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One of Japan's most storied hitters is expected to sign a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to make an interesting addition to their organization in the form of veteran outfielder/designated hitter Hideki Matsui. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays will likely start Matsui in the minors as he serves in the role of injury insurance for the DH position.
Matsui would likely go to extended spring training in Port Charlotte then report to Triple-A Durham providing, at the least, insurance if current DH Luke Scott were to sustain an injury.
Matsui, 37, has played nine seasons in the majors, with the Yankees, Angels and last year with Oakland. He has a career .285 average with 173 homers and an .830 OPS. Last season with Oakland, he hit .251 with 12 homers and 72 RBIs in 141 games.
He mentions Luke Scott, and his presence on the roster is what makes this move so intriguing. Scott has been playing pretty well this season, so I don't believe that the Rays would want to threaten his place on the roster with Matsui. It will be interesting to see what role they have carved out for Hideki.
For more notes and analysis on the Tampa Bay Rays, check out the Rays blog DRaysBay. And stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay for breaking news and schedules for all Florida sports teams.
The Tampa Bay Rays have made a minor organizational move on Monday, acquiring minor league pitcher Matt Buschmann from the Washington Nationals. The Rays acquire the pitcher without having to give up any players in return.
#Rays acquire minor league RHP Matt Buschmann from Washington for cash considerations and assigned him to Montgomery
— RMooneyTrib (@RMooneyTrib) April 16, 2012
Bushmann was a 15th round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2006 Amateur Draft. The Nationals acquired Buschmann in the Rule 5 draft during the offseason following five years in the San Diego Padres system. He pitched relatively well until being promoted to the AAA level in 2011 when he was touched up to the tune of a 7.31 ERA in 15 starts and 20 overall appearances. He had yet to make his first appearance for the Harrisburg Senators in the Nationals system.
For more on this story and all things Tampa Bay Rays baseball please head over to DRaysBay.
In 2011, the Tampa Bay Rays had one of the single most amazing seasons in the history of the sport. They may have lost in the first round of the playoffs, but the Rays' magical, most unprecedented September led to a 9-game comeback and a dramatic, Hollywood-esque winning of the AL Wild Card over their rival the Boston Red Sox.
Tampa Bay begins their quest to repeat and improve upon 2011's success in just a matter of days. The Rays officially head down to Port Charlotte on Monday when pitchers and catchers make their first showing, but the complex is already buzzing with players and activity ahead of the reporting dates:
The team heads into came with at least three unanswered questions:
1) Will Reid Brignac or Sean Rodriguez win the starting job at shortstop? Or will they end up in one of Joe Maddon's fancy platoons? The team would obviously prefer one of the two to wow Maddon and earn a full-time position outright.
2) Will Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann go to the bullpen? The two starters have to prove all their worth because it looks like rookie sensation Matt Moore has already earned his rotation spot. If an injury or trade does not open a spot for Davis or Niemann, one of them will be a reliever at the start of the season.
3) How many games will Jose Molina be asked to start? Let us be frank: Molina is a defensive diamond. He is the very definition of the Rays' search for the extra 2% -- but he is 36 and playing the most physically demanding position on the field. The Rays said they wanted more catchers to compete with Molina, but for now they have only the young duo of Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos, neither of whom may be ready for heavy catching duties at the MLB level.
The best for the Rays roster probably looks something like this:
Starters
LF Desmond Jennings
2B Ben Zobrist
3B Evan Longoria
1B Carlos Pena
DH Luke Scott
RF Matt Joyce
CF B.J. Upton
C Jose Molina
SS Sean Rodriguez
Bench
INF Jeff Keppinger
C Jose Lobaton
OF Sam Fuld
INF Elliot Johnson or Reid Brignac
Rotation
1. James Shields
2. David Price
3. Jeremy Hellickson
4. Matt Moore
5. Jeff Niemann
or Wade Davis
Projected bullpen
Closer: Kyle Farnsworth
RH fireman: Joel Peralta
LH fireman: J.P. Howell
Groundball: Burke Badenhop
LOOGY: Jake McGee
Middle: Josh Lueke / Fernando Rodney
Swing man: Davis or Niemann
The Rays kick off their Grapefruit League action on March 3 and take only one off day (March 19) until Spring Training concludes in early April. Here's a look at their opening slate of games:
Saturday, Mar. 3: Rays @ Twins, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 4: Rays vs. Twins*, 1:05 p.m.
Monday, Mar. 5: Rays vs. Orioles*, 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday, Mar. 6: Rays vs. Twins, 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday, Mar. 7: Rays @ Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 8: Rays* vs. Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 8: Rays* @ Twins, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 9: Rays vs. Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
*split squad
For more notes and analysis on the Tampa Bay Rays, check out the Rays blog DRaysBay. And stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay for breaking news and schedules for all Florida sports teams.
Tampa Bay Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman took the air ways Thursday, as he joined the Countdown to Opening Day radio show on 620-WDAE and talked Rays offseason. Friedman addressed multiple issues including: offseason acquisitions, manger Joe Madden, Triple-A pitching depth and the battle between Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac.
"If you had told me then where we stand now with upgrading where we did and also maintaining our depth in the meantime, I would have said that that was a dream scenario,'' said Friedman. "We still have a lot of work to do in terms of this division and this league, but as far within the scope of what we can do, this off-season worked out very well in our estimation.’’
Friedman quickly touched on the catching situation, which will feature veteran Jose Molina paired with either Jose Lobaton or Robinson Chirinos, is an upgrade from last year.
Meanwhile, he said that Madden should be with the team for many years to come and that Rodriguez and Brignac have really pushed each other during the offseason and are "going to be a lot of fun to watch.''
For more tidbits from the interview, here's the link to Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin post.
For more on the Rays 2012 offseason, check back to this StoryStream. To join in the conversation about this news, drop on by SB Nation's Rays blog, DRaysBay.
Apparently the race to sign DH Manny Ramirez is down to two teams -- the Oakland Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles.
Ramirez had originally signed a 1-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, and the team expected him to offer a sorely-needed bat. But Manny promptly failed a drug test, retired and left the Rays with Johnny Damon at DH and Sam Fuld at left field.
Indeed, the results were magical, but it is not hard to harbor a little resentment against the fellow we all anticipated would give the Rays 20 homers and a .380 on-base percentage.
So I say: Go Orioles! Sign him away from the A's!
Granted, Ramirez fits much better with the A's -- who seem to be perpetually on the cusp of competitiveness, while the Orioles fester in a pool of blown prospects, over-the-hill veterans and Matt Wieters. If Ramirez signs with the Orioles, the Rays will get to play him frequently, and Rays fans will get to watch personally as either one or two bits of revenge occur: (1) Ramirez flounders without PEDs to help him, or (2) Ramirez has a strong season, but the Orioles still suck.
Either way, the Rays win.
Andrew Friedman loves depth. Loves it. While the Tampa Bay Rays can't compete with the Yankees or Red Sox for top free agents, they have still managed to stay competitive through acquiring undervalued players and building deep, strong rosters. If the Rays suffer injuries to a handful of their starters, no problem, they have multiple top pitching prospects that can fill in and keep the Rays in contention.
Yesterday evening, the Rays beefed up their bench and depth by signing infielder Jeff Keppinger to a one-year, major-league deal. The Rays already had a rather deep bench -- Elliot Johnson, Reid Brignac, Sam Fuld, and Brandon Guyer all look like possibilities -- but Keppinger fills in a hole:
Out of Keppinger, Brignac, and Johnson, Kepp is the best player. His defense may be mediocre to poor, but he makes up for it with his bat. He has a good walk rate, doesn't strike out much, and he posted a .295 wOBA last season while struggling through two separate injuries (foot and wrist). That was a down year for Keppinger, too; he is projected to post around a .318 wOBA, and he posted a .332 wOBA in 2010.
Also, Keppinger is a right-handed hitter who mashes lefties. He has a fantastic career line against lefties (.368 wOBA), while his line against righties is much less thrilling (.298 wOBA). Considering the Rays have recently signed a number of hitters with issues against left-handed pitching, doesn't it make sense to have a bench player that's good against them? (DRaysBay)
It's rare that the Rays sign a bench player that's not good at defense, but in this case, it seems like Keppinger's bat outweighs his negatives. He's not a perfect player, but he will come cheap and give the Rays a more well-rounded bench.
The Tampa Bay Rays were able to avoid arbitration with some of their bigger stars, including B.J. Upton and David Price, according to a press release released by the team. They were also able to come to deals with Burke Badenhop and J.P. Howell. Details of the contracts were made available in a press release made by the team.
David Price will earn $4.35 million this coming season, which feels low considering he was the opening day starter for the Rays and made the All-Star team.But his record might not have reflected his ability, and it's possible that cost him.
Price's price tag feels even lower considering center fielder B.J. Upton will make $7 million, which might be a little bit too high for the Rays and could give them a good reason to trade him.
Badenhop and Howell will earn $1.075 and $1.35 million respectively.
They will have to go to arbitration with the eligible players they were not able to agree with, including Jeff Niemann.
To join in the conversation about this news, drop on by SB Nation's Rays blog, DRaysBay.
The Tampa Bay Rays filled one of the holes in the lineup the other day, signing Luke Scott to become their DH, but they still have a gaping hole at first base. With Casey Kotchman a free agent, the Rays have been combing free agency and the trade market for another player to bring in -- hopefully one that can upgrade their offense.
But with the free agent market looking thin, it sounds as though the Rays are starting to expand their search:
"We're just looking for a bat," Friedman said. "We like to have 'optionality.' We like to be as flexible as we can be. We don't want to pigeonhole ourselves into any one area if we can avoid it just because it expands the applicant pool.
"We're just going through a long list of names right now trying to figure out how we can line up on the best player that we can, when factoring in offense, fit with our offensive unit, defense, and the net result." (Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times)
Our own Dan Russell took a look at the remaining first basemen available on the market, and the full list isn't too encouraging. There are some interesting hitters that the Rays could add through free agency or a trade -- Carlos Pena, Billy Butler, Lucas Duda, etc. -- but most of the players would be expensive to acquire. Pena is the best hitter remaining on the free agent market (outside Prince Fielder, of course), and young players like Lucas Duda or Mark Trumbo will come at a high cost via a trade.
So what will the Rays do? Only time will tell, but they're certainly keeping their options open. As we've seen in the past, Andrew Friedman is among the best in the majors at finding talent when the pickings are scarce, so he's sure to turn up someone....even if it's not a first baseman.
News broke on Wednesday that the Rays had reached a deal with free agent slugger Luke Scott, and it hasn’t taken long for both sides to finalize the agreement. The Tampa Bay Rays have now officially announced that they have signed Scott to a one-year deal for $5 million, with a $6 million option for 2013 ($1 million buyout).
At first blush, that seems like a large chunk of money for the Rays to guarantee for a 33-year-old designated hitter that’s coming off shoulder surgery. But when you put it in perspective, the Rays are essentially paying Scott the same amount that they paid Johnny Damon last season…only Scott is younger and has more offensive upside than Damon. The Rays are going to be in the running for a playoff spot (and they hope to go deep into the playoffs, unlike the past two years), so every bit of talent they add is extra valuable.
So can the Rays expect Scott to hit for Damon’s line from last season (.261/.326/.418, .743 OPS)? Considering that Scott has averaged an .811 OPS over the past three seasons (and yes, that’s including his injury-plagued 2011), I think it’s a safe assumption that Scott should be an improvement over Damon if he’s healthy.
To join in the conversation about this news, drop by SB Nation’s blog on the Rays: DRaysBay.
According to a report from ESPN Deportes -- and corroborated by Marc Topkin from the Tampa Bay Times -- the Tampa Bay Rays are close to signing relief pitcher Fernando Rodney to a one year deal.
Though Rodney told the AP last week in the Dominican the deal, for just more than $2-million, was somewhat official, there is still further work to be done. It seems likely to be wrapped up in the next day or two. (Topkin)
If this report is true, Rodney is a decent signing. He's a relief pitcher that has formerly displayed promise -- he has an 11.1% career swinging strike rate -- but he's had control issues over the past couple seasons that have sapped his effectiveness. He hasn't had a walk rate below 4.5 per nine since 2007, and last season he walked 28 batters in only 32 innings pitched. He can still generate strikeouts (7.20-ish K/9 over the past three seasons) and get plenty of groundballs (58% GB rate last season), but he will need to get his control down if he wants to get his career back on track.
A right-handed pitcher, Rodney has pretty even splits for his career (4.18 FIP vs. L; 4.17 FIP vs. R). He's a classic Power Arm, as he averages 95 MPH with his fastballs and he uses them quite frequently. He technically throws four main pitches -- a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, changeup, and slider -- but he rarely throws his slider anymore. His changeup appears to be his main offspeed weapon, and he throws it about 30% of the time.
Rodney seems to believe he's going to come in and compete for the closer role in Tampa Bay, which is somewhat laughable. He's a middle of the bullpen option (if his control is fixed) and he has the potential to develop into more, but he hasn't posted a sub-4 ERA since 2006. He's a good buy low option by Friedman, but I envision him more akin to Juan Cruz (Power Arm, wild, older, middling chances of breakout) than to someone like Joaquin Benoit (who had posted a 2.85 ERA, 3.17 FIP a mere two seasons before the Rays signed him).
With all of Rodney's recent struggles, it seems unlikely that the Rays will sign him to a large guaranteed contract. He may be able to earn up to $2 million in incentives, but it's likely that the Rays will sign him to a minor league deal with a guaranteed base salary (say, $500-900K) and incentives. I wouldn't expect anything more than that.
And with this move, the Rays have likely finished building their bullpen for the 2012 season. I wouldn't liked for someone with a bit more upside than Rodney, but hey, its not like the Rays need another back-of-the-'pen arm. Rodney could work just fine.
B.J. Upton has been a subject of trade speculation for the past two seasons, but the Tampa Bay Rays have yet to part with him. Many people thought that this past season would be Upton’s last in a Rays uniform — not going to lie, I was one of them — but it’s appearing more and more likely that the Rays will hold onto Upton for one more season.
The Rays have weighed trade conversations about B.J. Upton, but the bottom line is that whatever Tampa Bay received in return for Upton probably wouldn’t approach the value of what he provides — in defense, in offense. (Buster Olney, ESPN)
I rarely say this about Olney, but his logic makes sense here. Upton is entering his final year of team control, meaning he’ll be a free agent after this season, so teams won’t be willing to give the Rays much in return for him. Meanwhile, Upton is a valuable offensive and defensive player, and his presence makes the 2012 Rays better.
If the Rays hold onto Upton through the full 2012 season, they will likely receive some draft pick compensation for him when he departs in free agency. Under the new CBA, the Rays merely need to offer Upton a one year, $12 million salary for 2013; if Upton declines it (which he likely will, considering the amount he could get on the open market), then the Rays would receive compensation draft picks in the 2013 draft.
So for once, B.J. Upton may be able to get through an entire season in Tampa Bay without trade rumors popping up every other game. Then again, considering the persistent (and sometimes mindless) nature of rumors, I’m not holding my breath.
The Tampa Bay Rays are in the market for a young first baseman with upside. Their minor league system is one of the best in the majors, but they have a dearth of first base talent in the high minors, meaning that they have no immediate help at the position on the way. First base is a position difficult to fill through free agency, as most of the good first baseman are power hitters and command huge salaries (see: Pujols, Albert), so the Rays would ideally like to trade for a young prospect.
The Rays have been rumored to have interest in a number of young players this offseason (Logan Morrison, Yonder Alonso), and in the wake of the San Diego-Cincinnati deal on Saturday, we can add one more more name to that list:
Clubs have already started calling the Padres about Anthony Rizzo, and the Rays and Cubs are among those interested according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Rizzo could be on the market after Yonder Alonso joined San Diego in the Latos trade. (MLB Trade Rumors)
Anthony Rizzo was the young first base prospect that the Padres acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez deal with Boston, and after watching him struggle in a brief stint in the majors this season, the Padres have acquired Yonder Alonso to be their first baseman of the future. Rizzo will apparently be sent back to Triple-A, despite the fact that he destroyed Triple-A pitchers last season (1.056 OPS).
The Cubs and Rays appear to be trying to buy low on Rizzo and nab him from the Padres at a reduced price, and he would be a fantastic acquisition by the Rays. The trick is, which team will be willing to offer the better deal for Rizzo? The Cubs are supposedly trying to build a package around Matt Garza, while the Rays would likely offer one of Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, or Alex Cobb.
For more on this rumor, check out Tommy Rancel's take over at ESPN Florida.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been uncharacteristically "busy" so far this offseason, signing catcher Jose Molina in November and making two early trades for relievers. Now that it's past the Winter Meetings and the hot stove has cooled down to a simmer, this is the time of the year when the Rays normally do their most damage. And sure enough, the Rays have already started popping up on the rumor mill:
Beltran, 34, hit .300/.385/.525 with 22 homers last season, the first time he's played in more than 100 games since 2008. He's mulling over a variety of two and three-year offers according to Rosenthal, with the [Cardinals], Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays having interest in the outfielder. (MLB Trade Rumors)
At 35 years old, Beltran certainly comes with his share of risk. He's faced injury issues over the last couple of seasons, and his knees prevent him from playing defense at a high level anymore. He's still serviceable in a corner outfield spot, but the Rays would likely be interested in him primarily as a DH.
Over the last handful of seasons, Beltran's worst has still been considerably better than anything the Rays have gotten form the DH hole these past few seasons. Johnny Damon hit .261/.326/.418 last year, while Beltran still managed to his .255/.341/.427 in an injury-plagued 2010 season. When healthy, Beltran is around 40-50 percent better than a league-average hitter, so he'd be a huge improvement for the Rays.
With the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Red Sox also interested in Beltran, though, it seems unlikely that he ends up in Tampa Bay. Beltran is looking for a multi-year offer, and the Rays will likely be hesitant to give an aging player a three-year deal or to offer as much money as the Red Sox. Only time will tell, but the odds of Beltran ending up with the Rays appear slim.
As first reported by Jerry Crasnick at ESPN, former Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach has signed a 1 year, $1.35 million deal to return to his very first team, the Boston Red Sox.
There's no real way around it: the Kelly Shoppach gamble was a flop. While the Rays didn't give up a valuable player when they traded for him from the Indians -- Mitch Talbot is now pitching on a whole other continent, as a matter of fact -- Shoppach didn't provide the Rays with the offensive upgrade at catcher that they were hoping for. As analyst R.J. Anderson noted on Twitter, Shoppach's production with the Rays (4% below average offensively) nearly mirrors what Dioner Navarro contibuted to the Rays before him (6% below average). He was a valuable hitter against left-handed pitchers, but his overall offensive contributions ended up being underwhelming.
This move likely means that the Rays are set to open the season with Jose Molina and Jose Lobaton as the two catchers on their roster. Both Molina and Lobaton have reputations as excellent defensive catchers, an area where they'll surely be an upgrade over Kelly Shoppach and John Jaso, but their offense will likely be meager at best.
To join in the conversation about this news, drop on by SB Nation's Rays blog, DRaysBay.
In anticipation of Monday night's non-tender deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins completed a small swap of players. The Marlins sent reliever Burke Badenhop to the Rays in return for minor league catcher Jake Jefferies.
Badenhop was set to get a raise this season in arbitration, and since the Marlins have such a crowded bullpen, it seems likely that they were planning on non-tendering him later that night. This way, instead of receiving nothing for his services, the Marlins got a spare part back in Jefferies. While Jefferies won't be confused with Joe Mauer anytime soon, he's useful organization filler; the Marlins may have needed a catcher to help out on their Double-A or Single-A team, and Jefferies can do that.
As Erik Hahmann noted over at DRaysBay, Badenhop looks like he'll be a useful bullpen piece for the Rays:
Over this past weekend, George King from the New York Post dropped this rumor update concerning the Tampa Bay Rays:
One NL executive said he heard the Rangers were looking to sign free- agent first baseman Prince Fielder and deal first baseman Mitch Moreland to the Rays for pitcher Wade Davis in the wake of Pujols going to an AL West rival.
While the Texas Rangers might want to pull off a trade like this, the Rays would probably only pursue this route if no better options were available. Moreland was once thought of as the Rangers' first baseman of the future, but he has failed to impress over his season and a third with the team. Despite playing in one of the most homer-friendly parks in the American League, his power has never materialized, making him a below-average first baseman. He still has potential, but he will need to produce in 2012 (his age 26 season) in order to prove his potential is for real.
Despite his subpar 2011 season (4.45 ERA, 4.67 FIP), Wade Davis has more trade value than it appears at first glance. He was once one of the best pitching prospects in the Rays' system; he will only be 26 years old in 2012; and he signed a long-term contract last offseason. However, he also has performed poorly enough these past two seasons to drive his trade value down, and his declining strikeout rate likely raises concerns on if he'll be able to develop into anything more than a #5 starter.
Could a deal like this happen? Certainly, it's possible. But don't count on the Rays pulling the trigger on it until all their other options are off the table.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been relatively quiet so far this offseason, searching for a DH and first baseman and looking to perhaps unload one of their young starting pitchers in exchange for offense. Now it seems the Rays might also be in the mix for Oakland A's closer Andrew Bailey. Via Tommy Rancel of ESPNFlorida.com:
Ken Rosenthal reports the Rays and Boston Red Sox are two of the teams interested in Oakland A's closer Andrew Bailey. The A's are shopping some of their young talent in an effort to get even younger and more cost-controlled.Bailey, 27, won the American League rookie of the year award in 2009 on the strength of a 1.84 ERA and 26 saves. In the two seasons since, he has saved 49 additional games with a 2.28 ERA in 90.2 innings. Last year, he posted a career-worst 3.24 ERA, but was largely the same pitcher he was in previous years according to advanced metrics. For his career he has a struck out a batter per inning with above-average marks in walks and home runs allowed. He is a relatively neutral pitcher in terms of batted balls and goes to work with a mid 90s fastball, a cutter, and a breaking ball in the mid-to-upper 70s.
The A's will not simply give up Bailey for ten cents on the dollar; they will expect a haul of young players in return. Are the Rays willing to move a young starter and perhaps a high-level position prospect for a 27-year-old closer who has a 2.07 career ERA and has averaged over a strikeout per inning in his three year career? They just might.
To join in the conversation about the Rays' offseason and potential moves, head over the SB Nation's blog on the Rays, DRaysBay.
While the Miami Marlins have been ruffling feathers across the state, the Tampa Bay Rays have continued to be quiet at the Winter Meetings. Andrew Friedman isn't worried, though, and actually appears quite content with how things have progressed to this point:
"We've in the last 24 hours had a number of productive conversations, some that have kind of been off-shoots of talks that we had had in the preceding days,'' Friedman said. "Trades are so difficult to characterize, but I do feel there is decent momentum on a couple of fronts that have a chance to materialize. Whether that's in a day or in a month, that's tough to say. But there are certain spots where ideally we'd be more aggressive and take care of so we could take care of other areas. It doesn't always work out that way.'' (Marc Topkin, St. Petersburg Times)
The Rays are looking to add a first baseman and DH, and it's possible they could fill those holes on the trade market. There are many teams out there searching for a starting pitcher, and considering that C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle are now off the market, it seems likely that the trade market will only pick up.
Also, the Rays have been linked the outfielder Josh Willingham in recent days, but it appears that they may have fallen out of the running. According to Susan Slusser from the San Francisco Chronicle, the final three teams in on Willingham are the Twins, Indians, and Rockies. Sigh...it was a good dream while it lasted.
To join in the conversation about the Rays' offseason and potential moves, head over the SB Nation's blog on the Rays, DRaysBay.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been relatively quiet in the Winter Meetings -- at least, when compared with their cohort across the state. The Rays have signed a couple players to minor league deals, and according to Andrew Friedman, they've had ongoing discussions with other clubs about trades.
One of the players theoretically on the trade block for the Rays is centerfielder B.J. Upton. As he's entering the last season of team control, the Rays could look to trade him for prospects before he leaves at the end of next season. However, if recent rumors are true, then Upton hasn't been generating much interest:
On talks with Rays about Upton, [Nationals GM] Rizzo said, "I don't think anything has changed on that front." (Adam Kilgore, Washington Post)
Trade interest in B.J. Upton has been mild so far. Just not a lot of teams with need for (and willingness to spend on) CF. (Jon Morosi, FOX Sports)
If this is the case -- and it seems likely, as there aren't many teams out there that need centerfield help -- then the Rays will probably hold on to Upton through the 2012 season. They are in a good position to field a competitive team in 2012, and they will be making a run for the playoffs yet again; Upton makes their team better in the short run, and he's still a good value.
We'll have to see if anything develops here, but it may be that Upton will be around for another season in Tampa Bay.
The Winter Meetings are currently underway in Dallas and the Tampa Bay Rays figure to make some moves just like every other team that is in attendance. Which moves they will make remains anybody's guess. According to our Tampa Bay Rays blog D Rays Bay, via Ken Rosenthal, the Rays are interested in former Athletic, National and Marlin outfielder Josh Willingham. Here is a little more on why the Rays might have interest in Willingham.
Some of us here have lusted after Willingham for the past couple of seasons, as he is underrated and well above average offensively. He has never posted below a .350 wOBA over a full season, and he walks around 10% of the time with a large amount of power (29 HRs last season, .232 ISO). According to both UZR and DRS, he's slightly below average defensively in the outfield, but the Rays would be signing him to either play first base or DH.
Willingham would make a nice corner outfielder for the Rays, as he is very productive behind the plate. As with all of the deals that will go down this week, it comes down to the matters of coast and opportunity.
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Japan's "second best hitter" Hiroyuki Nakajima recently began the process of joining Major League Baseball in the United Sates, referred to as posting, and last Thursday we looked at his potential in a Rays uniform. The Rays had success with a Japanese free agent before the 2008 season with Aki Iwamura, so the process is not unheard of for the front office. A reasonable fan could expect the Rays, desperate for offense at the shortstop position, to at least make a bid.
A Japanese player, once posted, is awarded though a silent bidding process to the team with the highest bid - and according to John Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, that process has ended. It appears at least one team has made a bid, though the MLB has yet to announce who won.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Seibu Lions - Nakajima's posting team - are expected to accept the highest bid regardless of amount. The Lions would be awarded a fee for releasing Nakajima from his contract. Hiroyuki hit a sweet .297/.354/.433 with 16 home runs and 27 doubles in 633 plate appearances in 2011.
Yesterday, the Rays GM spoke to the media about next week's Winter Meetings and mentioned the Rays plan to fill the shortstop position internally next season, but also expressed interest in upgrading the Rays offense as much as possible - so a low bid on Nakajima could have been warranted. If the Rays were then the only team to make a bid, they would be able to sign one of the best free agent bats at a very low price.
Might I also postulate, should the Rays win Nakajima, that they would have even more flexibility on the trade market. Adding Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac to the pile of trade chips may be just enough to land a top tier first baseman for 2011 like (first base prospect) Yonder Alonso or (current left fielder) Logan Morrison. The Reds and Marlins are in the market for one of the Rays' many pitchers. Adding a shortstop to the Cincinatti conversation, or a second baseman for Miami, may be enough to complete a deal...
We shall wait and see.
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a relatively busy November for them, signing free agent catcher Jose Molina and trading John Jaso to Seattle, but the offseason has only just begun. The Winter Meetings are happening next week, and Andrew Friedman spoke to the press on Thursday afternoon about his priorities.
You can find a full video of Friedman's comments over at the St. Petersburg Times. Here are the highlights:
To join in the conversation about the Rays' offseason and potential moves, head over the SB Nation's blog on the Rays, DRaysBay.
Less than a day after rumors coming out that Jonathan Broxton wanted to play for a team close to his home state of Georgia, Broxton has already made his decision. And he won't be with Tampa Bay next season:
Sources: Broxton to
#Royals on 1-year deal, pending physical. (Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports)
Shucks, oh well. Broxton would have been an exciting arm to get on an incentive laden deal, but it appears the Royals were willing to offer more money than any other team (around $4 million, according to Jon Heyman).
There are still a number of intriguing options out there on the free agent market, so Rays fans shouldn't lose heart. The list of free agent relievers that are still available runs to around 40 names, and the Rays only have one or two holes to fill.
Personally, I'm still waiting to see how much interest Joel Zumaya gets.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been quite busy in recent days, trading catcher John Jaso for reliever Josh Lueke and signing catcher Jose Molina to a deal, but they may not be done yet. They Rays are still in the hunt to add one more arm to their bullpen, and today’s rumor about Jonathan Broxton was potentially promising:
Broxton friend told me all things being equal wants to be close to Ga home. #Braves unlikely, maybe #Marlins or #Rays make sense (Joel Sherman, NY Post)
Broxton has broken off talks with the Dodgers, and it appears that he’s serious about wanting to return to the southeast. There have been rumors of a number of teams interested in him (up to 10, supposedly), but if he’s only looking at teams near his home, then that would certainly give the Rays an edge.
While there have been no official rumors that the Rays are interested in Broxton, their front office is notoriously quiet. It’s likely that they are interested in Broxton due to his tremendous upside – 2.61 ERA, 1.97 FIP in 2009 – and the fact that his recent health problems would make him an ideal buy low candidate. If the Rays offer him an incentive laden contract and Broxton wants to move to the area, it could make for the perfect match.
Of course, this rumor could simply be a negotiating tactic by Broxton’s agent as he tries to get more money from the Dodgers, and it may be that Broxton’s medical situation is too risky even for the Rays. There’s no telling what may happen at this point, but taken at face value, this is an encouraging sign for Rays fans.
For more on the Tampa Bay Rays, join the conversation at SB Nation’s blog on the Rays, DRaysBay.
I understand what your first reaction might be: who is Yonder Alonso?
Yonder Alonso is the Reds second coming of 2010 MVP Joey Votto. He's among the best hitting prospects in all of major league baseball and swung to the tune of .330/.398/.545 in 98 plate appearances with the Reds at the end of last season. Considering the Rays have almost no depth at first base, Alonso is a hot commodity.
To add fuel to the fire: Alonso is only 24 and has one year left on his $4.5 mil rookie contract before three years of arbitration - potentially keeping him with his team until 2018. Votto has two years left on his 3 year, $38 mil contract and at age 28 has already reached his prime. Advantage Alonso.
The Reds are in need of pitching, and the Rays have about 7 or 8 major league pitchers on the 40-man roster. Tampa Bay is likely to trade at least one this off season, so they are ready to meet Cincinnati's needs. And the spark to this powder keg? According to Yahoo's Tim Brown, Alonso is available if Cincinnati can land a No. 2 starter, naming Tampa Bay, Oakland, Toronto and Cleveland as suitors.
The Reds are likely demanding James Shields from Tampa Bay, but the Rays would be more likely to trade Wade David or Jeff Niemann and want to hold on to their ace. Either way, a trade is very possible if Alonso is truly available. Toronto and Cleveland have depth at first and likely aren't desperate enough to shed top-tier arms for the young cuban, but Oakland could use as much help as they can get. The Reds could make a push for Trevor Cahill (who could be the younger Roy Halladay) or the oft-trade-rumored Gio Gonzalez, but neither are officially on the trading block.
This makes Tampa Bay the logical solution. A heap of young talented pitching and a gaping hole at first base, the Rays also love young and salary controllable players. It's a match made in heaven. The final step could be for Rays VP Andrew Friedman to close the door before Billy Beane and Oakland dump everything on the table to make their own push for Alonso.
A few days ago, word was that Francisco Cordero had a number of surprise suitors, the Tampa Bay Rays being among them. This seems a touch crazy though. Cordero fits in only one of the Rays' typical free agent criteria, and its an unimportant one at that:
As far as free agents go, the Rays typically look for the above items. However, three of those items (age, injury, and down season) work in service to one of them (price). If all three are yes, but price is no, then it doesn't matter. Price matters more.
The last item -- being undervalued by traditional analysis -- is another big one. For instance, Jason Bartlett fit into that category in 2007 when the Rays pursued him and Matt Garza. Also, Jose Molina fits that bill right now.
The Rays are typically too poor to go after an established closer who is coming off a string of five-straight 30+ saves seasons. They have to find cheap arms like Jason Isringhausen and Troy Percival -- past-their-prime relievers who recently had a major injury. They go after the Joaquin Benoit and Juan Cruz types, not the traditional closers.
In other words, I think there's a legit chance the Rays are in fact not pursuing Cordero. Honestly, nothing about it sounds Raysian. Tack on the fact the Rays actually had excellent production from the top of their bullpen last year, and the whole rumor -- which was started by Cordero himself -- begins to sound fishy.
I'm not saying Cordero lied about the Rays inquiring about him, all I'm saying is the Rays pretty much have no desire or precedent to suggest they will sign a $10M reliever.
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It's common knowledge that the Tampa Bay Rays have a wealth of pitching depth, and that they are looking to fill some very specific holes in their roster this offseason (first base, catcher, DH). As such, I'm somewhat surprised that there haven't been more of these rumors on the hot stove yet:
Colorado has met with multiple teams, surveying the pitching landscape. Some don't make sense given the acquisition price (see John Danks and Rodriguez), and those teams with some common ground are letting the market breathe before determining if they will move a starter.
The latter applies specifically to Miami and Tampa Bay. The Rockies, eyeing a No. 3-type starter who can gulp quality innings, have interest in the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez and the Rays' Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis. (Troy Renck, Denver Post)
The Marlins seem likely an unlikely trade partner, as they appear intent on adding starting pitching this offseason and are unlikely to deal Sanchez. The Rays could be a good match for the Rockies, though, as both Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis are on the trade block and would be cheaper to acquire.
But who could the Rockies offer in return for Davis or Niemann? The Rockies don't have much position depth at first base and lack many young, impact hitters on their team outside of CarGo and Tulo. However, they do have an attractive trade chip at catcher: Chris Iannetta.
Iannetta fits the Rays in many ways, as he's undervalued due to his low batting average (.235 career). He hits for power, though, and walks around 14% of the time, and he's signed for a total of only $9 million over the next two seasons. The problem is that Iannetta could void his 2013 option if traded, so the Rays would likely want to talk with him before completing a deal and see if they could negotiate an affordable multi-year contract.
Even if the Rockies and Rays seem like a good fit, they aren't likely to complete a trade for another month. The Rays prefer to let the market settle before making any moves, and they will try and drive up the price on their starters as much as possible. So for now, all we can do is wait.
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t been nearly as exciting over the past few week as their counterparts down in Miami, but that doesn’t mean they are standing still either. The Rays have a set list of needs, and judging from recent reports, they are keeping their options open on how to fill them:
#Rays concentrating on 1b, DH, 2 rlvrs. Want to hold SP depth, but would change if Votto became available #Reds (Joel Sherman, NY Post)
Joey Votto would be a huge improvement for the Rays’ offense, as he’s one of the top hitters in the majors (.947 OPS in 2011), and he would plug the organization hole at first base. The only problem is that Votto is under contract for $26 million over the next two seasons – $9 million in 2012, $17 million in 2013 – and the Rays don’t have much budget space to take on a contract of that size. They certainly have the pitching depth to interest the Cincinnati Reds, but the money makes it doubtful that a deal will actually be reached.
Then again, if the Reds were to lower their asking price enough, Votto would be a great addition for the Rays and they could always look to flip him again next offseason. They would be taking on a degree of risk – what happens if Votto gets injured or doesn’t produce in the AL East? – but it’s a possibility worth considering.
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If the Tampa Bay Rays trade one of their starting pitchers this offseason, it'll likely be Lake Wales High School product Wade Davis, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Citing a source, Cafardo reported Sunday Davis, and not James Shields, "is the pitcher they will likely end up dealing for an outfielder or a catcher."
Davis went 11-10 for the Rays in the 2011 campaign, posting a 4.45 earned run average in his 29 starts. Though he struggled with his command, averaging 3.1 walks per nine innings, Davis nonetheless proved an effective starter in the American League East, arguably baseball's toughest division. There ought to be demand for him around the Majors.
Davis, 26, is signed through at least the 2014 season, with team options for 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Shields is inarguably the better pitcher of the two, and would fetch far more in a trade than Davis would. But it makes sense that Tampa Bay would prefer to hang onto its ace and try turning its No. 4 starter into an everyday position player. Shields won 16 games for the Rays in 2011 and led the major leagues with 11 complete games and four shutouts. His 2.82 earned run average ranked him No. 3 in the American League.
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James Shields was arguably the best pitcher in a very strong rotation for the Tampa Bay Rays this year, and with that, he has made himself a pretty hot commodity in Baseball's hot stove season. But according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, Shields is hoping that the Rays pick up his option and he remains with the team next year.
"I believe I'm going to be back next year, and I think (executive VP Andrew) Friedman feels the same way," Shields said. "Obviously there's a lot of offseason to go. As far as my opinion, I believe I'm going to be back. But it's a business and you never know what's going to happen. As far as I'm concerned, I want to be back, I definitely want to be part of the team."
The Rays can buy Shields out of his contract for $2 Million, at which point he would become probably the biggest name available on the free agent market. But I can't imagine that they won't pick up his option because it only pays him $7.5 Million this year. Which means the difference between having Shields on the roster and not having Shields on the roster is only $5.5 Million dollars. I think that's a pretty fair deal for one of the best pitcher in the A.L. last year, particularly if he really wants to play there.
In his Sunday column over at ESPN, Buster Olney passed along a juicy tidbit concerning the Florida (erm, Miami) Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher James Shields:
Heard this: Among the possibilities the Marlins are considering is a serious run at James Shields -- and they have some natural matchup on a trade, because they could dangle Logan Morrison as part of any package for the right-hander.
Considering this rumor comes so early in the offseason, odds are that nothing comes of it. However, if the Marlins are looking to add starting pitching, then the Rays would make perfect sense as a trade partner. They have a wide collection of affordable starting pitchers and need to trade at least one this offseason to create room for top prospect Matt Moore. Also, the Rays desperately need to add more offense, and Logan Morrison would be exactly what they're looking for: a cost-controlled impact bat.
But would a Shields-LoMo trade make sense for both sides? As I stated over at DRaysBay, SB Nation's Rays blog, the Marlins would need to include more in the package to get Shields. The Rays traded starter Edwin Jackson for Matt Joyce back in 2008, and Joyce is a very similar player to Morrison:
In his age 23 season, Matt Joyce hit 12 homers in 277 plate appearances and posted a .355 wOBA. He had a walk rate similar to Morrison's (around 10-11%), and he struck out just a tad more. The Rays ended up acquiring him for Edwin Jackson, and we all know how Joyce has progressed since then. He's a powerful hitter and one the Rays' best offensive weapons.
Meanwhile, in his age 23 season, Logan Morrison hit 23 home runs in 525 plate appearances and posted a .344 wOBA. Even if you don't expect his power to regress going forward, his hitting profile looks very similar to Matt Joyce: above-average power and plate discipline (10% walk rate) from the left-hand side. Joyce strikes out a tad more often, but he also runs the bases better and plays better defense.
So the Marlins can try and acquire Shields, but they would likely have to give up even more than Morrison to make it happen. Either that or they could instead focus on one of the Rays' other starting pitchers like Jeff Niemann or Wade Davis, and ask for the Rays to toss in a bit extra to the package.
But the Rays and Marlins do seem like natural trade partners, so this will be an interesting rumor to follow as the offseason develops. If you'd like updates to this story as they happen, follow along with SB Nation Tampa Bay on either Facebook or Twitter.
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Hideki Matsui Draws A Media Crowd
by Alfie Crow
Recently signed Tampa Bay Rays hitter Hideki Matsui has arrived in Port Charlotte to begin his stint with the Rays and he brought a long an entourage of Japanese media with him.
It's not uncommon for Japanese born players to bring a trail of Japanese media with them, but that's a lot of people for a minor league contract!
May 02 12:28p