One of the more bizarre things to come out the Carl Crawford signing was hearing just how enamored the national mainstream media suddenly is with Crawford.

Don’t get us wrong, it is nice to hear the media speak so highly of such a great player. But they say these things as if they have known this for years. And yet, we barely remember anybody ever saying these things when Crawford was playing with the Rays and doing all these great things.

It is almost as if signing with Boston justified his greatness. Whereas, prior to that, he was not worthy of such praise, even if deserved.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Dan Hayes of the North County Times confirms our speculation, that the only thing holding up the Jason Bartlett trade is a physical for each player. [Twitter]
• Another name that is once again surfacing in connection with the Rays is Jason Giambi. Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says he wants to keep playing and the Rays are interested. [Twitter]
• The Rays also lost four players in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft including Heath Rollins who won’t miss us. [Rays Prospects]
• There was some speculation that the Rays and Cubs were closing in on a deal to send Matt Garza to Chicago. But Read the rest of this entry »

Just the links today, Jason Giambi’s birthday. We don’t think David Chalk will be sending any gifts. Also, on this day 7 years ago, the [Devil] Rays were involved in a three-team swap that sent Roberto Hernandez to the Royals. The Rays received Ben Grieve from Oakland and the A’s received Johnny Damon from the Royals.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• In a strange twist, Jayson Stark is reporting that Cliff Floyd’s agents continue to have discussions with the Rays about returning, and that returning to the Rays is his first choice…Not sure if there is enough ice in the state of Florida for both of Floyd’s knees and we have no idea where the Rays would fit Floyd’s bat. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• The Rays Party of America wonders if Ben Zobrist is an infielder or an outfielder. [Rays Party of America]
• Another look at how undervalued Andy Sonnanstine is. [Drays Bay]
• Pat Burrell is just the fifth player since 1970 to play on a World Series team and then play for the opposing team the next season. [St. Pete Times]

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe feels the Rays will add one of Jason Giambi, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn.

Seems as if the prices for these guys are dropping rapidly, and the Rays might be able to add a pretty good hitter to replace Cliff Floyd and/or Rocco Baldelli.

It may seem that way on the surface, but some of these pieces are going to start falling very quickly. To no surprise, we are now hearing that the A’s and Giambi will soon be talking contract. And when push comes to shove, we feel the Cubs won’t let Bradley get away. Bradley may prefer the situation in St. Pete, but at some point the Cubs offer will be too much money to leave on the table.

Of course, that still leaves Burrell and Dunn, both of whom would provide the “impact bat” Andrew Friedman is seeking. But other teams like the Yankees and Angels may become interested if they fail to land either Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. This could force the Rays to become more active in their pursuit of Burrell or Dunn.

And now Jon Heyman is reporting that the Rays and Burrell “are talking” and Heyman calls Burrell a “real possibility” for the Rays.

Burrell originally sought a three-year deal, but in a tough outfield/DH market he might have to settle for a one-year deal. Burrell’s outfield defense has slipped in recent years, but the Rays are mostly looking for offense.

Heyman also adds Bobby Abreu, Ken Griffey and Garret Anderson to the list of targets for the Rays, although this group is clearly “plan B.”

So if Burrell could stand to make more money from playoff-caliber teams like the Angels and Yankees, then why talk to the Rays now? Why not wait? Because the worst-case scenario may scare Burrell.

What if the Angels don’t want Burrell and the Yankees get Manny? What if Giambi signs a deal with the A’s for only $8-9 million, thus lowering an already low bar? And what if the Rays instead sign a Dunn or Griffey, taking a potent offense that will make a DH look very good in 2009, out of the bidding? If this scenario plays-out, Burrell could be forced to sign with a second-division team with a weak offense that will hurt his numbers in 2009 and hurt his chances of making a big score in next season’s free agent market. And he will have to sign for less than he could get from the Rays now.

While we liked the idea of Giambi or Bradley in a Rays’ uniform, we never thought it was a real possibility. But with the current state of the market, Pat Burrell and the Rays could be a marriage of convenience for both sides.

It’s the offseason of hope [Boston Globe]
A’s To Talk Contract With Giambi Soon [MLB Trade Rumors]
Burrell could fill Rays’ DH need [SI.com]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• It is not in our nature to be mysterious, but we can’t talk about it and we can’t talk about why. [Joe Bucs Fan]
  
• Andrew Friedman says the Rays would like to improve their performance against lefties, but will not do it at the expense of hitting righties who account for 70-75% of the games over the course of a season. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Rays Digest takes a look at the middle infielders in the Rays’ system. [Rays Digest]
• Rays Prospects takes a closer look at the Columbus Catfish hitters from last season. [Rays Prospects]
• The Examiner takes a look back at the Rays’ game of the year. [The Examiner]
• Rays Prospects has the winter league stats updated through last Thursday. [Rays Prospects]

Above image is of Stuart Sternberg arriving for the wedding of Florida Governor Charlie Crist (image from FragMob)

Lots o’ goodies today from Marc Topkin, so we are giving him his first-ever Topkintopia (the regular webtopia is below)…

• We reported last week that it appeared Gerry Hunsicker, “Teller” to Andrew Friedman’s “Penn” (or “Silent Bob” to Friedman’s “Jay” for the younger crowd), was staying with the Rays despite reports that other teams were interested in his services. Topkin is now confirming that Hunsicker has signed an extension to stay with the Rays saying “I’m happy here. I like what I’m doing.”
• Many think the Rays will slow-play the free agent market and take whatever is left over. Topkin warns that there is a risk as some teams could enter the market later if they lose out on their higher-priced targets.
• Topkin places odds on who will be the opening day DH for the Rays, declaring Jason Giambi the favorite at 3:1, with Milton Bradley right behind at 5:1. Willy Aybar is the highest ranked player currently in the organization at 10:1 (6th on list).
• Jonah Keri, author of “Baseball Between the Numbers”, has announced that he will write a book about the Rays and their Wall Street approach to baseball. Not surprisingly, Topkin says the Rays, who prefer to keep things close to the vest, are “neither cooperating with the project nor particularly enthused.”…Keri was interviewed recently about the book on Rays Digest.
• Matt Garza had minor foot surgery to correct an old break in his foot. The surgery makes Garza ineligible for the World Baseball Classic. There were some rumblings that Garza was being considered for the Mexican team.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Rays Prospects projects the starting rotation for the Rays and each of their minor league affiliates. [Rays Prospects]
• If you are going to write in to the local newspaper and bitch about errors seen in their coverage of the Rays and other sports (in this case the Charlotte Sun) please make sure you don’t have your own error in the very first sentence. [Charlotte Sun]
• Behold! “The Longorious”. [Waivers and Sharks]
• Sometimes, while constructing this list, certain headlines make us do a double-take. [Harnesslink]
• Former Rays pitcher Scott Dohmann, who made 12 appearances with the Rays and 33 appearances with the Durham Bulls in 2008, is expected to sign with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Central League in Japan. [Sponichi; Translated]
• Rays Digest takes a look back at the Rays busy week in Las Vegas. [Winter Meetings Rewind]
• Former Rays catcher Josh Paul will manage the Staten Island Yankees of the short-season New York-Penn League…We will always have a soft-spot for Paul because of his official team photo. Paul appeared in 93 games for the Rays in 2006 and 2007. [NY Baseball Digest]
• Despite the additions of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, Richard Justice says the Yankees are still just the third best team in the AL East. [Yahoo! Sports]
• Drays Bay puts together a “Bullpen Matrix” for the Rays relievers…We assume Grant Balfour is Neo and Troy Percival is Morpheus, but who is Trinity? [Drays Bay]
• Mets Fever would like to see the Mets sign Jonny Gomes. [Mets Fever]
• Tyler Hissey spoke with Dayn Perry of FoxSports.com about the Rays. [Rays Digest]
• Nothing new here, but Ken Rosenthal says the Cubs and the Rays are the two teams pursuing Milton Bradley the hardest. Rosenthal says the Rays are a better fit (patient manager, ability to DH) but wonders if the Rays will meet Bradley’s asking price…The better question is: How far down from his asking price would Bradley be willing to go to sign with the Rays? [Fox Sports]
• Rays Prospects has the winter stats updated through Friday for players in the Rays organization. [Rays Prospects]
• Tampa Bay Sports Blog explains why recent moves show that the Rays are smarter than the Yankees. [Tampa Bay Sports Blog]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks keeps chugging along with his Devil Rays Advent Calendar and the all-time greatest Devil Rays. [Bugs and Cranks]

Tonight is the non-tender deadline for the Rays and their six arbitration-eligible players. So it might be a good time to say your good-byes to Jonny Gomes, as 2009 has a very good chance of being less Jonny-terrific.

Willy Aybar, Dioner Navarro, Jason Bartlett and Grant Balfour will certainly be offered arbitration. Gomes is a good candidate to be non-tendered and Gabe Gross is on the cusp.

If the Rays offer Gross arbitration it might be an indication that they want to have the option of sending Matt Joyce to the minors to open the season. If Gross is not offered arbitration, Joyce will almost certainly be on the opening day roster.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Good news for the Rays. The first corner outfielder/DH signed. Raul Ibanez signed with the Phillies for three years/$30 million. With the deal also costing the Phillies a first round draft pick (Type A free agent) we can expect most of the remaining corner outfielder/DHs to come in under that mark. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Matt Joyce, who is currently playing in Mexico and is from the Tampa area, called the trade to the Rays “a dream come true.” [St. Pete Times]
• Joe Maddon spoke highly of Matt Joyce the person and the ball player. [Tampa Tribune]

“I like the thunder in his bat, I like the effort with which he played,” said Manager Joe Maddon. “He’s a very good outfielder, he throws well and he’s young. He’s the kind of guy I think, as he learns more about himself at the plate, is going to be a very productive offensive player, too.”…Maddon added that several baseball people had approached him since the trade was made to tell him how much they thought of Joyce as a person, and Friedman heard the same thing.

• FanGraphs breaks down the Edwin Jackson/Matt Joyce trade noting that Joyce is the better player right now and will likely get better. They compare Joyce to Jayson Werth and note that Joyce teamed with Carl Crawford and BJ Upton is easily the best defensive outfield in baseball. [Fangraphs]
• Keith Law’s take is not quite as uplifting, saying Matt Joyce is best suited to be part of a right field platoon. [ESPN]
• Drays Bay shows that Matt Joyce compares favorably to Carl Crawford both defensively and against lefties and wonders why anybody would want to platoon Joyce…First off, they might be right and we are not sure Joyce isn’t an everyday player (we hope he is). While they have to use Joyce’s minor league splits, it is just silly to think that those numbers will translate perfectly to the major leagues. If Joyce is already near the bottom of the list in OPS against lefties with just his minor league numbers, is it too much of a stretch to worry that it might actually regress a little (or a lot) in the majors? And while Joyce’s minor league OPS versus lefties (.721) is greater than Carl Crawford’s major league OPS versus lefties (.695), three of the four seasons were actually worse. In fact, in 2008 at triple-A, Joyce posted an OPS of .656 versus lefties. It was only 46 at bats, but it was a crappy 46 at bats (1 HR, .308 OBP, 18.2% fly balls). And let’s say Joyce does maintain his OPS versus lefties. A starting outfield with Joyce and Crawford both playing positions that we should expect offensive production from, would be atrocious against left-handers. [Drays Bay]
• John Romano says the Matt Joyce at worst, is a younger, cheaper Gabe Gross. [St. Pete Times]
• Originally Matt Joyce was to be dealt to Seattle for JJ Putz. With Putz now a Met, that leaves the Tigers without a closer. Might Joyce have been traded for a closer after all? Might Edwin Jackson close for the Tiggers? [The Flint Journal]
• The “Rays Digest Podcast” will be back today with another installment as Tyler Hissey recaps the Winter Meetings. [Rays Digest]
• Pearls of Wisdom has gone to all stops to make sure Jonny Gomes is not tendered a contract tonight. [Pearls of Wisdom]
• Peter Abraham is reporting that Jason Giambi is open to returning to the Yankees for less years and less dollars. This is contrary to previous reports that said Giambi preferred to play on the west coast. [The LoHud Yankees Blog]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks welcomes Matt Joyce to Devil Ray Town and hopes this means Jason Giambi is not to be a Ray. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

Let’s use this post for minor updates on previous rumors we have heard from the winter meetings and other minor tidbits. Unless something new or substantial comes along, we will continue to update this post the rest of the day.

[Update: 1:46pm] Andrew Friedman says the Rays have not made any formal offers to any free agents but have discussed parameters.

[Update: 1:21pm] Jayson Stark is reporting that the Angels have begun negotiating with Raul Ibanez as he is their backup plan should Mark Teixeira sign elsewhere…Just spit-ballin’ here, but we have to think that Ibanez is low on the Rays’ wish list.

[Update: 12:16pm] About 13 picks have gone by in the Rule 5 draft and nobody has taken Eddie Morlan. Is it possible nobody think Morlan can be hidden in a major league bullpen?

[Update: 12:00pm] Buster Olney chimes in on the Rays quest for a power hitter, noting that the situation is very good for the Rays with 8 top-level free agents and only 6 teams that appear to be in the market for a corner outfielder/DH type. He also notes that the free agents may find the Rays a very attractive one-year option. The Rays speedy lineup and solid bats could mean a solid season for one of the free agents as they gear up for another free agent run after the ’09 season when the market may be more favorable…Another benefit to the Rays signing one of these free agents to a one-year deal on the cheap is the secondary benefit of the two draft picks the Rays would receive when the player leaves next season.

[Update: 11:33am] MLB Trade Rumors has a few links regarding Rocco Baldelli. The Red Sox may be backing off of Baldelli and the Reds may be interested. Rocco’s agent initiated talks with the Reds, which seems strange as Rocco would seem to prefer an AL team where he can DH. But later, Joe McDonald reported on a situation at the roulette table in which Dusty Baker and Co. were betting “on No. 5 for Rocco Baldelli.” Seriously.

[Update: 11:28am] Mark Feinsand of the Daily News is saying the White Sox are the leading contender to land the services of Bobby Abreu, noting that the Rays “won’t offer the kind of money he’s looking for.”

[From The Hangover] Two writers are reporting that Milton Bradley has become the Cubs top target to play right field with Raul Ibanez possibly as a fall-back plan. The Rays will likely wait out the negotiations and hope that Bradley and the Cubs fail to reach a deal. If that happens, the Rays may be next in line for Bradley despite the acquisition of Matt Joyce. With the Rays, Bradley can spend a considerable amount of time at DH…Right now it looks as if the Rays top two targets, Bradley and Jason Giambi are both likely heading elsewhere. Would the Rays prefer Ibanez or Bobby Abreu at $8-10 million (and a first round draft pick in the case of Ibanez) over Ken Griffey at $3-4 million?

Last night the Rays acquired outfielder Matt Joyce from the Detroit Tigers for Edwin Jackson.

What this trade means for the rotation…
Since the end of the World Series it seemed obvious that the Rays were going to trade either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. To most, Jackson seemed to be the logical choice as his peripheral numbers suggested the 14 wins in 2008 were a bit overrated. And despite a possible move to the bullpen he would have been a very expensive middle reliever.

With Jackson out of the picture, Sonny is a lock for the 4th spot in the rotation. That opens a spot that will eventually be filled by David Price. But will King David fill it in when the team breaks camp? Andrew Friedman made it clear earlier in the week that there is no guarantee Price is in the rotation to start the season. With only 5 starts above double-A, it would not surprise us to see Price in Durham for 5-6 starts to start the season. That means Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jason Hammel will battle for the final spot in Spring Training. Since Talbot still has a minor league option, look for Niemann to get the nod as the Rays try to showcase him for other teams and then trade him to the first contender that loses a starting pitcher to injury.

What this means for the lineup…
Joyce fits in immediately at the 6-spot in the lineup as the most-days right fielder for the next six years. If the Rays are able to sign a player like Jason Giambi or Milton Bradley, Joyce falls to #7 with Evan Longoria at #6 to keep the R-L-R-L lineup. But that is another story for another day. In other words, the Rays could do a lot worse than Joyce at 6/7. And more importantly, it means the Rays don’t have to go through this mess again next year.

What this means for the roster…
We will touch on this a bit more later, but this move probably seals the door on Jonny Gomes’ career with the Rays. Already a candidate to be non-tendered on Friday night, that now seems like a foregone conclusion. 2009 will be much less Johnny-terrific. Now the question becomes, do the Rays have room for Gabe Gross? If they tender a contract to Gross, Fernando Perez is almost certainly in Durham in 2009.

What this tells us about the Rays’ front office…
The Rays have the quietest front office in baseball. Even though the Rays were talking with the Tigers for three days, we never heard a peep. Is that by design? Maybe. Most of the Rays trades seem to come from out of left field (so to speak). Did we hear anything before the Gross trade or the Willy Aybar trade or the Chad Bradford trade?

Do the Rays make it a point to keep everything under wraps as tightly as possible? Or is the front office still young enough, and the Rays still a relatively new player, that the national media has yet to establish connections within the front office?

One thing that is becoming very clear. No matter who we, as fans, think the Rays are targeting, most of the time they will get somebody we were not even thinking about. We don’t know about the rest of you, but we love it.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Marc Lancaster says the Rays and Tigers have been talking since day one of the winter meetings and that at one point they were working on a three-team deal with the Mariners in which JJ Putz would have gone to Detroit. That seemed to be falling through so the Tigers and Rays decided to keep things simple and make it one-for-one. [Tampa Tribune]
• Two writers are reporting that Milton Bradley has become the Cubs top target to play right field with Raul Ibanez possibly as a fall-back plan. The Rays will likely wait out the negotiations and hope that Bradley and the Cubs fail to reach a deal. If that happens, the Rays may be next in line for Bradley despite the acquisition of Matt Joyce. With the Rays, Bradley can spend a considerable amount of time at DH…Right now it looks as if the Rays top two targets, Bradley and Jason Giambi are both likely heading elsewhere. Would the Rays prefer Ibanez or Bobby Abreu at $8-10 million (and a first round draft pick in the case of Ibanez) over Ken Griffey at $3-4 million? [MLB Trade Rumors]
• Andrew Friedman indicated that the Rays are more likely to acquire a relief pitcher via trade, noting that the Rays need the flexibility of being able to send the acquisition to the minors. Why is this important? Because it took Troy Percival two months to decide he needed back surgery and the Rays are not sure if he will be available to open the season. [Rays Report]
• In the same report, Andrew Friedman said he would not be surprised if the Rays lose as many as three players in today’s Rule 5 draft. Which reminds us. Did you guys bid farewell to Eddie Morlan yet? You only have a couple of hours left to do so. [Rays Report]
• Joe Maddon says he is not concerned about members of the Rays participating in the World Baseball Classic. Marc Topkin lists several players that could be chosen. [The Heater]
• Joe Maddon guesses Team USA will take Carl Crawford and a starting pitcher from the Rays roster. Of course that is only the American players. [Tampa Tribune]
• A recent study showed the Tampa Bay Rays were directly responsible for over $100 million in direct spending by tourists in 2008. The study also showed that more than half of the Rays’ 2008 attendance (1.8 million) came from outside Piniellas County. [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
• Baseball America has the complete list of minor leaguers eligible for today’s Rule 5 draft including 43 members of the Rays’ organization. [Baseball America]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• CC Sabathia will sign with the Yankees for seven years and $160 million. Four or five games in 2009 just got a lot harder for the Rays. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• The Rays are adding a second rookie-level minor league team that will play in Port Charlotte as part of the Gulf Coast League. This gives the Rays seven minor league affiliates. The Rays have also hired a new hitting coach for the Durham Bulls to replace Gary Gaetti. Dave Myers played for eight seasons in the Mariners farm system, reaching as high as double-A before retiring in 1988. His most recent job was as a coach for the Mariners. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Andrew Friedman does not believe the reports of Jason Giambi signing with the A’s are true, noting that Giambi would not be wasting his own time or the Rays’ time…Our feeling is that Giambi plans on signing with the A’s but is just keeping all options open until he signs a contract. At this time, the A’s appear to have their priorities elsewhere but will get to Giambi eventually. [Tampa Tribune]
• For those that are old enough to remember, one of the most well-known baseball cards of the 1980s was the 1988 Fleer Billy Ripken with the unfortunate trademark on the knob of his bat. Ripken finally came clean to Darren Rovell of SportsBiz, about how the entire incident unfolded. How did Ripken first become aware of the baseball card? From the Rays’ own VP of Communications Rick Vaughn, who was the PR guy for the Orioles at the time. (thanks Jordi) [SportsBiz]
• Evan Longoria will participate in the annual Hope Chrysler Classic celebrity golf tournament. [The Desert Sun]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks is, how we say? Not happy about the prospect of the Rays signing Jason Giambi. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Andrew Friedman said they are not tied to acquiring a specific type of player, but if all else is equal they would prefer a power bat. [Tampa Tribune]

Let’s use this post for minor updates on previous rumors we have heard from the winter meetings. Unless something new or substantial comes along, we will continue to update this post the rest of the day.

[Update: 8:18pm] On Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu
Despite earlier reports that Giambi will sign with the A’s, Marc Topkin is reporting that Giambi met with the Rays Monday night, and has a picture to prove it. Our guess is that Giambi still plans on signing with the A’s, but is keeping all doors open in case the A’s situation falls through. Topkin also reports that the Rays will meet with Bobby Abreu’s agent in the “next 24 hours.”

[Update: 5:03pm] On Rocco Baldelli…
MLB Trade Rumors has a piece that suggests the Red Sox are not sold on signing Baldelli, noting they are worried about needing a fourth outfielder to play long stretches should an injury arise…This certainly makes it more likely that Rocco could return to the Rays in 2009.

On Jason Giambi and Garret Anderson…
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus is reporting that Giambi is likely to sign with the A’s and that “an announcement could come at the [winter] meetings.”

We heard this morning that Giambi was low on the A’s list of priorities, even though he was telling friends that he would sign with the A’s.

In the same post, Perrotto also says the Rays “have at least some interest in signing” Anderson.

On Delmon Young…
Marc Lancaster spoke with a Rays official who shot down the Rays interest in Young.

Just spoke briefly with a Rays official who was mystified about ESPN’s report of a potential three-way deal among the Rays, Rockies and Twins that would bring Delmon Young back to Tampa Bay and send Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson to Colorado. The Rays haven’t had talks with either team along those lines, apparently.

Earlier today Jayson Stark reported that the Rays were indeed talking to the Twins about Young. Stark also speculated that the Rockies might make a good third team to get the deal done.

On Milton Bradley…
We updated “The Hangover” earlier, but in case you missed it, Nick Cafardo is reporting that Bradley is “in intense discussions with the Cubs.” We had previously heard that the Rays were the most likely destination for Bradley.

According to Ken Rosenthal (via MLB Trade Rumors), Jason Giambi is telling friends that he expects to sign with the A’s, per his desire to return to the west coast.

Free-agent first baseman Jason Giambi has told friends that he expects to sign with the A’s, but his former team has him “way down on its list of priorities,” according to a major-league source.

Giambi wants to return to the west coast, but his options appear limited. The Padres and Dodgers are set at first base. The Angels could sign free agent Mark Teixeira and the Giants and Mariners seem inclined to go with younger players.

It now looks like a long-shot for the Rays signing the Giambino to DH in ’09. However, if the deal with the A’s falls through, Giambi may be open to a one-year deal with the Rays, with hopes of a west coast team needing his services in 2010.

8:48 p.m. — Giambi could be with A’s again [Fox Sports]
Giambi Expects To Sign With A’s [MLB Trade Rumors]