Feb 10
Earlier this week, Andrew Friedman said the Rays will continue to monitor the market. The big name that the Rays have been linked to is Johnny Damon. Recently we speculated that this was evidence that the Rays are still trying to trade Pat Burrell, as the Rays would not be able to keep two DH-types on the roster.
But what if it is the other way around? What if the Rays will trade Burrell, if they can sign Damon? This is where the finances come into play.
In order to trade Burrell, the Rays would likely have to swallow some of the $9 million remaining on his contract. The amount they are willing to eat is likely dependent on how much of a discount they can get with Damon.
Let’s say the Rays think Damon is worth $8 million. They can’t just give Damon $8 million and swallow some of Burrell’s money (let’s say $3 million). At that point the Rays would be paying $11 million for his $8 million worth of production. Is that any better than paying Burrell $9 million for $5-6 million in production? Not for a team with limited finances and a payroll that is already $5-10 million higher than they would prefer.
But what if the Rays can get Damon for $4-5 million? At that point, the Rays would probably be willing to eat $3-4 million of Burrell’s contract. The Rays would be getting an $8 million player for $7-8 million and save $1-2 million on the payroll.
At this point it is just a wait-and-see game as the Rays wait to see how far Damon’s price will fall as his options continue to dry up. It is still a long-shot, but if the pieces fall in place, Damon could be the Rays most-days DH in 2010.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- “I told the Rays’ (general manager) that was the dumbest idea you’ve ever come up with…” That is a quote from Charlotte County Commissioner chairman Bob Starr on the Rays decision to sell the naming rights to their spring training home to The Mosaic Company. Roger Mooney also has quotes from The Mosaic Company [translation: We still want to move forward] and the Rays [translation: Oops]. [Tampa Tribune]
- One and done for the the Rays and the Florida Tuskers. Marc Topkin reports that the Rays have sold their minority ownership in the Tuskers after their inaugural season. The Tuskers played one “home” game at The Trop. [The Heater]
- Former Rays prospect Jason Pridie was claimed off waivers by the Mets…Pridie was one of three players (Demon Young, Brendan Harris) the Rays sent to the Twins for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. [New Jersey Star-Ledger]
- Marc Topkin writes about how Rafael Soriano will make the entire bullpen better…We have written this before: The upgrade is not from JP Howell to Soriano. Soriano is not replacing Howell, he is only taking his job. Soriano is replacing whoever would have been the seventh reliever, and that is a huge upgrade. [St. Pete Times]
- Joe Maddon wrote the foreword for Tim Salmon’s upcoming autobiography. [The Orange County Register]
Feb 09
Yesterday we wondered if the Rays would have second-thoughts about selling the naming rights to their spring training field. This, after local environmentalists expressed their disgust with the team’s partnership with The Mosaic Company, a local mining company.
Twenty-four hours later, the Rays have already started backing away from the deal.
Charlotte county was supposed to decide this morning if they would allow the field to be renamed “Mosaic Field.” The Rays asked that the item be removed from the agenda.
Many Charlotte County residents reacted to the Mosaic offer the same way the Indianapolis Colts would regard an offer to rename their stadium “Whodat Field.” Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings called it “an outrageous slap in the face”…So at the last minute, the Rays asked commissioners to pull the item from the agenda…That didn’t quell the controversy, though, and it doesn’t mean the proposal is dead. In effect, the Rays called a time out…Commissioners said they had received more than 100 e-mails objecting to the deal, and a dozen people showed up in person to vent about the Rays’ agreement with the county’s longtime opponent.
The agreement would have meant $75K a year for Charlotte County for the next 15 years.
Once we heard of the complaints from the locals, we were surprised the Rays ever let the partnership get this far. Stuart Sternberg and Co. are a very image-conscious organization, and we have seen them avoid many other situations that were far less controversial than strip-mining and destruction of local wetlands.
Feb 08
Last week, the Rays announced an agreement with The Mosaic Company to rename the Rays spring training park in Charlotte. In the press release, the Rays said they were looking for a partner “with a strong presence in our region and a demonstrated commitment to local communities…The Mosaic Company has an exceptional track record of community engagement.”
Well, that “community engagement” may include destroying local wetlands and some in the community are not happy with the partnership.
“It’s an outrageous slap in the face,” says longtime Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings. “For years we fought Mosaic’s efforts to expand strip mining in the Peace River Basin. We spent $12 million doing it. Now the Tampa Bay Rays want to put the Mosaic name on our sports center. It’s as if Mosaic is going to get the naming rights for Florida Field and change its name from the ‘Swamp’ to the ‘Clay Pit’ because that is what they do to natural wetlands.”
According The Mosaic Company’s website, they are “the world’s leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two of the primary nutrients required to grow the food the world needs.
So Mosaic produces the two of the main ingredients in fertilizer that is then used to help grow crops in areas that otherwise might not be able. But they do this at the cost of strip mining in the Charlotte area and possibly damaging local wetlands.
Fair or foul? We don’t know, but if the voices behind this story get any louder, the Rays could have second-thoughts on their new partnership.
Feb 19
In a move that surprises nobody, the Rays have begun the process to move their Florida State League franchise from Vero Beach to Charlotte County in 2009. Charlotte County is the home of a minor league park that is receiving a $27 million renovation and will be the new home for the Rays Spring Training beginning in 2009.
What is surprising is that ABC-7 is reporting that the group that has proposed to purchase the Vero Beach franchise is led by Cal Ripken Jr..
“The Ripkin Group – they have a very good reputation, obviously. Anytime you have Cal Ripkin, Jr. high up in the organization, they have a very solid reputation,” said Jim Ferguson, media relations director for minor league baseball.
Ripkin has reportedly had his representatives ask permission from the Fort Myers Miracle to explore the possibility of another Florida State League team in Southwest Florida. The Miracle couldn’t comment because of tampering rules, but Ripkin’s groups told us, “Things are in the works” and to “check back in about 30 days.”
“There is nothing set in stone yet. But it is something we’ve been exploring and it would be a logical piece of the puzzle,” said Vaughn.
Ferguson added, “It takes a while and it’s a lot of paperwork, but generally they get approved.”
The Charlotte County franchise would be the third team owned by the Ripken Baseball Group which also owns the Abderdeen IronBirds and the Augusta Green Jackets. They have a goal of owning 10 franchises by 2015.
It seems only fitting that Cal Ripken jump on the Rays bandwagon considering the Orioles will be residing in the Rays usual last place in 2008.
RAYS MAY MOVE MINOR LEAGUE TEAM TO SWFL [ABC-7]
