Archive for the 'Erik Bedard' Category

Feb 09

[THE SATURDAY MORNING REVOLUTION] Pedro Alvarez Named Preseason All-American

Carlos Pena, Erik Bedard, Matt Spring, Pedro Alvarez, Peter Angelos admin 2 Comments »


Tampa Bay Devil Dogs (5 days until pitchers and catchers report)
Baseball America names their preseason college All-Americans. The list includes Vanderbilt’s third baseman Pedro Alvarez.

Alvarez has been a first-team All-American and the top hitter on Team USA in each of his first two seasons, and his bat speed and strength make him the best hitter for both average and power in college baseball. His range is limited and his hands are average at best, but he has worked hard on his defense and has enough arm strength for the hot corner.

“He’s the best position player in the draft,” a front-office executive said. “He can hit and he can stay at third base. He stacks up with Evan Longoria and Alex Gordon, who got put in that same category. He’s a better hitter than we had last year, when the top guys were Matt Wieters and Matt LaPorta.”

Alvarez is odds-on choice to be the top overall selection in the June draft by the Rays. A third baseman, but many feel he can transition to first base quite well. Hmmmm?

  • June, 2008: Drafted.
  • July, 2008: Debut at Hudson Valley with a late call-up to Columbus.
  • 2009: Spend season in Vero Beach and Montgomery.
  • 2010: Promoted to Durham for the first half of the year. 2010 also happens to be the last year of Carlos Pena’s extension. Pena traded prior to July 31. Alvarez makes his debut in September, 2010.

Anyone think this scenario crossed their minds when they decided to give Pena a three-year deal?

2008 Preseason College All-Americans [Baseball America]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Catcher Matt Spring has been invited to Spring Training. The Rays’ 4th round pick in 2004, Spring split time between Columbus and Montgomery, logging only 59 games, batting a combined .186-7-29. Don’t read too much into this. Teams have like 23 kazillion pitchers on hand when camp first starts, and those pitchers need catchers to throw to. Spring is a filler. [Riverwalk Talk]
  • Ian Browne wonders if another team in the AL East can challenge the Red Sox or the Yankees. Now that the O’s have traded Erik Bedard, and not Peter Angelos, I would think it is safe to rule them out. [MLB]

“Yes, we’re young. And we have lacked some experience. But now we’ve gained some experience over the past two years. Now is the time to start making this thing work a little bit. So I love the American League East. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”-Joe Maddon

  • Yahoo! Sports ranks the AL catchers. 14 catchers, Dioner Navarro comes in 13th. [Yahoo! Sports]

Navarro throws well but is only an average receiver. Conditioning is always an issue for him. He hit only .227 with a .286 on-base percentage last season.

  • DRays Bay updates their roster odds. [DRays Bay]
  • 376 days until Rays pitchers and catchers report to their new 2009 Spring Training home at Charlotte Sports Park. [Charlotte Sun-Herald]
Feb 07

[KID K] Scott Kazmir Likely To Be Traded Following 2008 Season

Adam Jones, Barry Zito, Carlos Pena, CC Sabathia, David Price, Erik Bedard, Jake McGee, James Shields, Johan Santana, Scott Kazmir, Wade Davis Cork Gaines 9 Comments »

Rays fans need to pay attention to the sagas drawn out in Minnesota and Baltimore this off-season as the same situation is likely to unfold with the Rays next winter.

Last week the Minnesota Twins traded Johan Santana to the New York Mets. Santana and the Mets subsequently agreed to a $137.5 million contract extension. The contract given to Santana, as well as the deal signed by Barry Zito last season ($126 million), in all likelihood ended any hopes that the Rays had of ever signing Scott Kazmir to an extension.

Optimism for the future of the Tampa Bay Rays has been riding at an all-time high thanks to recent contract extensions signed by Carlos Pena and James Shields. After stockpiling an arsenal of young talent the team is now showing the players and the fans that they will not only develop the talent, but they are willing to spend money to retain those players. Unfortunately, that warm and fuzzy feeling should now be tempered by the Santana trade that on the surface appeared to have little effect on the Rays.

While Kazmir is not yet to the level of Santana and Zito, he is left-handed, he is a proven winner and he will be three years younger (27) than Santana would have been (30) in his first free agency season. And now word is coming down that $17 million per season may not be enough to keep C.C. Sabathia in Cleveland.

One does not need to stretch their imagination too far to think that Kazmir and his agent Brian Peters will seek a deal for at least seven years, worth $110 million or more, once Kazmir hits free agency. For a team that is likely to have a payroll in the $50-60 million range in three years, it is inconceivable that they would commit $15-17 million to one player.

In the past, it would be a little early to be concerned about the pending free agency for a player just entering his first arbitration-eligible season, but the times, they are a-changin’. In addition to the contracts signed by Santana and Zito, the Rays will also pay close attention to how the situation unfolds in Baltimore with Erik Bedard.

Bedard is another young lefty that figures to cash-in on a contract similar to those signed by Santana and Zito. Rather than wait until next year, when the Orioles negotiating leverage will be weaker, Baltimore has decided to trade Bedard this off-season, two years prior to free agency. In return, the Orioles are expected to land a young player with all-star potential (Adam Jones), a relief pitcher and three top pitching prospects. Most agree that the package the Orioles are expected to receive is much stronger than that which the Twins received for Santana.

Unless the Rays decide to move the team’s payroll into the $60-70 million range, a move that seems highly unlikely, or Kazmir is willing to give the Rays a hometown discount of historic proportions (something the players union will never let happen), the team will not be able to afford the services of Kazmir much longer. In addition, the Rays have the luxury of several top pitching prospects that could be ready to enter the rotation as early as next season, including Jake McGee, Wade Davis and last year’s #1 overall pick, David Price.

If trading the young ace is a foregone conclusion, then the time to do it will be following the 2008 season when his price will be at its peak. The Rays can expect to receive a package at least on par with what the Orioles received for Bedard, if not greater, as Bedard has a history of injuries and has never thrown 200 innings in a season.

Thanks to Johan Santana and Barry Zito, the 2008 season could very well be Kid K’s last in a Rays uniform.

Johan Santana Traded To The Mets; Rays Dodge Bullets [Rays Index]
Mets Finalize Deal With Johan Santana [MLB Trade Rumors]
Tampa Bay Rays Lock Up Carlos Pena For 3 Years [Rays Index]
Six Or Seven Years For James Shields Is A Risk Worth Taking [Rays Index]
Baseball Bogs Weigh In: Eric Bedard [MLB Trade Rumors]
Santana Contract Could Spell Sabathia Departure [MLB Trade Rumors]