FIRST INNING (A look back)…
Forty-five ESPN.com “experts” made their predictions for the 2011 season. None picked the Rays to win the division. And only four picked the Rays for the Wild Card…Can this team compete for a playoff spot?

All those experts can see is that the Rays lost some big names this off-season. And they see that the only additions are two guys that already have one foot in the retirement home. What they don’t see is a rotation that could be stronger. Several key bats entering their prime ages. And they don’t see a front office that has a knack for putting bullpens together on the fly. Is this a playoff team? Maybe. Is this a playoff contender?….YOU BET YOUR ASS IT IS

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
We have a good idea what Evan Longoria and the rotation can do. But there are several new pieces that are a bit of mystery…What position player and what pitcher are the biggest keys to the Rays success?

There is no doubt that the Rays are taking a step back defensively at first base. But in reality, it won’t take much to replace Carlos Pena’s bat. For now it looks like Dan Johnson is going to play everyday. Can he suddenly be a big bat at age 31? We’ll see. As for the pitchers, a lot of pressure is on the recovered shoulder of Juan Cruz. Can he pitch back-to-back days? Can he be a shadow of what Joaquin Benoit did last year? If those two perform well, the Rays could be a winner….DAN JOHNSON AND JUAN CRUZ

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
Typically the Rays do their dealing during the off-season, with Scott Kazmir being an exception. But if the Rays do make a deal this season…Who is most likely to be traded?

Joe Maddon likes having veterans behind the plate, but only if they produce. In 2010, Kelly Shoppach did not produce. And in 2011 he is due a lot of money ($3M). The Rays also have a guy in triple-A that could be ready for the big leagues later this summer in Robinson Chirinos. If the Rays fall of the pace after the All-Star break….KELLY SHOPPACH WILL BE MOVED

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
JP Howell will start Read the rest of this entry »

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
Everybody has an opinion on Derek Jeter’s fake hit-by-pitch…Why is this such a big story?

It is a little strange considering something very similar happened in a recent Phillies-Braves game. But it is a bigger deal now because it is the Yankees. Because the game was on ESPN. And because it was Derek Jeter. He is the one player in MLB that is both a superstar and above reproach in this era when all athletes are guilty until proven innocent. If this had been Dioner Navarro, nobody would call Navi a cheater, nobody would be calling for instant replay and nobody would be complaining about what a terrible example it is for kids…BECAUSE IT WAS JETER

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
In your projected playoff roster, you had Kelly Shoppach on the roster without Dioner Navarro…Isn’t Navi the better option at this point?

Are you asking us, or are you asking Joe Maddon? We don’t understand why Maddon is so loyal to Shoppach. Outside of his one 2-HR game this season, Shoppach has done nothing with the bat. He is inferior to Navarro defensively. And he doesn’t know the pitchers as well. But if you look at the last 10 games, Shopp has started four times and Navarro has started two. So Shoppach will be on the postseason roster. What Navi must hope for is that Maddon chooses five or six bats for the bench. If he does, Navarro is probably in as the third catcher….YES, BUT

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
One could argue that the 8th/9th inning combo of Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano has been
Read the rest of this entry »

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
The Rays moved Jeremy Hellickson to the bullpen and so far he has struggled…In hindsight, was the correct move?

Hell no. But not because he is struggling in the ‘pen. The mistake is that working 1-2 two innings a pop takes away any possibility of him starting in the postseason. And it boggles our mind that the Rays would enter the postseason with one of their three best starting pitchers working in the bullpen. The move was made because the Rays are worried about putting too many innings on Hellickson’s arm. He only threw 113 innings in 2009, and the Rays prefer to limit their pitchers to a 20% increase (136ip). This season he is already up to 147. But Hellickson did throw 151 innings in 2008, so a big load is not foreign to his arm. If they are that concerned they could delay the start of his 2011 season. Opprotunities to win the World Series don’t come every season. And the Rays are going into October without their best possible rotation…IT’S A MISTAKE

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Much has been made of Jeff Niemann’s struggles since returning from the DL…Should Niemann be pulled from the rotation?

Derek Shelton said Niemann had several mechanical issues that are easily fixable. Maybe each individual flaw is easily fixable, but how easy will it be to fix “several” at the same time? The Rays will let him work it out in games. And that’s fine. But when the 4th starter gives up 23 runs and 27 baserunners in his first 10 innings back from the DL, it seems reasonable to be worried. With 23 games left in the regular season, Neimann has 4 starts to figure it out. If he doesn’t, Wade Davis will be the 4th starter in the postseason, and Niemann could very well be off the roster…NOT YET

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
The Rays attendance has been…*SMACK*

Shut up. Just shut up already. SHUT UP! It is not that big of a deal. The Rays are still competitive. They still have very strong TV ratings. They still have a competitive payroll. And even though the payroll will go down next season, it is not going to be like the Marlins. And the team will still be competetive. And like Rob Neyer recently said, it is not a fanbase problem. It is a stadium problem. Once the stadium issue is fixed, the attendance will be fine. So just SHUT UP!….JUST. SHUT. UP.

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
David Price is considered one of the candidates for the Cy Young award…Do you think he should win it? Read the rest of this entry »

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
Joe Maddon is a big fan of the reverse-split theory (dubbed The Danks Theory by Tommy Rancel) in which he will load the lineup with right-handed bats against a righty or left-handed bats versus a lefty should the pitcher’s splits dictate such a move. It seemed to work well on Wednesday againt Shaun Marcum…Should we be sold on the idea?

If a right-handed pitcher is tougher on lefties, then it *may* be a good idea. But there are two sets of splits at play here, the pitcher’s and the hitters’. Should Maddon just ignore that a particular hitter can’t hit a like-handed pitcher? Might a righty’s pitches move like a lefty’s? Yes. But there is more to a pitcher than just the movement. There is also the path and the trajectory. One reason a left-handed batter hits right-handers better is that they see the ball better than a right-handed batter. The release point is out in front of left-handed bat, but it is coming from off the front shoulder for a right-handed bat. That still holds for a pitcher even if the pitches act like they are being thrown by the opposite hand. And the matter is even more dramatic for a switch-hitter, who never sees a release point that is not out in front of them. So it is more complicated than just looking at the pitcher’s splits. But as long as it works….GO FOR IT

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
While batting right-handed against the right-handed Shaun Marcum, Dioner Navarro hit a home run…Will he finally take the hint and drop the switch-hitting?

For his career, Navi’s OPS is over 100 points higher from the right-side (.743) than the left-side (.640). Unfortunately, this year his OPS sucks from both sides (.523 vRHP, .497 vLHP). On top of that, we don’t ever recall Joe Maddon even commenting on Navarro’s switch-hitting. But in the end, how much worse could he be against righties if he bats right-handed instead of left-handed? The problem with switch-hitting catchers is that they already spend an enormous amount of practice/preparation on their defense. So catchers don’t get as much time during batting practice as other players. And a switch-hitting catcher has to split that already reduced time. So each of Navi’s swings gets less than half the practice and preparation that a typical hitter would get. If Navi wants to stick in the big leagues, the time has come….STOP SWITCH-HITTING

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
Jason Bartlett could be back as early as next week and the Rays will likely go back to two catchers… Who will be the odd-man out?

There is about a 90% chance Dioner Navarro will be demoted to Durham. Joe Maddon all but said that Navi is the third-string catcher. But we wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays keep all three catchers. John Jaso’s bat is good enough to DH occasionally, and Navarro would make for an excellent late-inning defensive sub. But if the Rays keep three catchers, somebody else would need to go (Blalock?). On the other hand, if the Rays demote Navi, they can keep everybody in the organization and the Rays love to horde players….NAVI TO DURHAM (OR DL)

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
Outside of the last few games, Carlos Pena is having an awful year…Should the Rays be less inclined to keep Pena now that he might be showing signs of old-man’s skills?

When we think of Old-Man’s Skills (power, patience, slow) we think of a player that loses bat speed very quickly (e.g. Pat Burrell). But bat speed doesn’t seem to be a problem for Pena. In fact, when Pena wakes up in the morning, he pisses bat speed. But Pena is a streaky hitter. Always has been, always will be. We suspect that if the Rays inked Pena to an extension, we would see more of the same. Lots of hot and cold. The Rays might be able to live with that, but it will still take a deep discount….ALL DEPENDS ON THE MONEY

FIFTH INNING (Headlines)…
There is a very good chance Carl Crawford ends up in a Yankees uniform next season…Is there anything that Raysheads can look at to make them feel better?

Sure. Raysheads get to watch Crawford get old in another team’s uniform and they get to see him being overpaid by a rival in 2013, 2014 and 2015. And don’t forget, the Rays will get the Yankees first-round pick next year. It will be nice cashing in that chip and then later using that player to beat the Yankees (again)…HE WON’T AGE GRACEFULLY

SIXTH INNING (A look outside the box)…
As of today, three teams are within 5.5 games of the Rays…Which team should Raysheads be most worried about?

The Yankees will be a playoff team. The only question is whether they win the division or the Wild Card. Finish ahead of the Yankees and the Rays are a guaranteed playoff team. Fall behind, and all bets are off…YANKEES

SEVENTH INNING (Oddsmakers)…
Tampa Bay Rays All-Stars: 4.5

Locks at this point are Even Longoria, Carl Crawford and David Price. Rafael Soriano and Jeff Niemann also have good shots (James Shields deserves it, but his classical stat line is not sexy enough). Will both Soriano and Niemann get the nod? Our gut says “no”…UNDER

Dioner Navarro starts in remaining 102 games: 15

In the first 60 games, Navi has started nearly half (28). But right now is effectively the third-string catcher. And next week he will either be in Durham or on the DL. But at some point Kelly Shoppach will go back on the DL and Navi will certainly be back in September…OVER

Reid Brignac starts at SS in remaining 102 games: 30

In the first 60 games, Brignac has started 14 at SS, and that is with Bartlett on the DL the past week. But we have a feeling Joe Maddon will start using Briggy Baseball more often as the SS when a righty is on the hill. Let’s face it, JoeMa never met a platoon he didn’t like…OVER

Wins for the Rays: 99.5

The Rays are currently 39-21 and on pace to win 105 games. And even if the Rays played .500 the rest of the way, they’d still win 90 games. To win 100, they would have to go 61-41 in the last 102. That is the equivelant of going 97-65 in a full season. That seems steep…UNDER

EIGHTH INNING (On deck)…
Jason Bartlett is not eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season, but Reid Brignac looks to be ready now…Is there any chance Jason Bartlett will be with the Rays next year?

Jason Bartlett is still a serviceable player, but he is probably going to command $5-6 million in arbitration for next season. Why should the Rays pay Bartlett north of $5 million when they can pay Briggy Baseball $400K to do the same job and to do it just as well? At some point prior to next season, Bartlett will be traded. And we wouldn’t be surprised if it happens before the trade deadline this year…NO, NOPE, NONE

NINTH INNING (three up, three down)…
Is there any player in baseball you would trade Evan Longoria for?

No. Next question.

You have defended the Rays against a lot of attendance bashing recently. Are you really OK with the attendance?

No. It should be better. But it is not as bad as some think and it will get better.

We hear that you pick your beverages each series based on the opponent…What is your poison pick this weekend?

Here come the Marlins. And as everybody from the west coast know, Sunsets kick sunrise ass…KEY WEST SUNSET ALE

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
The Rays have the best record in baseball and have won 11 of their last 13…How good is this team?

The Rays are on pace to win 119 games, so no, they are not *this* good. But they are pretty good. And what is really promising is that this team doesn’t have to be this good the rest of the way. 94 wins should be good enough for a playoff spot and the Rays need only go 80-63 the rest of the way to win 94 games. This team can do that in their sleep. Compare that to the Red Sox who would have to go 86-57 to reach 94 wins. There is a big difference between playing 17-games over .500 and playing 29 games over .500…..THIS IS A PLAYOFF TEAM

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
With Kelly Shoppach on the shelf for a while, John Jaso has made the most of his few starts…Should Jaso be starting against all right-handed starters?

Dioner Navarro cannot hit righties and probably should have abandoned switch-hitting a long time ago. But when Shoppach returns, both Navi and Shoppi will be facing righties. So it wouldn’t be a good idea to cut Navi off from righties now only to have him back in there at some point down the road. More likely, we will see Jaso and Navarro split the duties against righties….NOT YET

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FIRST INNING (A look back)…
The Rays have looked great on this 10-game roadtrip and are now in first place of the AL East…If we pull the curtain back a bit, is there anything to be concerned about?

During the seven-game winning streak, several games were blowouts and in most the starter did a good job of working deep into the game. The bullpen depth really wasn’t tested like it was the first week. We are still maybe a month from JP Howell’s return and we have no idea how effective he will be when he does. Also, now that Kelly Shoppach’s out for at least a month, there is a glaring hole in the bottom of the lineup every night. If the Rays want to be contenders they will need consistency from the bullpen and Navi needs to be something other than a rest area for the opposing pitchers….BULLPEN AND CATCHER

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Reid Brignac is off to a solid start (8-22, 3 extra-base hits) while Sean Rodriguez is not (4-25, no extra-base hits)…Has Brignac earned the right to be the most-days second baseman?

It is still very early but Reid Brignac looks very good at the plate and Sean Rodriguez does not. Brignac already had the edge defensively. If Navarro is going to play most-days, the Rays may not be able to afford having a weak bat playing second base which means Rodriguez is going to keep getting playing time. The problem is, we still haven’t seen enough to know if the real Rodzilla is closer to the spring training version or the regular season version…..NOT YET, BUT HE IS CLOSE

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
Pat Burrell’s bat is finally showing signs of life…Is this the real deal, or should the Rays think about once again trying to trade Burrell?

It is very easy to get blinded to the big picture by slumps or hot streaks. In the case of Burrell, is the production from the past week a hot streak or is it a sign that he has rediscovered his hitting ways? At this point, the Rays are just going to have to hope it is the latter. Even if some other teams did step up at this point, they would almost certainly still ask the Rays to eat some of Burrell’s contract. And if there is any hope that Burrell can be productive, the Rays are better off keeping the Bat around…..NO CHOICE, GOTTA STICK WITH BURRELL

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
BJ Upton is off to a great start with 4 home runs in the last 7 games…Will he continue to hit 6th in this lineup?

The one is tricky. Another week or two of this version of Bossman and it will be clear that he should not be hitting sixth in any lineup. But where do you move him? 2-5 are set. That leaves leadoff. Bartlett is not off to a good start with an OBP below .300. And last year Joe Maddon paid dearly for waiting too long to pull the plug on Upton in the leadoff spot. But if Upton is now the hitter the Rays thought he could be last year, then why is he not leading off? At some point in the next two weeks, JoeMa will give Bartlett a day off and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Upton lead off. That will be an indication that a change is coming….FOR NOW

FIFTH INNING (Headlines)…
Matt Joyce suffered a setback in his rehab…Is there any chance he will be playing right field for the Rays this season?

What is interesting about this latest setback is that the Rays are treating Joyce like a big leaguer. A big league team doesn’t usually monitor rehabbing prospects this closely. Bringing a player to St. Pete is what they would do with a player that is expected to be on the 25-man roster. Does this mean he has a big league job waiting when he is healthy? That may depend on Sean Rodriguez and any other injuries that may occur in the next month or so….YES, BUT NOT ANYTIME SOON

SIXTH INNING (A look outside the box)…
The Rays have a half-game lead in the AL East…What other series should Raysheads watch closely this week?

The Yankees are the real deal and will be in this until the end. But there is a real chance that the Red Sox could be on life support very soon. This week they have the Rangers and Orioles at home. The Rangers are another team with promise that is off to a slow start and the Orioles are due for a good showing. It is one thing to get swept at home by the Rays but if the Red Sox struggle this week, the East could become a 2-team race…RANGERS @ RED SOX, ORIOLES @ RED SOX

SEVENTH INNING (Oddsmakers)…
Home runs for Ben Zobrist vs White Sox: 0.5

Zorilla had 3 home runs in 7 games last year against the pale hose. But he has no home runs in 13 games this season. This seems like a good place to start…OVER

Hits for the Rays on Wednesday versus White sox: 7.5

The Rays average 8.7 hits per game this season. But the last time they faced Mark Buehrle, 27 batters went to the plate, and 27 batters were retired without getting on base. This is not the ’09 Rays…OVER

Wins for Matt Garza: 17

At this point, Garza could win 18 games with the Royals with the way he is pitching. And in reality, the offense hasn’t been that great yet. As long as Navarro keeps his mouth shut, Garza could be the Rays first 20-game winner…OVER

Average attendance for this weekend’s series versus Blue Jays: 22,000

This might be the first real test for the Rays in terms of attendance. The team is hot. It ISA divisional rival that is also playing well and it is a weekend. A strong showing at the ticket booth will go a long way towards showing everybody that the fans will at least support a winner…OVER

EIGHTH INNING (On deck)…
The Rays are riding a 7-game winnings streak, but have two tough series this week (@White Sox, vToronto)…How many wins would be considered a good week?

As good as the Rays are playing right now, neither of these series are going to be pleasant. The White Sox will throw Danks, Buerhle and Peavy to start the week. If the Rays win 2 of those matchups, that will be a success. And a sweep may be too much to hope for against a hot Blue Jays squad…4-2

NINTH INNING (Putting out the fire)…
Joaquin Benoit is off to a hot start with triple-A Durham…When will he be in a Rays uniform?

So far in 6.1 innings, Benoit has 13 strikeouts and 3 walks. Our guess is it will be sooner, rather than later…AFTER THE ROAD TRIP

Randy Choate has struggled early against both righties and lefties…Will he still be the LOOGY a month from now?

Almost certainly Andrew Friedman is talking to other teams looking for a lefty. But they ain’t cheap this time of year. And there are no lefties in triple-A…CHOATE IS HERE TO STAY

We hear that you pick your beverages each series based on the opponent…What is your poison pick this week?

We didn’t post a Pepper last week, but we did drink Summit IPA for the Red Sox series. It is a Minnesota beer and we were hoping for some of that Twins Karma after they took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox. The Rays swept 4-straight and now sit on the East Summit. And a wise man once said: “Never f*** with a winning streak.”…SUMMIT IPA

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
After entering the 2009 season with great hope, the Rays finished a disappointing 84-78, 19 games back in the AL East. With almost an identical roster coming back this season…Why should we think this season will be any different?

Much of the disappointment in 2009 can be attributed to a rotation that was never great and never dominant. This season, the group should be much stronger and if the spring is any indication (3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio), they are ready to dominate. And without any restraints, a healthy group could throw 1,000 innings. Last year, the top 5 pitchers threw only 842.2. That left nearly 600 innings for other pitchers. If the top 5 can reach 1,000 in 2010, the bullpen and other starters will only be responsible for about 400, which should only increase their effectiveness…ROTATION READY TO STEP UP

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Matt Joyce will start the season on the DL leaving Ben Zobrist, Gabe Kapler and Sean Rodriguez to share right field duties…What will happen to Joyce when he comes off the DL?

Joyce was no guarantee for a roster spot before the injury. At the very least he is going to go on an extended rehab assignment, where he will have a shot to prove he is ready for the big leagues. But more likely he will be in Durham for a while….DURHAM FOR A MONTH OR TWO

Read the rest of this entry »

FIRST INNING (A look back)…
Earlier this week, you called on the Rays to discipline Troy Percival for his actions directed towards a fan after last Sunday’s win over the Red Sox…Any surprises from the reactions you have seen?

We are surprised that we haven’t heard even an explanation or an apology from the Rays or Percival. This surprises us because it did become a bit of a national story. It was carried on Deadspin, The Big Lead, Sports Illustrated and even the St. Louis Post-Dispatch among others. It seemed like everybody was talking about it except the Rays. And of course, the reason the Rays weren’t talking about it, was because nobody at the Tampa Tribune or the St. Pete times had the guts to ask the tough question. Sure they got the comments from Evan Longoria and Joe Maddon. But not once did we see anybody address what Percival did and that is a shame…JUST ANOTHER REASON NEWSPAPERS ARE BLEEDING

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Evan Longoria leads the league in doubles (14) and RBI (38), is second with 10 home runs and is hitting .368 to go along with his gold glove defense. Assuming the Rays stay in contention…Is Dirtbag the leading candidate for the AL MVP award?

At first we thought there was no way anybody else was even close. Then we looked up Kevin Youkilis’ numbers. He leads the AL with a .393 average, a .505 OBP and a 1.224 OPS. His 6 home runs and 20 RBI are not terrible either. And he is the catalyst and leader for a team with a better record…NO

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings are both off to scorching starts at double-A and triple-A respectively…Are these guys going to see a promotion anytime soon?

Here is where things get tricky. If the Rays were still struggling and Gabe Kapler was still 0 for forever, then we might see Joyce in the next week or two. But do the Rays want to mess with what is working on the chance it could be a little better? On the other hand, if Joyce is the answer at some point this season, then the Rays may prefer sooner rather than later to get him acclimated. As for Jennings, he has such little experience that he is probably in double-A through at least the all-star break…MAYBE JOYCE, MAYBE NOT JENNINGS

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
Carl Crawford is now 20-20 in stolen bases and on pace for 108…Will CC be the first player since Vince Coleman in 1987 to steal 100 bases in a season?

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FIRST INNING (A look back)…
18 players were chosen in the first annual Tampa Bay Rays Trade Pool as being candidates to be traded before the end of the season…Which player chosen by at least two bloggers surprises you the most by being included?

We were a little surprised that Dan Wheeler was included. He is a bit expensive but he is a Joe Maddon/Jim Hickey favorite. We were also surprised to see the number of votes for Reid Brignac. Sure he could be trade-deadline bait, but he is a cheap middle-infielder with a good glove and a decent bat. That is exactly the type of player the Rays would trade for, not away. But the biggest surprise was Andy Sonnanstine. Sure he is having a bad season, but he is good pitcher that is very cheap. The Rays like pitching depth. They LOVE cheap pitching depth. If The Duke is pulled from the rotation, they will find a home for him in the bullpen….ANDY SONNANSTINE

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Again, 18 players chosen in the trade pool…Can you make an argument for a player not included on the list?

Let’s say the Rays fall off the pace. What is the most sought after commodity at the trade deadline? Veteran pitchers that are pending free agents. They are cheap and they have experience…TROY PERCIVAL

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
You have previously argued that Wade Davis could be closer to the majors than David Price…Has anything changed your mind?

Quite the opposite. We keep seeing more signs that Davis is more ready. First of all, Price has struggled with his pitch efficiency and home runs. Davis hasn’t been lights-out, but he has been good. And now we hear that the 75-pitch limit for Durham starting pitchers has been lifted for everybody except Price. If the Rays decided this week to move Andy Sonnanstine or Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis would be the replacement…NOPE

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
Let’s assume Wade Davis or David Price is called up to the rotation between now and the all-star break…If nobody is on the DL, which starting pitcher will lose their job?

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FIRST INNING (A look back)…
The Rays are 2-5 in their last seven games. In the two wins, the Rays scored 26 runs, but in the five losses, the Rays scored 11 runs…Should we be concerned about this lack of consistency being seen from the offense?

It is tough to say. The upside is we have only seen the complete lineup twice. BJ Upton missed the first six games, Evan Longoria missed the last two. And Pat Burrell’s bat has missed all but one. More concerning is the lack of plate discipline. 88 strikeouts and only 36 walks is a bit worrisome. Strikeouts in and of themselves are not terrible. After all it is only one out. But a nearly 3-to-1 ratio suggests this team has little plate discipline…THIS IS NOT THE OFFENSE OF A CONTENDER

SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Jason Isringhausen has accepted an assignment to pitch in double-A with an understanding he will be promoted to triple-A in the near future. However, there is still no timetable for his promotion to the big leagues…When will we see Izzy in a Rays uniform?

Based on his comments so far, we would be surprised if Izzy was willing to spend more than two weeks at either location. So that would be a month total or about mid-May for a deadline or whenever the first reliever goes on the DL, whichever comes first. And with the way Troy Percival (all over the place) and Dan Wheeler (ugly) look, we would be even more surprised if one of them wasn’t on the DL in the next two weeks…..FIRST WEEK OF MAY

THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
With the minor league affiliates in full swing and everybody with their collective eyes on David Price, Wade Davis and Matt Joyce…Who is the one player outside of those three that Raysheads should be watching closely?

This is a bit of a make or break season for Desmond Jennings. Many will tell you that the two biggest jumps for a prospect are from triple-A to the majors and from single-A to double-A. The double-A level is where prospects and never-will-bes are separated. There are only three likely outcomes for Jennings: 1) Jennings justifies his promotion to double-A and proves that he belongs on top of the prospect charts; 2) Jennings struggles against the tougher competition and starts to look like Reid Brignac; 3) Jennings suffers yet another injury and starts looking like Wade Townsend. If the first scenario happens, the Rays may have a nice problem on their hands in the outfield as early as next season…..DESMOND JENNINGS

FOURTH INNING (Headlines)…
Joe Maddon has decided to give some of Gabe Gross’ at bats in right field against righties to Ben Zobrist. With Gabe Kapler struggling…What does this mean for Matt Joyce in 2009?

It certainly opens the door for Joyce because it shows that Maddon is not tied to the All-Gabes, All-the-Time right field platoon. And no matter what Maddon says, Zobrist is not a “Rays” type of outfielder. His defense will likely cost the team runs. If Zobrist becomes a regular in right field, I think that means we will see Joyce sooner rather than later. The all-star break seems like a logical point…..ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE BIG LEAGUES FOR GOOD

FIFTH INNING (Headlines)…
Jeff Niemann has now made two starts…What have we learned?

We learned that he was nervous in his first start, to the point that he looked like he was having trouble breathing. He then settled down and gave up just 1 run over the next 4+ innings. And last night he ran into trouble in the second but looked not bad the rest of the night. He is giving up too many hits and not striking out enough for a power pitcher, but so far we see the potential. But for a team in the pennant race, the Rays need more than potential…ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

SIXTH INNING (A look outside the box)…
The AL East is a big jumbled mess right now. With the Rays hosting the White Sox this weekend and traveling to Seattle on Monday…What other series should Raysheads keep an eye on?

This weekend, the Yankees have an easy opponent in the Indians at their new ballpark. So the big series is the O’s in Boston against the Red Sox. The Sox have struggled so far and if the O’s can take a couple, Boston will have dug themselves a deep hole. Early next week the Sox are at home against a tough Twins squad and the Yankees host the A’s. But the big series is the Rangers in Toronto. The Rangers are an up and coming team and if the Jays want to prove they are for real this season, this is exactly the type of series they have to win…O’S AT RED SOX AND TEXAS IN TORONTO

SEVENTH INNING (Over/Unders)…
Evan Longoria’s finish in the AL MVP race: 2.5

He has the hot start and he has the name recognition. Now he just needs the Rays in contention…OVER

James Shields’ finish in the AL Cy Young race: 4.5

Unless he wins 21 or 22, we just don’t think Shields puts up enough fancy numbers (super low ERA and lots of Ks) to get the voters attention…UNDER

David Price’s finish in the AL Rookie of the Year: 1.5

A 65-pitch limit last time out suggests he will be with the Rays later rather than sooner. Too little, too late…UNDER

Gold Glove awards for the Rays this season: 1.5

Carlos Pena has already broke through and Evan Longoria will probably get his first this year. BJ Upton and Carl Crawford also will get consideration this season…OVER

EIGHTH INNING (On deck)…
With 3 more at home against the White Sox and 3 on the road against the Mariners…How many wins do the Rays need in these two series combined?

What the Rays cannot afford at this point of the season is to get lulled into that just-below-.500 mentality. After a while it can get tough to break through that psychological barrier. And these games are against two teams that are on the fringe of being contenders this season. These are the teams the Rays should be better than. 3-3 would fit, but the Rays would look real nice at 4-2…RAYS NEED 4 WINS

NINTH INNING (Putting out the fire)…
Some Orioles fans accused Evan Longoria of corking his bat…how ridiculous is this?

Amazing that somebody spent that much time trying to create an argument based on how Longoria looked at that person. And of course we would like to remind these fans that Eddie Murray’s career high in the minors was only 17. Steroids?…STILL MAKES US GIGGLE

BJ Upton’s catch against the wall…greatest ever by a Rays player?

Based purely on difficulty, yes. But not as big of a play as Justin Ruggiano’s game-ending grab last fall…NO