The Rays have traded Juan Salas to the Indians for minor league infielder Isaias Velasquez. Salas was designated for assignment last week to make room for Brian Shouse.
Velasquez hit .281/.368/.343 in 64 games in the short-season New York-Penn League as a 19-year old.
Cleveland Indians drop Andy Marte; trade for reliever Juan Salas from Tampa Bay Rays [Cleveland Plain-Dealer]
[Update: 7:04pm] It was VinSalas all along…Marc Lancaster is reporting that Juan Salas has been designated for assignment to make room for Shouse. Why wait a week? Because that is what the Rays do.
Shouse will make $1.35 million this season and the team has an option for $1.9 million next year. The option has a $200K buyout.
[11:35am] Almost a week later and we are still waiting for an official announcement on the signing of Brian Shouse.
At this point all we know is that the 40-year old, side-arming lefty has agreed to a one-year deal with a team option for 2010. We do not know how much he will make this season, nor do we know who will be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Shouse.
So, if Shouse has passed his physical, why are we still waiting for the official announcement?(…)
Read the rest of Trade In The Works? (139 words)
[Update: 8:24pm] The White Sox put away the Tigers 8-2. The Rays post-season opponent will now be determined tomorrow at 7:30 ET in a 1-game playoff.
[Update: 7:26pm] Gary Glover’s first pitch was a grand slam for Chicago. About right. 6-2 White Sox.
[Update: 7:24pm] White Sox have tied the game at 2-2 and Detroit just brought in Gary Glover with the bases loaded, which should just about a guarantee a White Sox win and a 1-game playoff tomorrow with the Twins.
[Update: 6:08pm] Game announcers just said the Twins are in Minneapolis with a charter ready to bring them to Chicago.
The White Sox and Tigers are currently in the 4th inning with the White Sox leading 1-0. A Chicago win will force a 1-game playoff tomorrow at home against the Twins…Interesting question: Are the Twins in Chicago today? Today’s game was delayed by rain for 3 hours. Would the Twins wait until after the game to travel? Can’t imagine they would fly in tomorrow morning.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
THE BAD: Of course what the hell does it matter if the team makes the playoffs if they are just going to be swept in 3 games when they face the Angels in the first round? Huh? Is that what we want? To go into the playoffs and just prove on the friggin’ national stage that the Rays are still the Devil Rays and shouldn’t be playing with the “Big Boys”. If this doesn’t turn around, this is going to get ugly…We picked a bad week to quit drinking whiskey…BJ Upton left the game in the 5th after straining his left quad while running (hard) to first base…The home run Edwin Jackson gave up in the first inning landed an hour earlier than the time it left the bat…With Jonathan Papalbon called on with 2 men on base and 2 outs in the 8th, Joe Maddon decided not to pinch hit for Rocco Baldelli. It was not like he was calling on Ben Zobrist or John Jaso. He had Cliff Floyd on the bench. We haven’t gone through the at bats, but how many times has Rocco faced a 98-mph heater in the last 2 years? Once? None? And Rocco hadn’t touched a pitch all night, and Papa Joe “felt good” about Rocco in that situation? Floyd would have been better prepared. And he had the match-up advantage being a lefty. $#%@#!!!!
THE TELLING: The Rays haven’t scored a run since the Truman administration.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
But there is considerable shame in the way the Rays are allowing this to happen…No matter how you frame it, the Rays are giving the division away. For five months, they were the best team in baseball, and they have allowed much of that prestige to unravel in eight September days…Trust me, this is not a question of semantics. It matters whether the Red Sox take the division, or the Rays surrender it. And, as of this morning, the white flag is halfway up the pole.
“We don’t want people getting ahead of themselves, anointing [David Price] a savior and putting undo pressure on a kid in his first full professional season.”–Andrew Friedman
[Update: 11:29pm] Marc Lancaster is reporting that the Rays will recall Salas in time for Tuesday’s game. At this point, Salas will not be eligible for the post-season roster, since he will not be on the active roster at midnight tonight. However, the Rays also put the injured JK Ryu on the major league DL. With Ryu and Chad Orvella on the DL, the Rays will have the option to add two players to a potential playoff roster, even after tonight’s midnight deadline, to replace the injured players.
Lancaster says Perez was chosen over Jonny Gomes due to his defensive abilities and Jaso was chosen over DiFelice because the Rays do not expect to use their third catcher much, except as an occasional late-inning pinch-hitter.
Lancaster also indicates that this will be the only promotions until the Bulls complete their post-season run, which begins next week.
[10:56] Marc Topkin is reporting that the Rays promoted Fernando Perez following this afternoon’s game. To make room, Juan Salas was optioned back to Durham. Andrew Friedman also announced that John Jaso, and not Mike DiFelice, will be promoted prior to Tuesday’s game.
With the Rays deciding to use Jaso as the third catcher for the final month, DiFelice was released so that he may have a chance to catch on with another club for the final month.
Perez, a center fielder, was hitting .288/.361/.393 with 5 home runs and 43 stolen bases for the Bulls. Jaso, a catcher, spent the first half of the season with the Montgomery Biscuits in double-A and was hitting .278/.339/.481 in 31 games since being promoted to Durham. Jaso, a left-handed batter, had 72 walks to only 47 strike outs this season. He is generally considered a work-in-progress defensively, but a source close to the Montgomery team told us he has shown improvement behind the plate.
To fill the void left by the loss of two catchers from the Durham roster, the Rays also acquired Michel Hernandez from the Pirates organization for cash. The Bulls won the Southern Division of the IL and has qualified for the playoffs. Hernandez is a veteran of 11 minor league seasons, spending half of the 2007 in the Rays organization, playing 51 games for the Bulls. He made a brief 5-game appearance for the Yankees in 2003.
OF Fernando Perez called up; C John Jaso likely, too [The Heater]
Maddon convinced Orioles intentionally plunked Bartlett [St. Pete Times]
THE BAD: BJ Upton. How angry was Joe Maddon that Upton failed to run hard twice last night? Papa Joe employed the harshest punishment a manager can do to a player. He embarassed him in the middle of the game. Having already decided to remove Upton from the game in the middle of the 6th inning, Maddon let Upton take the field in the bottom-half of the inning. Before Matt Garza was able to throw a pitch, Papa Joe sent Justin Ruggiano out to the field to replace Upton, foricing Upton to make the baseball-equivalent of the “Walk of Shame” back to the dugout.
THE TELLING: Jason Bartlett was back at SS last night for the first time in 12 days…Matt Garza and James Shields each have 2 shutouts which is tied for the major league lead. The Rays’ 4 complete game shutouts is tied with the Dodgers, Milwaukee and Cleveland for the most in baseball. The pitching staff now has 7 complete games and this was the 11th time the team has shutout an opponent. That is second only to the 12 shutouts by the Red Sox and the Indians…The Rays magic number for the playoffs is now 36 over the White Sox/Twins. And the Yankees lost. Again. They should be ashamed of themselves. It is not even September and they are very close to being an afterthought even for the Wild Card.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
“A well above-average catcher for me would be Mauer,” says Rays manager Joe Maddon, a former catcher and noted catching mentor. “An average catcher would have to have the mental acumen to take charge of your staff and display a caring that can be felt by all the pitchers. Next, he has to have the receiving ability and stamina to play at least five games a week. Throwing, I would like to have at least average arm strength with a quick release and accuracy. He has to block balls well and is fearless on plays at the plate. He should be the best worker on the team, and hitting, I would settle for .250 hitter with around 10 home runs or better.” “We are,” says Maddon, “describing the player who wears ‘the tools of intelligence.’”
Yesterday we presented our updated Trade Value Index (TVI). With a little over a week until next Thursday’s trade deadline, rather than take a look at the players the Rays may target we will take a look at the players most likely to be sent packing should Andrew Friedman and Co. decide to pull the trigger on a deal.
Gerry Hunsicker, Rays’ Senior VP for baseball operations and Friedman’s guru, has made two of the best deadline deals in recent memory. In 2004, Hunsicker landed Carlos Beltran and 6 years earlier he traded for Randy Johnson. While the Astros failed to reach the World Series in either year, both Beltran and Johnson were key figures in Houston’s playoff runs.
On the other hand Friedman sounds more like a guy that is willing to sit on the talent in place.
Keep in mind all of the “rumors” in the media recently are 99% speculation. They have a simple formula and the Rays always fit the formula. The media looks at a player and picks the teams still in contention that would view that player as an improvement. Then they decide which teams have the stronger farm system. The Rays will almost always satisfy both criteria.
The problem is the Rays are not like most ball clubs and are in the process of redefining success for small-market clubs. We feel that the Rays are more likely to follow the blueprint of the Angels who rarely make in-season deals and prefer to hold on to their homegrown talent.
That being said, there is still a chance the Rays will swing a deal for a mid-level player such as a middle reliever to add depth to a staff that has suffered a number of injuries. There is also a need for a right-handed hitting outfielder as the Rays have struggled against lefties this season and possibly a utility infielder that is an upgrade over Ben Zobrist and can serve as a backup shortstop.
So if a trade is made, which players are most likely to be used as bait…
Jason Hammel 3:2
Any deals involving pitchers will almost certainly involve Hammel to open a spot in either the bullpen or the rotation (with either Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine moving to the bullpen). Hammel can still bring the heat with a mid-90s fastball, but do any teams still think he can be a starter?
Jeff Niemann 2:1
While other teams will certainly ask for David Price, Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson, Niemann is the piece of value that the Rays would prefer to trade. While certainly Niemann’s star shines less brightly these days, he is still young, and very big and he has a lot of upside.
Jonny Gomes 3:1
Like Hammel, any deal for a right-handed hitting outfielder will almost certainly involve Gomes going in the other direction. Nobody doubts Gomes’ power or his intensity, and if given regular playing time, he could be a solid DH or outfielder for another team.
Fernando Perez 7:2
Perez has loads of talent but he still struggles with strikeouts. The Rays have no room in center with BJ Upton but could Perez play right field in ’09 and be the Rays leadoff hitter? Or is he expendable? Like Niemann, Perez is one player we can see the Rays using as trade-bait.
Ben Zobrist 5:1
Whether as a utility infielder or a starting shortstop, Benny Boo Boo has proven that he can be a major leaguer. He will never be an all-star, but there are plenty of teams out there with worse options plaing short or second.
Mitch Talbot 5:1
Talbot would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the arm that puts a deal over the top. He is a bit of a tweener. He has shown flashes of brilliance, like his performance in ’06 SL playoffs, but he has been very up-and-down since moving to Durham. There is some upside and there does not seem to be a future for him with the Rays.
Dale Thayer 7:1
Thayer who seemed destined to be a career minor leaguer, has blossomed this season in Durham with a 1.43 ERA and 57Ks in 50.1 innings with only 17 walks. With Jeff Niemann and Juan Salas also in Durham as bullpen insurance, Thayer is certainly expendable. He is also Rule 5 eligible this winter, so now may be a good time to move him.
Eric Hinske 7:1
Hinske is a free agent at the end of the year, and with Gabe Gross and a healthy Cliff Floyd, Hinske is certainly expendable. But he has also been one of the Rays better hitters this season. Would the Rays risk moving an offensive contributor with the offense struggling a bit?
Juan Salas 8:1
If the Rays don’t trade for a relief pitcher, Salas is probably the next guy up from Durham when somebody is needed. He has pitched well for Durham, with a 2.12 ERA and 38Ks in 34 innings with only 8 walks. Might somebody be enticed by the comparisons of Salas’ cutter to Mariano Rivera’s?
James Houser 8:1
Like Jeff Niemann, Houser is another name that the Rays will counter with when teams ask for one of the big pitching prospects. He is a tall lefty with some upside. Could be more tempting than a Mitch Talbot.
Justin Ruggiano 8:1
Ruggiano is similar to Mitch Talbot in that he is a bit of tweener. He posts good numbers in triple-A and could be serviceable as a 4th outfielder in the major leagues, but does he have a future with the Rays? Again, would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the bat that puts a deal over the top.
Joel Guzman 10:1
Won’t be 24 until November, and while he has a ton of power and a very good glove with plenty of positional flexibility, he still strikes out way too much (88 in 355 ABs this year) and his OBP is embarassing (.271). He will also be out of options in ’09, so a move now or this winter may be necessary. Might somebody else be tempted by the talent?
Shawn Riggans 10:1
To us, this is the most intriguing name on the list. Riggans can hit. He still has plenty of room for improvement behind the plate and he is not that young (even for a catcher; 28 in a few days). The Rays also have Mike DiFeLice in Durham. DiFelice will be on the team in September no matter what happens, but would Maddon prefer DiFelice on a potential playoff roster? There is also John Jaso who was recently promoted to Durham and could make Riggans even more expendable.
Reid Brignac 10:1
Have the Rays soured a bit on Brignac? We can’t see Brignac being traded, especially until Tim Beckham shows that he is a major leaguer-in-waiting. And there is also that open right field slot in ’09. Could the Rays give Brignac a shot at RF in spring training? Still, no matter what the plans are, teams will ask for Brignac. Will the Rays bite?
Dan Johnson 12:1
Having a huge season since being demoted to Durham. Unfortunately, he has shown little or no power in the majors and has very little positional flexibility for a guy that is better suited for a bench role. Still, he has big league experience which a NL contender might value.
Al Reyes 15:1
A free agent at the end of the year, but has been struggling with injuries which make him more valuable to the Rays than to any suitor.
Chris Mason 15:1
Would anybody want him?
Gary Glover 20:1
Ditto
Grant Balfour 50:1
Another name that is very intriguing to us. If there is any inkling in the Rays front office that this recent run by Balfour is a fluke, then now is the time to trade the power righty and sell high. But everything we have seen indicates that Balfour is the real-deal and maybe he just needed to find some confidence which he has plenty of right now.
ODDSMAKERS
Trading David Price to the Cardinals for Albert Pujols?
We understand the temptation. The Cardinals are in rebuilding mode and are pitching-thin. The Rays have a set rotation, and a top pick that so far appears to be toying with minor league hitters. A Pujols in the Rays lineup would instantly make them a legit World Series contender. In addition, Pujols is the type of player that would brings fans to the Trop. And while we believe the Rays still have some flexibility in the payroll, are they willing to add a player that makes $16MM a season over the next 3 years? In today’s market, that is a bargain, but it still isn’t cheap. And they still owe Carlos Pena $18MM over the next 2 years. Not to mention, can the Rays give up already on Price who looks like an Ace in the making?…0.1%
TOSS UP
If Troy Percival goes on the DL…Grant Balfour, Juan Salas or Kurt Birkins?
The Rays have an open spot on the 40-man roster, so the fact that Balfour is not on the roster should have little bearing. Salas has been solid since his first outing of the year in Durham, but he still only has 6 games and 11.2 innings under his belt since finally resolving his Visa issues. This is basically his spring training and we have to imagine the Rays will like to get him a couple of more weeks in Durham before a call-up. Birkins was solid for the Rays when he made 6 appearances (0.90 ERA) earlier this season, but he has been knocked around in Durham since his demotion (9.45 ERA), and the Rays already have 2 lefties in the bullpen. That leaves Balfour who is toying with IL batters so far. 23.2 ip, 5h, 10bb, 39Ks, 0.38 ERA…GRANT BALFOUR
If Andy Sonnanstine is relegated to the bullpen at any point…Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann or David Price?
Since the beginning we have been very bearish on Price. Everything the Rays say and do suggests that it is longshot for Price to make his big league debut before 2010(!) much less sometime this season. But after seeing him mow down FSL batters in his first 2 starts, it is very clear that he is the real-deal. Still, the Rays are going to be patient. Last week we said 10 starts at Vero Beach. We are sticking to it, but it will be less before it is more. As for Niemann, he has battled a bit of shoulder soreness and if the Rays need a starter in the next couple of weeks, it will not be Niemann as he was limited to 75 pitches his last outing. That means Hammel if there is a need in the next few weeks, but in the long-run we have to believe that Hammel’s career as a starting pitcher with the Rays is over. That means Sonny’s job is safe, at least until Niemann is ready…Jeff Niemann
OVER/UNDER
15 wins for Matt Garza:
He has about 20 starts left in the season, assuming he can stay healthy. Garza seemed to finally be putting it all together in his last 2 starts. His season-high strikeouts prior to last night was 4. Last night he had 10. This one is going to be close. We have to assume there will be a few bumps in the road along the way, but this kid has nasty stuff. In fact he probably has the best stuff on the staff, which is saying a lot. It has always just been a question of location and not being so cocky with the fastball. He is going to end up somewhere within the 14-16 range. But if we have to pick one or the other…OVER
20 games for Rocco Baldelli this season:
There were reports earlier this week with quotes from Baldelli that he is still planning on playing for the Rays at some point this season. Rocco has a little extra incentive now to get on the field. After the Rays bought out his 2009 option, he is now scheduled to be a free agent after the season. Will any team be willing to offer a major league contract to Rocco if he spends the entire season on the DL? The most-likely scenario has Rocco signing a incentive-laden, minor league deal with the Rays. But keep in mind that the doctors still haven’t pinpointed the problem. And if Rocco does attempt a comeback he will have to spend at least 2-3 weeks on a minor league rehab assignment to show that he can at the very least DH against lefties. Until we hear a confirmed diagnosis and a scheduled rehab assignment, we are very skeptical…UNDER
2.5 wins for Rays in this 4-game set versus the White Sox:
Who woulda thunk that this would be a battle of first-place ballclubs at this point in the season. In fact, if the playoffs started today, these two teams would face each other in the first round of the playoffs…After winning 8 straight games, the Sox are only 3-3 in their last 6 games, having dropped 2 of 3 to the Angels at home and winning 2 of 3 in Cleveland. The White Sox are winning with their starting pitching, sporting 4 starters with ERAs below 4, although only 3 of those will face the Rays. At the same time, the Rays get 2 of their big 3 in this series. The biggest question mark is Andy Sonnanstine. We just don’t know which Sonny will show up. The good news is he is facing Mark Buehrle in the 4th game, and he has been bad all year. Still. At this point we have zero confidence in The Duke. If that game is an L, can we count on W’s from Edwin Jackson, James Shields and Scott Kazmir? That is tough. This is a good squad, and we know Ozzie Guillen will be fired up…UNDER
Syracuse 7, Durham 2. Jeff Niemann made his first start since being demoted on April 20th. He was limited to 3 innings, and allowed only 1 hit. He struck out 4 and did not walk a batter…Juan Salas made his first appearance of 2008, giving up 5 runs in 2 innings…Justin Ruggiano was 2-4 and hit his 2nd home run…Reid Brignac was 0-3 with 2 strike outs.
Montgomery 4, Birmingham 3 (gm 1). Gabby Martinez led off the bottom of the 7th with a home run to win the game, his second of the game. He drove in 3…Richard De los Santos gave up 2 runs in 5 innings…
Birmingham 9, Montgomery 5 (gm 2). Wade Townsend made his first start of 2008 and took the loss, as his defense let him down. He gave up 4 runs in 3 innings, but only 1 was earned…John Jaso was 2-4 with his 3rd double.
Vero Beach 5, Lakeland 2. Ryan Morse gave up 2 runs, but was not around long enough to pick up the win…Garrett Groce was 3-5 and is now hitting .330…Matt Fields was 2-3 with his 7th home run.
Columbus 5, Augusta 3. Jason Ragan picked up his 5th win, on 6 innings of work. He gave up 3 runs…Emeel Salem and Maiko Loyola were each 2-5 and Loyola stole his 15th and 16th bases.
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
Pawtucket 3, Durham 2. After scoring 2 in the 6th, the Bulls’ last 10 batters went down in order…Mike Prochaska started and gave up 3 runs in 4.1 innings…Reid Brignac was 1-3…The Bulls only managed 5 hits total…Fernando Perez was 0-3 with a walk.
Birmingham @ Montgomery, ppd. rain. The Biscuits and Barons will play a double-header today.
Lakeland 4, Vero Beach 3. Jeremy Hellickson actually walked a batter. He worked 5.2 innings, giving up only 1 unearned run. He struck out 3 and walked 1…JT Hall was 2-2 with a walk and a triple and his 2nd home run.
Augusta 6, Columbus 4. Josh Johnson allowed 3 runs in 5 innings, but got the no-decision…Henry Wrigley keeps the torrid pace, with his 3rd multi-hit game in the last 5. He was 3-4 with an RBI…
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
