply cut ties with a player making less than he is worth? Based on WAR, Iwamura had an average value of $10.9 million to the Rays in ’07 and ’08. So $4.25 million is still a very reasonable amount for a second baseman that plays gold glove caliber defense and gets on base about 35% of the time. Having players like Aki on the roster, players that outperform their salary, is the only way the Rays can stay competitive in the AL East.

Another option would be to pick up the option and then trade Aki. But at this point, it is doubtful the Rays would get fair value for a player that will be coming off of a very serious knee injury.

Reid Brignac: This is Brignac’s shot to prove he can be part of the Rays’ future. Brignac will be out of minor league options in 2010 and the second base job may be the only way for him to stay with the Rays organization beyond this season. So giving Brignac the bulk of the playing time at second base over the remaining 115 games is the simplest solution and requires the fewest changes to the team. It would also help the team decide what to do with Brignc in 2010 and beyond.

Ben Zobrist: Sure he is a super-duper-utility guy, but Zorilla has been recast this season as a power-hitting corner outfielder. So far in 2009, Zobrist has made 33 appearances combined (15 starts) in right field and left field and only 9 appearances (6 starts) in the middle infield. It would be easy to assume that Zobrist would help pick up the slack with increased playing time at second base, but we are not so sure. Joe Maddon loves the new Zorilla and would probably prefer to keep using him in the same manner and fill the missing playing time from someplace else.

Willy Aybar: Aybar’s situation is a cross between Brignac and Zobrist. On the one hand, an opening at second base is a chance to get Aybar’s bat into the lineup on a more consistent basis. In fact, it was Aybar that started at second in the first game after Aki’s injury (Brignac filled in for Jason Bartlett who had the night off). But like Zobrist, Maddon has a plan for Aybar and he may not want to deviate too much from that. Aybar on the bench gives Maddon depth and flexibility, two things he craves above all else.

Andrew Friedman: Boy. Think he is kicking himself for trading Adam Kennedy? The Rays always say they would rather make a move too soon as opposed to too late. But in this case, the Rays traded Kennedy too soon.

Summary: In the end, most of the decisions that are to be made, may hinge on how Brignac performs. If he can handle the job on a most-days basis, it allows Maddon the opportunity to keep using Zobrist in Aybar to their maximum effectiveness and ultimately it could make Aki’s 2010 option expendable.

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.

click above image for boxscore

No GBT today as we are a little under the weather. Comments are back on line so feel free to leave your GBTs there and of course we will be restarting the “Sunburst PoG” tomorrow.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• The Rays traded Adam Kennedy to the A’s for minor leaguer Joe Dillon. Kennedy was originally invited to spring training on a minor league deal but did not make the team out of spring training and accepted an assignment to Durham. Dillon is a 33-year old journeyman minor leaguer that has played  122 games in parts of 3 seasons with the Marlins and Brewers. [Yahoo! Sports]
• Joe Maddon called Scott Kazmir’s performance from Saturday “very positive” and Kazmir said he was doing a better job of repeating his mechanics. [St. Pete Times]
• Both the Rays and Scott Kazmir want to make it clear, there is nothing wrong with Kazmir’s arm. [St. Pete Times]
• Pat Burrell got a little spooked last night by a Big Baby. [Sox and Dawgs]
• In case you missed it in the early edition, Shawn Riggans had his rehab assignment cut short and will visit Dr. James Andrews, which is never a good sign. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Carl Crawford tied the Rays franchise record for career RBI. [The Heater]
• The shoes Carl Crawford wore on the day he tied the record for 6 steals in one game were sent to the Hall-of-Fame and just happened to be added to the Rays exhibit on the day Ricky Henderson was being given a tour. [MLB]
• Speaking of shoes, it took a protest from Joe Nelson, whose mom is a breast cancer survivor, in order for the Rays to be able to wear the pink-accented shoes last night because the original charity of choice was not sanctioned by MLB. [Tampa Tribune]
• Jesse Spector interviewed Gabe Kapler for the New York Daily News about some of the “best” things in his life. [Daily News]
• It is fun to look at what kind of pace players are on this time of year. Nobody thinks it will happen, but it is interesting to point out that Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are on pace to break the record for most RBI by a pair of teammates. The record is 347 but a couple of guys you may have heard of, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. [Baseball Musings]
• The campaign manager for one of the mayoral candidates has been fired for handing out Rays tickets. [St. Pete Times]
• The Rays are #8 in the latest Yahoo! Sports power rankings. [Yahoo!]
• In the MSN Travel Guide Tampa comes in at #2 for the “Best Destinations for Summer 2009,” and attending a Rays game is given as one of the reasons. (thanks Sarah) [MSN Travel]
• Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that Delmon Young and Brendan Harris are starting to contribute for the Twins and the oft-talked about trade may not end up as lopsided as it has appeared. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]

As expected, Matt Joyce was demoted to Durham following yesterday’s game to make room for the return of BJ Upton. Upton will start in center field for tonight’s home opener and bat lead off. And based on his 7 steal attempts in his 3 rehab starts, our guess is Upton is going to be running early, and often.

And buried at the bottom of Marc Topkin’s piece, Joe Maddon may be considering another lineup change.

Maddon is deciding between Ben Zobrist and Gabe Gross to start in right tonight

This suggests that Maddon is considering a change in which Zobrist becomes at least the left-handed half of a right field platoon, permanently replacing Gross. Last season, Zobrist was a better hitter against lefties (.269BA/.356OBP v LHP, .242/.328 v RHP) but showed more power against righties (.542 SLG v RHP, .449 SLG v LHP).

If Zobrist does replace Gross in right field, one has to wonder if Gross would soon be on the way out. Gross is not the kind of player Maddon likes to have on his bench. Maddon prefers players with positional flexibility and that is not Gabe Gross.

If Zobrist does replace Gross, the next logical step would seem to be Adam Kennedy replacing Gross on the roster and assuming the role of backup middle infielder.

As expected, Joyce sent to Durham [Rays Report]
Excitement for Tampa Bay Rays’ celebration grows [St. Pete Times]

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.

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: Adam Kennedy. Kennedy may have put an exclamation point on making the opening day roster after Reid Brignac was demoted. Kennedy hit his first home run of the spring. He also has his spring line up to a very solid .293/.370/.372…Jeff Niemann. If we were going to play oddsmakers with the final job in the rotation. We’d say it was 90% for Hammel a week ago and now it is about 60% after Niemann’s latest start. He worked 4 strong innings, giving up 1 run. He did not walk a batter a struck out 2. He did give up 2 well-hit doubles…Troy Percival. Another inning, and more zeros across the board. He has allowed only 1 baserunner (hit batter) in 5 spring innings…Matt Joyce. Joyce saw his first spring action in the field, playing the 9th inning in right field.

THE BAD: Jason Isringhausen. Not terrible, but he did give up a run on 2 singles in an inning of work. From what little we have seen, it just seems like he is close, but not quite ready…Gabe Kapler. It is time for Kapler to start picking up the pace.He was 0-1 and is now hitting .105/.209/.184 this spring.

THE TELLING: Jason Bartlett continues to get the bulk of the leadoff duties in the absence of BJ Upton and Aki Iwamura, and Ben Zobrist started in center…Does it seem like the Rays have played about 20 games against the Pirates this spring?…Matt Joyce will start in center field today…Matt Garza pitched 5.2 innings in an intrasquad game…Jason Hammel will get his next start on Saturday…Akinori Iwamura will play his first spring game on Friday…BJ Upton played 5 innings in a minor league game.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• The Rays demoted a who’s who of top prospects yesterday, with the biggest name being David Price. He will joined in Durham’s spring camp by Reid Brignac, John Jaso, Justin Ruggiano and Elliot Johnson. Price’s demotion means the final spot in the rotation will indeed be between Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann. And with Brignac gone, the final bench spot will likely go to Adam Kennedy. [Rays Report]
• Joe Maddon defended the decision to demote Price. Maddon also indicated that Kennedy has not yet won the final bench spot, saying that Matt Joyce still has a shot at making the roster. Maddon spoke very highly about Joyce’s swing (he is 0-6 thus far) but said he needs to see him play the field. [Tampa Tribune]
• Marc Topkin says the Rays traded April innings for August, September and October innings by demoting David Price. He also says the Rays two biggest reasons for demoting Price were the innings totals and fastball command, noting that he met their wishes of improving his changeup. [St. Pete Times]
• Evan Longoria and JP Howell have returned to the Rays. We can only assume that Aki Iwamura’s absence indicates he is still drunk. [The Heater]
• Jordi Scrubbings previews the Tampa Bay Rays over at his other home. Worth the read. [Thunder Matt's Saloon]
• In an endeavor that likely required therapy once finished, Sully Baseball compares the Rays’ all-time home-grown and all-time acquired teams. Good read. [Sully Baseball]
• Wow. Just wow. He hasn’t even played a game yet for the Rays. The possibilities are endless. [The Fightins]
• A porn star bought herself some Rays gear…Well. At least it will look better on her than Peter King. [Bugs and Cranks]

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: Lance Cormier. Cormier (right) is making a strong case to be the last man in the bullpen ahead of Joe Nelson. Joe Maddon has gone to Cormier a lot early in game to face the tougher batters and he has come through with solid spring numbers (1.80 ERA). He pitched two more scoreless innings and his ability to work more than one inning is only going to help his case.

THE BAD: The offense. Rays hitters managed only 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks. Only one of the hits went for extra bases, a double by Gabe Gross…Jason Hammel. The fifth spot in the rotation is Hammer’s but his grasp may be slipping after walking 5 in 4 innings and giving up 4 runs and 6 hits.

THE TELLING: Adam Kennedy made his spring debut at shortstop, while Reid Brignac made the start.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Marc Topkin takes a look at the questions that remain for the Rays with opening day just around the corner. [St. Pete Times]
• Jason Hammel called his performance “unacceptable.” [St. Pete Times]
• Adam Kennedy says he is willing to start the season in Durham if needed, but the Rays made it clear that if there is not an immediate spot for him with the Rays and another team needs a major league infielder, they will not stand in the way of an opportunity for Kennedy to play in the big leagues. Also of note is Marc Lancaster pointing out that one reason Kennedy signed with the Rays is because he knew he would receive a lot of playing time in the spring to showcase his skills with Aki Iwamura away at the WBC. [Tampa Tribune]

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: David Price and his changeup. King David threw 4 scoreless innings and said afterwards that he is now confident enough to throw his changeup “at any time.” Price struck out 4 and allowed 3 hits and allowed 2 walks… Adam Kennedy. Kennedy showed in the first inning one thing he can bring to the table. Experience. With 1 out and a would-be base stealer beating the throw, Kennedy successfully blocked the bag with his foot for the out…Carl Crawford. At the other end is Crawford stealing bases successfully. His legs sure look fresh as he stole 2 more bases yesterday (although he did get caught going to third) and is 5-6 in the steal department this spring with 2 triples…The Closers. A new TV show featuring Troy Percival and Jason Isringhausen got off to a slow start but is picking up steam as we head to sweeps-week. Both Percy and Izzy and pitched scoreless innings yesterday…Matt Joyce. Joyce made his first appearance in a Rays uniform and just missed 2 separate home runs, one to the track (off a lefty) and one foul. He finished 0-2 with a K.

THE BAD: David Price. Want the quickest way into a manger’s doghouse? Walk the leadoff batter. Price did that yesterday in the second inning and has done that a few times already this spring.

THE TELLING: In last night’s semifinal matchup of the WBC, JP Howell came in to pitch the 6th inning and faced Aki Iwamura during the inning. Aki flied out to center on the first pitch he faced. Howell gave up 2 hits in a scoreless inning, getting a strikeout to retire the side. Aki finished 1-4, driving in a run with a triple and later scoring a run in the 5-run 5th inning. Evan Longoria made his debut with Team USA as a pinch-hitter and the tying run in the 8th inning. He struck out…Pat Burrell will start in right field today. Somebody should warn the groundhogs.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Jenn Sterger told us on Twitter that we need to be reading her blog. You hear that? C’mon guys. Let’s get to it. She is in New York and if we fail her, she could easily be sucked into the Evil Empire. We can’t let that happen. [officially...jenn]
• Not a good weekend for Rays center fielders. First up, we can now rule out BJ Upton from the lineup during the opening week, which means the opening day center fielder very well could be Ben Zobrist. Amazing. The opening day shortstop just 2 years ago, and some wondered if he would ever be a starter again and now he is the opening day center fielder.  [Rays Report]
• Marc Topkin also speculates that Adam Kennedy could be the 25th man on the roster and not Justin Ruggiano. With Zobrist starting in center, the idea would be that Joe Maddon would need a backup infielder, not another outfielder. Maddon also says Zobrist may not need a platoon partner in center being a switch-hitter. [St. Pete Times]
• Then we learn that Fernando Perez’ injury is worse than originally believed and he will now be out 4-5 months instead of 3. [Rays Report]
• James Shields and Andy Sonnanstine both pitched in a minor league game and Matt Joyce also played in the morning game before making his spring debut in the big league game. [St. Pete Times]
• The Rays have set a spring attendance record of 83,274. [St. Pete Times]
• The 134th best Devil Ray ever…Vinny Castilla. [Bugs and Cranks]

With most of the opening day roster set, there are still a number of questions concerning the Rays entering Spring Training, and not one will be “who will be the closer?” Let’s start to speculate…

1. What can we expect from BJ Upton this season? Most Rays fans that have watched BJ Upton over the last two years will agree that Upton is capable of a huge season. But there are reasons to be concerned. Upton has injured his shoulder each of the last six seasons, each time while swinging a bat. We don’t need a graph to tell us there is something in Upton’s swing that irritates his shoulder. So does Upton keep his swing the same and risk another injury? Or does he change his swing and risk losing that amazing bat speed and quick wrists?
   
2. Who is going to leadoff this season? With the addition of Pat Burrell, the Rays have five great hitters in the lineup. If Joe Maddon sticks with Akinori Iwamura in the leadoff spot, that means somebody like Burrell or Evan Longoria is batting sixth most days. That is great for the bottom of the order, but do the Rays really want Aki to have that many more plate appearances this seasons than Burrell? The alternative is to have BJ Upton leadoff, but do the Rays want to take BJ Upton’s run production out of the middle of the order?
3. Will Pat Burrell’s glove see the light of day (or light of the Trop) this season? On paper, the Rays would be smart to burn Pat Burrell’s glove. But The Bat has made it clear that he is concerned about the transition to DHing full-time. Complicating matters are the finicky hamstrings on the back of Carl Crawford’s legs. Will Joe Maddon be willing to occasionally sacrifice the team’s defensive abilities for the sake of Burrell’s sanity and CC’s touchy legs?
4. Will Jason Hammell still be a Tampa Bay Ray on opening day? Jason Hammell is out of options and while there is an opening in the rotation, he must beat out David Price, Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot for the spot. Working for Hammell is the possibility that Price may start in triple-A and Niemann may start in the bullpen. Also working against a trade is the idea that the Rays don’t have any obvious needs. Still, if another team loses a starting pitcher in the spring, they may come calling on the Rays.
5. Will Scott Kazmir rediscover his slider and his mechanics? Scott Kazmir lost confidence in his slider in 2008, at times looking as if he didn’t have a slider in his arsenal. Equally troubling was his inability to keep his fastball down in the strikezone, which may have led to the high number of foul tips, which in turn contributed to his high pitch counts. Kazmir struggled with his mechanics last season and if he can recapture his form, he may be able to recapture his confidence.
6. Will Matt Joyce show that he belongs in the big leagues now? The Rays gave up their best trade piece this off-season for a guy that may not help the team this season. Keeping Gabe Gross and bringing in Gabe Kapler showed that the Rays think Matt Joyce is still a work in progress. If Joyce can come in and hit righties and lefties in the spring, it will be interesting to see if the Rays will be willing to deviate from the plan.
7. Can David Price win the final spot in the rotation? The biggest concern is David Price’s workload. Are the Rays ready to give Price 32 starts at the big league level? Probably not, especially if there are other options. But in the AL East, every game counts and if the Rays want the 25 best players on the roster, King David should be one.
8. Will we recognize Dioner Navarro and how will his new physique affect his game? Dioner Navarro is a great line drive hitter, with zero pop (part of his lack of power is due to his very long stride). Some players have trouble adapting to their new bodies when the change is that drastic. Despite his Fat Catcher status, we actually have always thought Navi was a decent athlete. It will be interesting to see if he now can play up to his athleticism.
9. Who will fill out the back of the bullpen? With Troy Percival and Chad Bradford likely starting the year on the DL, there are now more open spots to start the year. But we still don’t know if Joe Maddon will go with Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel in the bullpen and we need to see if Derek Rodriguez can outperform somebody like Lance Cormier for the final spot.
   
10. Will Morgan Ensberg or Adam Kennedy change the Rays plans and force their way onto the roster? The Rays struck gold with Carlos Pena and to a lesser extent with Eric Hinske as veterans brought into camp on minor league deals. Of course Hee Seop Choi never played a game for the Rays. Shawn Riggans and Ben Zobrist need spots on the bench as the backup catcher and shortstop respectively, and the Rays just gave an extension to Willy Aybar. So the question is whether Morgan Ensberg or Adam Kennedy can outplay Gabe Kapler enough to justify a spot on the bench and somebody else platooning with Gabe Gross in right field.

Willy Aybar’s new deal is now official. He will make $975K this season (we projected $1.0 million) and $1.35 million next season. There is a team option for 2011 at $2.2 million with a $275K buyout. Aybar, a super-two player will still have one year of arbitration remaining in 2012 if the Rays pick up the option.

As Marc Topkin notes, it is unusual for a team to give a bench player a multi-year deal. Andrew Friedman said that “there’s always a scenario where he could earn more at-bats some point down the road.”

We have to wonder if the Rays envision a scenario in which Aybar is the starting second baseman in 2010. If they do, it is likely that the Rays would buy out Akinori Iwamura’s 2010 option ($4.25m*) for $250K. It is not a stretch to think Aybar can be at least as productive as Aki, at a third of the price.

With Aybar under team control for the next four seasons, Reid Brignac still developing, Adam Kennedy lurking, and the fact that the Rays have never attempted to market the team in Japan, Iwamura’s 2010 option sure looks expendable at this point.

* 2010 option likely will be bumped to $5.25m based on number of plate appearances in the first three years of deal.

Aybar deal done, could be worth $4.525 M [The Heater]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Last year it was 9=8. This year it is ‘09 > ‘08…Corny? Yes. But one thing we know very well is that corny tends to be catchy. [St. Pete Times]
• Carl Crawford reported to camp and says he feels better than he has felt in a long time. He says his wrist is “feeling good” and he spent the off-season strengthening his hamstrings to keep from having any more problems on the FieldTurf at Tropcicana Field. [MLB]
• Some think the Royals can be the “Next Rays,” but UmpBump wonders if they are even as good as the Durham Bulls. [UmpBump]
• Adam Kennedy sounds like somebody that is none-to-happy about the way the Cardinals handled his release. Those are the best types of veterans to bring aboard on a minor league deal. The ones with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. [St. Pete Times]
• Fanhouse has a preseason edition of the MLB Power Rankings up. The Rays start the season at #1. [Fanhouse]

Why not, right? The Rays added Pat Burrell and they got rid of Edwin Jackson (picking up Matt Joyce in the process). Aside from bolstering their already stout and well-balanced offense, Jackson’s departure clears the way for David Price to dominate this division for the next decade. Even if it doesn’t happen immediately, there’s too much goodness (see: Evan Longoria and James Shields) not to love.

• Jon Heyman rates the Rays as having the 6th best off-season, noting the Pat Burrell signing as a “steal.” [SI.com]
• Sometimes they put out really great stuff, like this piece on the Rays pitching staff. Then sometimes they put out something like this, which just leaves us shaking our heads. Can somebody please translate. Our P-Chem textbook made more sense. [Drays Bay]
• Rays of Light lets it be known that they are disappointed Scott Kazmir won’t be participating in the World Baseball Classic…We gotta admit, there is a side of us that did want to see Kid K wearing the uniform of Team USA. But the Rays have earned our trust at this point and if they say it is not a good idea, we agree. [Rays of Light]
• Bill Chastain spoke with Mitch Talbot about his callup with the Rays last season and what is expected in 2009. [MLB]
• Grant Balfour enjoyed a bit of the celebrity life when he was back home in Australia this off-season. [Tampa Tribune]

Image at right comes courtesy of UniWatch. Which is great because it just made us throw up a little in our mouths. And interesting to see that Rocco is still wearing his Rays batting gloves. Surprised that his new teammates let him get away with that.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• The Rays have signed second baseman Adam Kennedy to a minor league deal. Kennedy was released last week by the Cardinals who did not see a spot for Kennedy and his $4 million salary in their starting lineup. The Cards are on the hook for all of that except about $400K the Rays will pay. Kennedy hit .280/.321/.372 with an 82 OPS+ in 115 games. He was 3rd in plus/minus for second basemen last year. [Rays Report]
• The Rays have successfully blocked Scott Kazmir’s bid to play in the World Baseball Classic. Marc Lancaster has quotes from both sides, all of which are fairly predictable. [Rays Report]
• Jeff Niemann is excited about the opportunity to compete for a job in the rotation but admits that anything in the majors is fine by him. [Tampa Tribune]
• Joe Maddon spoke about the depth of the bullpen. [MLB]
• For the always budget conscious Rays, there appears to be some concern on the number of baseballs that are being lost in Spring Training…But the good news is, if you travel to Port Charlotte and want some baseballs, just bring a swimsuit. [St. Pete Times]
• Maybe this headline is sarcasm? Because we seem to remember Morgan Ensberg, Gabe Kapler, Matt Joyce (who will likely start in AAA) and about 36 relief pitchers being added this winter. The Rays are up to their eyeballs in depth. [The Rays Party]