Archive for the 'Raul Ibanez' Category

Dec 12

[THE HANGOVER] 2009 Might Be Much Less Jonny-Terrific

Carl Crawford, Edwin Jackson, Gabe Gross, Jason Giambi, Jayson Werth, Jonny Gomes, Jonny Gomes is a Crazy Bitch, Matt Joyce, Raul Ibanez Cork Gaines 13 Comments »

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]
Dec 11

[HOT STOVE] Tampa Bay Rays Tidbits And Rumor Updates

Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Ken Griffey Jr, Milton Bradley, Raul Ibanez, Rocco Baldelli Cork Gaines No Comments »

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?

Dec 11

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Look At What The Edwin Jackson Trade Means For The Rays

Andrew Friedman, Carl Crawford, Eddie Morlan, Edwin Jackson, Jason Giambi, Joe Maddon, Ken Griffey Jr, Matt Joyce, Milton Bradley, Raul Ibanez, Troy Percival Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

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]

Dec 08

[HOT STOVE] Milton Bradley Has Lunch With Andrew Friedman And Co.

Bobby Abreu, Edwin Jackson, Jason Giambi, Ken Griffey Jr, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Raul Ibanez Cork Gaines 4 Comments »

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Milton Bradley got off a plane in Las Vegas at the Winter Meetings and went straight to lunch with Rays officials.

Jon Heyman adds that the Rays may be considering several of the top right field/DH free agents including Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, and Raul Ibanez. Ibanez is the only member of that group that would cost the Rays a first round draft pick as a Type A free agent.

Heyman also mentions that Ken Griffey Jr would “love to play near his Orlando hometown.”

We have said previously that with the Rays already pushing $60 million in payroll for 2009, Griffey at $3-4 million might be more realistic than the other names, even if the market pushes their salaries down. Then again, if the Rays can move salary in other areas (Edwin Jackson), that might be enough to justify adding one of the players listed above at $8-10 million for one season.

Rays Take Milton Bradley To Lunch [MLB Trade Rumors]
Griffey could be good fit for Rays [SI.com]
Griffey Could Be Good Fit For Rays [Rays Index]

Sep 15

[THE HANGOVER] Percival Is Back, Upton And Longoria Have Mohawks And Maddon Ready To Get Freaky; Hide The Children

BJ Upton, David Price, Evan Longoria, Grant Balfour, Jason Bartlett, Joe Maddon, Matt Garza, Raul Ibanez, Troy Percival Cork Gaines No Comments »



THE GOOD: David Price. Price said he was so nervous that he had trouble breathing in the first inning and when he started warming up, his first 20 throws missed the strike zone. But he somehow managed to quell the nerves as he made his big league debut in the 3rd inning and retired the side on 7 pitches including an inning-ending strikeout of Ivan Rodriguez. He retired the first 6 batters he faced before giving up a solo, wind-aided, home run to Derek Jeter …Fernando Perez is fast like rabbit and he has a little pop in the bat. Dude can fly, beating out another infield single. And his 3-run home run on a tough inside fastball in the 2nd inning kept the Rays in the game, at least for a little while.

THE BAD: The wind, mixed with Edwin Jackson’s fastball up in the zone. Jackson gave up 2 home runs in the first 2 innings, a grand slam to Alex Rodriguez and a 2-run shot to Jason Giambi’s mustache. The wind appeared to be really blowing out, of course that just meant the Giambi blast landed in the upper deck instead of the lower deck.

THE TELLING: With 87 pitches thrown, David Price will not be available to pitch again until Thursday or Friday. If he is to start one game in the September 23 double-header on a full 4-days rest, he cannot pitch after Thursday. In other words, Price will likely only be available to throw a couple of innings on Thursday or Friday between now and September 23.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Matt Garza will likely start Wednesday on 3 days rest. [MLB]
  • BJ Upton will try to be available during this series with the Red Sox and Troy Percival is on new muscle relaxers which help his back. He says he is now available to close again…Hide the children. [St. Pete Times]
  • Yesterday we mentioned that Evan Longoria and BJ Upton decided in between games on Saturday to get haircuts. But not just a regular haircut. They went with Mohawks. We asked for pictures and David Chalk came through as usual…Hide the children as we await HerRays’ reaction. [Bugs and Cranks; Longoria; Upton]
  • While winning the division is still the goal, Joe Maddon insists that the Rays will celebrate if and when they clinch a playoff spot. Maddon even says he’ll “go freaky”…Hide the children, again. [Sportsline]
  • Outs Per Swing wants David Price to take Edwin Jackson’s spot in the rotation immediately, noting that they have seen enough from Jackson…We agree. But keep in mind that only 4 starters are needed in the playoffs. Should Price be in the rotation over Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine? It wouldn’t take much to convince us. [Outs Per Swing]
  • Joe Maddon says David Price is reassuring, “Like a handkerchief.” [New York Times]
  • John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus throws in this little gem towards the end of a long piece: “Left fielder Raul Ibanez is unlikely to return to the Mariners as a free agent, and is a good bet to land with the Rays as their designated hitter in 2009.“…Other than the fact that the Rays already have several DH-quality left handed bats, the real reason why there is about a 0.01% chance of this happening is Ibanez is a Type-A free agent. It seems highly unlikely that the Rays will spend the type of money that Ibanez will command and a first-round draft pick on a player that will only DH against right-handed pitchers. [Baseball Prospectus]
  • Ever wonder why so many of the players that the Rays Designate For Assignment choose to accept their minor league assignments (ie. Grant Balfour back in Spring Training)? It might be because the Rays are willing to overpay for their minor league services, giving them more money than other teams may be willing to pay a guy who is going to triple-A. The benefit for the Rays is a triple-A ballclub filled with veteran players, many of whom came in handy when injuries kept occurring on the big league club. [St. Pete Times]
  • Rays from across the pond explores “The Rays Effect”. [Rays from across the pond]
  • MVN Outsider takes a look at 10 moves made by GMs that affected this season’s pennant races. #5 is the Rays’ acquisition of Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. [MVN Outsider]
  • For those that think the Saturday night sell-outs were due only to the post-game concerts, need only see the attendance for a recent D-Backs post-game concert featuring Jessica Simpson. The stadium might have been half full for the concert of an act that is arguably a bigger name than any of the acts that performed at the Trop… Excluding MC Hammer of course. [Deadspin]