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]

Yesterday, Jayson Stark wrote that a source was saying the Rays would “never” take Delmon Young back.

Not so fast. Today Stark is saying the talks are very much alive and might involve a third team.

Stuff can change fast at the winter meetings. Contrary to what I reported Monday morning on this very blog, there were indications Monday night that Tampa Bay was still talking to the Twins about a deal that would bring outfielder Delmon Young back to the Rays.

Tampa Bay likely would deal away either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. But the trade could also involve a third team, because the Twins aren’t looking to add starting pitching.

Stark speculates that the Rockies could get involved considering their interest in acquiring starting pitching and the Twins interest in Garrett Atkins.

The Rays just traded Young away (along with Jason Pridie and Brendan Harris) last season for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett (and Eddie Morlan). If we are reading this right, and we would like to think we are, this latest move would essentially make the original trade Sonnanstine or Jackson for Garza and Bartlett. Seems fair.

That sound you hear? That is Twins fans throwing up.

Jayson Stark: Rays Will Only Trade Bartlett In ‘Major Deal’ [Rays Index]
Rays might re-acquire Young [ESPN]

This trade was not Delmon Young-for-Matt Garza.

This trade was not a 3-for-3 deal.

Make no mistake this was a 3-for-1 deal and one could make a very strong argument that this was a 5-for-1 deal (we will get back to that in a moment).

Both Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie were expendable, leaving Young as the only piece of significance given up by the Rays. Harris proved in the first half of 2007 that he could hit a baseball. Unfortunately, Harris proved all season that he is not a major league shortstop, often playing the position as if he had his feet stuck in cement. Pridie is a talented young outfielder, but there was clearly no future for him in a Rays uniform, with the team’s depth of outfield talent at all levels.

On the other hand the Rays pick up one of the top young pitchers in baseball (Garza), who is still two seasons from arbitration, a starting shortstop for 2008 and maybe beyond (Jason Bartlett), and one of the top closer prospects in baseball (Eduardo Morlan). Originally the deal was to include Juan Rincon, but concerns over his elbow lead the Rays to insist on the inclusion
of Morlan. Rincon would have added depth to the Rays 2008 bullpen, but Morlan could end up being a more valuable acquisition.

In addition to the three pieces from the Twins, the Rays also indirectly acquired a AAA all-star outfielder and long reliever/spot starter to give the bullpen added depth.

Justin Ruggiano: Moving Delmon Young opens up a spot in right field. With both Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes on the roster, Ruggiano would most likely have started the season in Durham. With Young gone, the star for Team USA in the World Cup is now the leading candidate to be the fourth outfielder and the team will likely employ a rotation with Rocco, Gomes and Ruggiano sharing time in right field and DH.

Jason Hammel: Hammel was originally slotted as the fifth starter and with the acquisition of Garza, he is the odd man out. Hammel, who is out of options will now most likely be moved to the bullpen where he worked last season before entering the rotation. Hammel is an immediate upgrade over another pitcher currently in the organization that could have filled the role of long reliever/spot starter.

Most reactions to the trade, whether they be Twins, Rays or Neutral fans, suggest that Young-for-Garza is either a push or a slight edge for the Twins, citing Young’s enormous upside. Those same reactions also unanimously agree that the other four players included in the deal, make the Rays the winners of the deal. Now add Ruggiano and Hammel to the deal and consider that Pridie and Harris were expendable and the 5-for-1 deal in which the Rays receive five important pieces for a 5-tool player that has never shown three of those tools (power, speed, glove) at any level and the Rays are a significantly better team this week than they were last week.

When the tree stops shaking, let’s now take a look at what the 25-man roster could look like on opening day 2008. (notes on this projection can be found below)

• INFIELD: We still feel that Akinori Iwamura will be at second base, no matter what the team decides to do with Evan Longoria. If the Dirtbag is not ready, they will most likely use a stopgap such as Joel Guzman, who has proved to be more than adequate with the glove. Aki just does not have the arm to be a major league third baseman and there is no sense moving him mid-season.
• OUTFIELD: Without Delmon Young, there is now a big question mark in right field. Without any further trades (Jonny Gomes?) the Rays will most likely go with a 3-man platoon in right with Gomes, Ruggiano and Rocco with one of the odd-men out playing DH every night. With Rocco’s legs and Gomes questionable glove, Ruggiano could be the most-days right fielder. The biggest problem with this scenario is that all three swing from the right side. If Gomes is moved, look for a left-handed bat to come back to the Ray in the deal.
• BENCH: Several question marks here. Will the team sign a veteran free agent catcher? Will they find a left-handed bat to come off the bench/is the switch-hitting Zobrist sufficient? Does that give Zobrist an edge over Josh Wilson to be the utility infielder?
• ROTATION: The Rays just went from “Kaz, Shields and pray for a power outage” to looking like they have a very formidable rotation. Before the trade, there were questions if the Rays even had a pitcher ready to fill the fifth spot. Now Jackson and Sonnanstine slide down to #4 and #5 and both look a lot better in those spots. The odd-man out on the surface is Jason Hammel, but Jeff Niemann could have been hurt the worst. Niemann could have competed in spring training with Hammel. He will have a much more difficult time trying to push aside Sonnanstine and is now more likely to begin season at AAA.
• BULLPEN: One of the worst in the history of baseball in 2007, the bullpen is suddenly looking like it could be a strength. Percival is the closer. He had a strong 2007 after coming out of retirement, but he will be 38 on opening day. The new 8th inning guy is Al Reyes and he will be 37 with a history that includes two Tommy John surgeries. If those two can stay healthy and effective, the rest of the bullpen slots very nicely, especially with the addition of Hammel. Five of the spots look to be spoken for, which leaves two open for competition in Spring Training. Birkins gets an edge being left handed. In 2006 and 2007, the Rays were not trying to compete so it was easier for Joe Maddon to leave spring training without a lefty in the pen. We can’t see him doing that in 2008. Dohmann was strong in the second half of 2007 and is out of options, but so are Gary Glover and Grant Balfour.

ESPN.com is reporting that the deal to send Delmon Young to the Twins has been finalized. The Tampa Bay Rays will send Young, along with Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie to the Minnesota Twins for Matt Garza, shortstop Jason Bartlett and minor league pitcher Eduardo Morlan. The deal does not include relief pitcher Juan Rincon, as had previously been mentioned.

The big piece in the deal is Garza, which gives the Rays a legitimate #3 starter in the rotation. The acquisition pushes Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine down to the #4 and #5 slots. Adding a starter to the rotation should strengthen the bullpen as Jason Hammel will now most likely be the Rays long reliever and spot starter. Jeff Niemann, the Rays top pick in 2005, will now have to compete with Sonnanstine for the final spot in the rotation and is more likely to begin the season at AAA Durham.

The acquisition of Jason Bartlett gives the Rays an above average defensive shortstop and a strong upgrade defensively. Bartlett, made 26 errors in 2007, but has consistently been above the league average in range factor.

Both Harris and Pridie wee expendable pieces for the Rays. Harris would most likely have been the team’s utility infielder, a position that Ben Zobrist or Josh Wilson can fill adequately. Pridie, who was recently added to the 40-man roster, spent the 2006 Spring Training with the Twins after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Pridie posted strong numbers this past season at AA Montgomery and AAA Durham, but stood no chance of being added to the 25-man roster.

Moving Young, leaves an opening in right field for the Rays, and opens a roster spot and playing time for Justin Ruggiano. Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon are most likely hoping that some combination of Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes and Ruggiano can fill the roles of right fielder and DH, with all three likely to see significant playing time.

Morlan was a third round pick by the Twins in 2004. He was being groomed as a future closer and split time this past season between A and AA, posting 18 saves and 99 strike outs in 69.2 innings with only 20 walks.

We will have more on this trade tomorrow.

Rays, Twins finish 6-player deal including Young, Garza [ESPN]

Devil Rays
Since the we embarked on our Thanksgiving shenanigans, the Rays made several changes to the 40-man roster.

Dropped from the 40-man roster

• Chris Snelling (traded to Phillies)
• Jon Switzer (DFA’d)
• Brian Stokes (DFA’d)

Added to 40-man roster

• John Jaso, C
• Jason Pridie, OF
• Fernando Perez, OF
• James Houser, SP

The only real surprise of the group is James Houser. Certainly any team would take all necessary precautions to protect a big left hander that is a major league prospect. This is especially true when a left handed pitcher is a common selection in the rule 5 draft because it is easy to hide a young inexperienced pitcher in the bullpen. However, James Houser is not any left hander.

On August 17 of this past season, Houser tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and was suspended for 50 games. Houser missed the final 17 games of the regular season for the Montgomery Biscuits. As a result, he will be forced to sit out for the first 33 games of the 2008 season.

One could argue that Houser would have been more attractive in the Rule 5 Draft since he would not take a roster spot for the first month of the season. However, once the suspension was lifted, his new team would have to make a roster spot for a young pitcher that had been out of action for nearly 9 months and with no experience above AA.

In the end Rays management decided the risk of losing a young left handed starter was too great and decided to protect Houser on the 40-man roster at the risk of losing another player that may be more likely to be taken. At the top of that list are two of Houser’s Montgomery teammates, Nick DeBarr and Dale Thayer. DeBarr was a Rule 5 selection of the Red Sox in 2007, but was returned to the Rays at the end of Spring Training. Thayer, the Biscuits closer, holds the Southern League record for saves in a season. Both players fit the ideal Rule 5 selection…A mid-level pitching prospect that has yet to live up to their potential, that a team can take a flyer on and hope for the best. If the player works out, their new team has an extra arm in the bullpen and only had to give up the drafting fee of $50,000.

Rays tweak roster to hang onto prospects [tampabay.com]
Down On The Farm: James Houser Suspended 50 Games [Rays Index]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• With the changes that have been made to the 40-man roster, our 40-man roster and 25-man roster projections have been updated in the sidebar. One change we have not made yet is the 5th spot in the rotation. A very strong argument can be made for the team giving the spot to Jeff Niemann without any further time at AAA and moving Jason Hammel to the bullpen to be the long reliever and spot starter.
• A report came down that Carlos Pena turned down a 3 year/$30 million offer from the Rays. Pena’s response when asked was that the report was that the report was “a straight lie”. He also laughed when breaking the news to his wife, which suggests that Pena would not have turned down such an offer. In our 40-man roster projections, we have Pena listed with a 2008 salary of $5 million. This is assuming that Pena and the Rays settle on a 1-year deal to avoid arbitration. Our feeling is that the Rays would not offer more than $8 million per year on a multi-year deal. [tampabay.com]
• Rays of Light is up to #8 of their list of off-season ideas. This one is a no-brainer…”Sign Scott Kazmir to a longterm contract”. However, we disagree with the contention that the Rays should be tossing around numbers such as 6-years and more than $70 million. While $12-13 million per season might be the price for Kid K in free agency, there is no need to give him that money in his arbitration years, nor is there any reason to give him that type of money for his free agency years, three years before he reaches them. The best comparison could be Jeff Francis of the Rockies, another left hander, who signed an extension in 2007 (prior to his third season), that covered all three of his arbitration years and his first free agency season. His arbitration years were bought out at an average of $4.25 million and his first free agency year will cost the Rockies $7 million. Add a year of inflation plus consider the talent level of Kazmir and a comparable contract would fall in the range of a $6 million average for his arbitration years and $10 million for his first free agency season or a total of $28 million over 4 years. [Rays of Light]
• Another trade rumor that refuses to die: Delmon Young to the Twins for Matt Garza. For those that are not familiar, Garza was the Twinkies first round pick in 2005 (25th overall). He is a 24 year old, big (6-4, 205) righty that split time between AAA and Minneapolis in 2007 going 5-7 with a 3.69 ERA and a 67:32 strikeout to walk ratio in 83 innings. In the minors, he was consistently around 10 K’s per 9 and less than 2.5 walks per 9 innings. [TwinCities.com]
• Like every other team that needs an outfielder, the Rangers have inquired about Rocco Baldelli and his legs. [MLB]
• John Herbert has written a column critical of the Rays plan to invest $150 million in a new stadium along the St. Pete waterfront. His two biggest gripes are 1) The Rays are willing to invest $150 million in a stadium but will not invest in the product that will play in the stadium, and 2) he believes that there will not be any parking available in the new location and all fans attending the game will be subject to parking tickets from meter maids running around in modified golf carts. [Hernando Today]
• DRays Bay warns that JK Ryu’s performance with the Korean national team may cost him a spot on the Rays’ 40-man roster. We are not sure how much weight the performance will have, but we have Ryu on the roster bubble, so it can’t help. [DRays Bay]

Angels 2, Devil Rays 1.
This is what drives us absolutely nuts about the local coverage of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. We stayed up late last night and caught every pitch of the Rays 89th loss of the season. We went to bed frustrated with the offense, but content that Jason Hammel had pitch well and has shown improvement in his last four starts.

Then we wake up this morning to THIS headline in the St. Pete Times…

“Banged-up Rays waste Hammel’s latest gem”

Now..instead of feeling good about Hammel’s performance we now feel compelled to explain to Marc Topkin and the editors of the Times why Hammel’s performance was far from being a “gem”. Instead of feeling good about his start, we now have to point out the faults.

• It took Jason Hammel 98 pitches to get through 6 innings. Therefore, for the 12th time in 12 starts, Hammel was unable to pitch into the 7th inning.
• 6 innings and 2 runs is not a “gem”. That is an ERA of 3.00. Good. Not great. 9 innings and 2 runs might be a gem, but even then we would need to see 8-10 strikeouts and only 1-2 walks.
• Hammel allowed 7 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings. That is a WHIP of 1.50! That is NOT a gem.
• He struck out 3 batters. a strikeout to walk ratio of 3:2 is NOT a gem. A ratio of 8:1 might be a gem…if he also pitched 8 innings and gave up only 1 run.
• In 3 of his 6 innings, Hammel allowed the leadoff batter to reach base. Two of those runners scored. That is definitely NOT a gem.
• Chone Figgins scored the first run on a wild pitch. That is right. A wild pitch with a runner on third base. Apparently that is “gem”-worthy.
• Hammel had exactly ONE 1-2-3 inning. Hammel allowed base runners in 5 of the 6 innings. That is NOT a gem.
• Did we mention…SIX INNINGS IS NOT A FRIGGIN’ GEM.
• Eight innings. M-INIMUM are needed before we even think about calling a game a gem, and really we would prefer 9. And is it too much to ask that a few of those innings be 1-2-3?
• If a starting pitcher for the Yankees or the Red Sox gave up 2 runs in 6 innings and LOST, would ANYBODY call it a gem? NOT A CHANCE IN HELL. They would wonder why he labored and couldn’t get the ball directly to the set-up man in the 8th inning.
• His “Latest gem”? IS ANYBODY AT THE TIMES AWAKE OVER THERE?!? Hammel is yet to pitch into the 7th inning. In his last start, he allowed 5 hits and only 1 run in 6 innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out 6, against an overrated Seattle Mariners club. That was a very good start. But even that was NOT a gem.

Is this what we have been reduced to as fans of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? Has the pitching been so bad that when somebody other than Scott Kazmir or James Shields allows 2 runs over 6 innings, we are supposed to be giddy?

We hope that Jason Hammel does not read the St. Pete Times. If he does, he might actually be content with his performance last night, and not see that there is still plenty of room for improvement. We understand that a lot of times, wins and losses are out of the control of the starting pitcher, but when it comes down to it, there is one stat that counts from last night’s start…L. As in Hammel lost. The Devil Rays lost.

If a team is going to only score 1 run, then the pitcher needs to find a way to keep the other team off the board. If he can’t? Let’s just say we are not about to start calling him Tom Seaver. Now there is a guy that threw some gems.

Banged-up Rays waste Hammel’s latest gem [tampabay.com]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• MLB Trade Rumors did an excellent job of breaking down exactly how ridiculous Scott Boras’ comments on Carlos Pena were. They challenge both the assertion that Pena is the best player to ever wear a Rays’ uniform and the boast that Pena is one of the top 5 players of 2007. They then go on to show that any claim that Pena is a $15 million player in his 4th full season is ludicrous. They even speculate that because Pena is not a free agent until after the 2009 season, the Rays best move may be to go to arbitration for the next two seasons and then trade Pena during the 2009 season. [MLB Trade Rumors]

Boras says the DRays basically got a $15MM season for the cost of $1.2MM and also takes some digs at the franchise. But it’s disingenuous to imply that a fourth-year player should be earning free agent prices. That ain’t the way it works. Albert Pujols earned $7MM in his fourth year, which seems like some kind of record. Jason Bay is earning $3.25MM in his fourth year. Matt Holliday is at $4.4MM. I could make a laundry list of young players who are huge bargains because of baseball’s pay scale. Hanley Ramirez is making $402,000 this year…Pena reaches free agency after the 2009 season, and Marc Topkin says the Rays have already begun discussions on a three or four-year deal. If the Rays are to buy out a year or two of free agency, those might cost $12-15MM each. More likely, the team just goes to arbitration with him twice and trades him in a summer of ‘09 blockbuster (assuming he remains a 40 HR threat).

• The Devil Rays are 63-89 with 10 games remaining and are 2 games behind (1 in the win column) the Orioles in the AL East and for the worst record in baseball.
• The Devil Rays have decided to shut down James Shields for the remainder of the season. The move is simply an effort to limit the number of pitches thrown by the emerging ace. JP Howell will fill Shields’ spot in the rotation. [tampabay.com]
• Brendan Harris was injured during batting practice and was scratched from the lineup. [tampabay.com]
• Jim Alexander has a conversation with Joe Maddon about his return to Anaheim to face the franchise he was a part of for 31 years. [Many Opinions, No Waiting...]
• Joe Madden believes that Carl Crawford will be ready to go on Friday, but the team is still likely to call up an extra outfielder from Durham, with Jason Pridie being the most likely candidate. Pridie will need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter anyway or risk being lost in the Rule 5 Draft. [Devil Rays]
• Gerry Hunsicker will appear on the Baseball Digest Daily radio show this Sunday. [Baseball Digest Radio]
• Carlos Pena has 18 home runs in the past month, the most in the majors over that span. [USA Today]

Hudson Valley 11, Aberdeen 5.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Five Rays minor leaguers have made the latest edition of Baseball America’s “Prospect Hot Sheet”. Evan Longoria (#6; He’s held his own in the International League), Wade Davis (#12; In many organizations, Davis would be the No. 1 prospect. In a system as rich as Tampa Bay’s, though, Davis has to fight for the spotlight), Ryan Royster (#20; tied for seventh in the minors with a .601 slugging percentage), Jason Pridie (Rising; grades out as average or above in every tool, with the hit tool being the biggest question mark because he doesn’t control the strike zone) Desmond Jennings (Rising; the No. 7 prospect in the Appalachian League in 2006, had a breakout year with Columbus of the South Atlantic League, hitting .315/.401/.465) [Baseball America]
  
• We rarely cite the Raleigh News & Observer in this column because quite frankly the News & Observer rarely mentions the Durham Bulls despite being the only (?) professional sports franchise in the area. Well, now that the Bulls have made the playoffs, the News & Observer has remembered the Bulls and ponied up some gas money to send Luke Decock over to Durham and do a nice feature on Durham’s first-year manager Charlie Montoya. [News & Observer]

At 43, Montoyo still has the wiry build of an infielder to go with the accent of his native Puerto Rico. He was a winner last season with Double-A Montgomery, and the parent Tampa Bay Devil Rays moved him up a notch last winter to help clean up last season’s wreckage in Durham.

• MiLB.com have broken down the bracket and give us the International League playoffs preview. They predict Toledo in 5. [MiLB]

As for the Bulls, who could have figured they’d have this kind of turnaround from a year ago? With Elijah Dukes and Co. causing all kinds of problems on Tobacco Road, this looked like a franchise destined to flounder. But Tampa Bay brought in Charlie Montoyo to manage, and he did a splendid job changing the atmosphere and culture in Durham.

• Jae Seo was named IL pitcher-of-the-week for the third time. [Durham Bulls]
• Evan Longoria won a title with Montgomery last season and has a chance to add two more rings to his collection this season. [Montgomery Advertiser]

Durham 9, Toledo 3. JK Ryu had his best start since being converted back from a relief a pitcher. In 6 shutout innings, he struck out 7 and walked only 1. Dale Thayer made his AAA debut for the Devil Rays and struggled with his control. He gave up 2 hits and walked 3 which led to 3 runs. He was unable to complete the 7th inning. The big news though came from Jason Pridie and Evan Longoria both of whom are trying hard to tempt the Rays brass into a September call-up. Pridie was 1-3 with a home run and 2 RBI. It was Pridie’s 3rd home run in the past two games to go along with his .315 average and .924 OPS in 39 AAA games. Evan Longoria was 2-4 with his 2nd double and 2nd home run. He drove in 2. In his first week at AAA, Longoria is 8-23 (.348) with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 8 RBI. He has also walked 5 times to only 3 strike outs and has a 1.162 OPS.

Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 4. Jake McGee’s AA debut was one he would rather forget. In 2 innings, McGee allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 6 walks. Four of the walks came in the first inning, including one with the bases loaded. He struck out 4. Fernando Perez was on base 4 times (1 hit, 3 walks) and stole his 27th base. Reid Brignac was 0-4 with a walk and 2 strike outs.

Lakeland 6, Vero Beach 1. The Rays managed only 2 hits.

Greensboro 4, Columbus 3. Ryan Morse walked 4 in 6 innings, but only gave up 1 run. Ryan Royster was 3-4 and hit his 21st home run. He is hitting .318 with 76 RBI.

Hudson Valley 7, Batavia 5. The ‘Gades scored 4 in the 8th inning to rally for the win. The big blow was a 3-run home run by Reid Fronk, his third of the year. Fronk, the Rays 7th round selection this year, was 2-4 and drove in 4.

Burlington 9, Princeton 7. Chris Andujar struck out 3 and gave up 2 runs in 4 innings.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Jake McGee admitted to being nervous for his first AA start. [Montgomery Advertiser]

McGee’s first-inning totals included 43 pitches and only 18 strikes.

“I was pretty nervous and I threw the ball all over the place in the first inning,” said McGee, whose 1162/3-inning totals at Class A Vero Beach included only 39 walks and 145 strikeouts.

“It’s pretty frustrating, but at least I got my first outing out of the way.”

Durham 13, Indianapolis 1. Jae Seo struck out 7 and walked none in 8 shutout innings. Newly acquired Jon Weber hit his first home run with the Bulls and drove in 5.

Vero Beach 3, St. Lucie 2 (gm 1). Rhyne Hughes was 2-3 with 2 doubles, including a 2-run double in the first inning.

Vero Beach 5, St. Lucie 0 (gm 2). Rhyne Hugheswas 3-4 and added 2 more doubles and another RBI in the nightcap. He is now hitting .338 with 23 doubles and 55 RBI.

Kannanpolis 7, Columbus 1. Wade Townsend allowed 7 runs (6 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 3.

Auburn 2, Hudson Valley 1.

Johnson City 5, Princeton 2.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Josh Paul and Tim Corcoran will join the Montgomery Biscuits for rehab assignments. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Shawn Riggans will continue his rehb assignment with the Durham Bulls after playing 4 games with Vero Beach. [The Raw Feed]
• On Friday night,Jason Pridie was a single shy of hitting for the cycle. [MiLB]
• On Saturday night, Ben Zobrist hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to give the Bulls a 2-1 win. [MiLB]
• On Friday night Evan Longoria hit his 19th home run. [MiLB]
• On Saturday, second round pick Will Kline pitched two innings for Columbus, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. [MiLB]

Montgomery 3, Carolina 2. Chris Mason struck out 8 in 6 innings to pick up his 12th win on the year. He allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and 2 runs. Dale Thayer picked up his 18th save with 2 scoreless innings. Fernando Perez was 2-5 and stole 2 bases. He now has 21 steals on the year. Reid Brignac was 1-5 and is now hitting .259. Evan Longoria was 0-2 and is now hitless in his last 9 at bats.

St. Lucie 5, Vero Beach 4. Jake McGee allowed 3 runs in 5 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 4. Rhyne Hughes was 4-5 with a triple and his 19th double. He is now hitting .327 with a .900 OPS. Jackson Brennan picked up 3 hits and his 9th stolen base.

Columbus 7, Greenville 1. Jeremy Hellickson moved his record to 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA after striking out 7 and allowing 1 run in 5 innings. He gave up 3 hits and walked none. The Catfish stole 6 bases in the game including 2 by Desmond Jennings who now has 44 and 2 by catcher Nevin Ashley who now has 17. Jennings was 2-4 and is hitting .325. Joey Callender was 3-4 and drove in 3 runs.

State College 5, Hudson Valley 4.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• The Bulls were rained out last night.
• Mike Prochaska was promoted to AAA Durham. [Riverwalk Talk]
• Jason Pridie is 17-38 in the last 9-games. Pridie, the Rays 2nd round pick in the 2002 draft may finally be living up to his talent-level. Prior to the 2006 season, he was selected by the Twins in the Rule V draft despite only 28 games above A-ball. He did make the Twins roster and was returned to the Rays. He was assigned to AA in 2006 and struggled all season hitting .230/.281/.304. He was off to a good, if not spectacular start at AA this season, hitting .290/.331/.441 in 71 games for Montgomery. He was promoted to Durham and he found another gear. He is hitting .325/.367/.506 in 21 games and may have earned himself a September call-up. [OurSports Central]
• Evan Longoria and Wade Davis were named to Baseball America’s mid-season all-star team. [Riverwalk Talk]