Andy Sonnanstine 2008
2008-05-06 14:37:00 Andy Sonnanstine’s 2008 so far With a 3 - 0 record and a 1.54 ERA over his past three starts Sonnanstine is pushing his way into a full time gig in the Rays Rotation.
By: Mop Up Duty
Two Free tickets to tampa bay devil rays game
2008-04-18 22:04:00 https://www.subscriber-service.-com/sptimes/newsletters/signup.-asp -first 1000
By: Free Stuff Times
2008 AL East Preview
2008-02-11 03:49:00 Projected Standings: 1) Boston Red Sox 2) New York Yankees 3) Toronto Blue Jays 4) Tampa Bay Rays 5) Baltimore Orioles Projected Lineups: Projected Rotations: Boston Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury Dustin Pedroia David Ortiz Manny Ramirez Mike Lowell Kevin Youkilis J.D. Drew Jason Varitek Julio Lugo Josh Beckett Daisuke Matsuzaka Curt Schilling Clay Buchholz Jon Lester New York Yankees Johnny Damon Derek Jeter Alex Rodriguez Bobby Abreu Hideki Matsui Jorge Posada Jason Giambi Robinson Cano Melky Cabrera Chien-Ming Wang Andy Pettitte Phil Hughes Mike Mussina Joba Chamberlain Toronto Blue Jays David Eckstein Lyle ...
By: Sport Talker
Random Rumors: Glavine, Cordero, Percival
2007-11-14 12:00:00 Let's kick things off today with one of those posts packed with random rumors. Tom Glavine's agent Gregg Clifton meets with Braves' GM Frank Wren this afternoon. They'll talk money. Wren is expected to offer $8-10MM for '08 plus a mutual option for '09. Glavine isn't a lock for the Braves - three other teams are interested. The pool includes the Mets, Phillies, Nationals, Cardinals and Astros. Reds beat writer John Fay recently suggested the Reds might have a payroll around $75MM, giving them only $6MM to spend. But now Fay is saying he thinks the Reds might go past $75MM. He believes the Reds will strike quickly with a focus on relief help - maybe even Francisco Cordero. The Brewers made an offer to Cordero Monday, and the Astros and Royals ar expected to be in the mix as well. Previously it was noted that eight teams were in on Troy Percival, four of which were considering him at closer. Now we're up to ten clubs, and the Ra...
By: The RotoFeed
Tampa Bay Devil Rays clean colors
2007-11-13 16:15:00 Everyone was wondering if there was going to be any major change to the uniforms of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. There sure turned out to be a nice little look that they have changed to. Featuring clean colors and overlaying a baseball diamond, the 5 Zoom(s)
Odds and Ends: Hot Stove Hysteria
2007-11-12 22:07:00 Anyone else ready for the Winter Meetings? It's going to be a crazy four days. I'll be blogging all of it nonstop. Here are some links to consider in the meantime. Play MLBTR's Hot Stove Hysteria contest! Right now the prizes in my holding include a Carlos Zambrano biography and a Big Dawg Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. If your company would like to join in on the sponsorship of the contest, email me. The deadline to enter in the contest is midnight CST tonight. If you've already entered but want to change yours, just make another comment with the updated list. (Please don't email me your entry - put it in the comments of the Hot Stove Hysteria post linked above). U.S.S Mariner gives its take on some of the early hot stove moves. Yorvit Torrealba plans to test the market, with the Marlins, Mets, Brewers, and Devil Rays as possible suitors. Torrealba will give the Rockies the chance to match any offer though. Phil Rogers ...
By: The RotoFeed
Rays Interested In Mahay
2007-11-11 07:45:00 According to Marc Topkin, the Rays have interest in southpaw reliever Ron Mahay (hat tip DRays Bay). The 36 year-old had a well-timed solid season in 2007. J.C. Romero's three year, $12MM deal might have moved the bar a little for middle relievers. If Romero gets that, then maybe Mahay gets three years, $15MM. I would think that closing experience would be a prerequisite for an AAV higher than $5MM. Aside from the Rays, the Rockies and Royals are known to be interested in Mahay. showad();
By: The RotoFeed
2007 Sabermetric Year in Review: Tampa Bay (Devil?) Rays
2007-11-10 08:24:00 After a decade of living in the cellar of the AL East (yeah, there was that one year where they managed to get into fourth place), the baseball franchise located in Tampa Bay (the body of water?) is undergoing an exorcism. Next year, the team will be known just as the Tampa Bay Rays. Like a Billy Graham revival, the team has kicked the devil out. To celebrate the new team name, the Devil Rays have put together a new logo, which is an apostrophe away from being a licensed to a chintsy chain restaurant. Sadly, the Devil Rays might look better if they just took their old uniforms and crossed out the word “devil” in red magic marker. Apparently, (and I’m not making this up), one of the other possibilities was the Tampa Bay Tarpons. (It’s a fish.) I rather liked “Tampa Bay Devil Rays.” It had that nice “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” ring to it. And oh yeah, the team actually played a couple games last year. Here then is the fourth part of a ...
By: The RotoFeed
Cafardo's Latest: Drew, Pettitte, Lincecum
2007-11-04 08:15:00 The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo works his way through all the teams in anticipation of Monday's GM meetings. Here are some of the rumors we haven't seen much before. The Rays want a defensive-minded shortstop and veteran starter. Maybe they'll make a play for Cesar Izturis or Omar Vizquel. A rehab guy like Freddy Garcia or Randy Wolf could be interesting. The Indians are looking for a power bat for left field. Haven't seen them mentioned with Barry Bonds at all, could that work? Cafardo proposes the idea of the Cubs acquiring J.D. Drew as their OBP-minded right field acquisition. Drew has a limited no-trade clause allowing him to block two unknown teams. I imagine the Red Sox would have to eat some salary. Cafardo also speculates that Andy Pettitte could follow Joe Torre to L.A. Pettitte has previously talked about a Yankees or retirement stance. The idea of the Giants trading Tim Lincecum seemed crazy at first, right? Cafardo sa...
By: The RotoFeed
Keith Foulke To Return
2007-10-13 19:34:00 Last winter, Keith Foulke signed with the Tribe for one year and $5MM. It was supposed to be a battle of the questionable closers with Joe Borowski. Instead, Foulke "retired" with an elbow issue while JoBo went on to post what was easily the worst 40 save season in baseball history. Antonio Alfonseca's 2000 is a distant second (he had a 4.24 ERA). Foulke had a simple elbow procedure in September, and will start throwing in November. He's coming back for the 2008 season, with the Red Sox first on his list. The Indians and D'Backs may also get special consideration. We first heard about Foulke's comeback plans back in May. In my opinion, the changeup artist would be best served in the NL. He hasn't seen the league except for a brief stint as a starter for the Giants ten years ago. Fortunately here at MLBTR we have a fairly comprehensive archive of last winter's hot stove dealings. The D'Backs and perhaps four other...
By: The RotoFeed
Long-Winded Baseball Reflections [Aaron DeRosa]
2007-10-02 05:25:00 I've been toying with this idea for a while and thought i'd throw it out there for debate. I'll make my claim, state what I've found, and open it up to discussion: Context: The assumption is consistently made that the AL is better than the NL. This disparity is reflected in the wins column. However, as with pitchers, wins don't necessarily adequately reflect a team's "quality." Thesis: The dispairty in the records of AL and NL teams has more to do with the parity of the NL which spreads wins out more evenly among its teams. This seems like a logical statement. the Florida Marlins aren't a "bad" team like the Devil Rays or the Royals. Or at least, they don't have that stigma that their AL bottom-feeding counterparts do. So how do we determine if one league has greater parity than the other? And how do we determine which league is therefore better? Well I started with parity: AL - NL 90+ wins: 4 - 1 80-89 wins: 3 - 8 70-79 wins: 4 - 6 60-69 wins: 3 -...
By: American Legends
Rays Pony Up
2007-09-28 16:30:00 Mark Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune reports that the Devil Rays are set to raise their payroll by at least 20% for 2008. This would bring the total to just under the whopping $35MM mark. The additional payroll will go toward extending Carlos Pena who only made $800,000 to hit 44 homeruns this year. This also brings bad news for teams waiting to get in on the Scott Kazmir sweepstakes. Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg is exploring long term deals with both Kazmir and James Shields. Sternberg believes that with the ongoing development of their young pitching core and proper offseason moves, a postseason berth is possible for 2008. Well, one thing seems certain: look for the Rays to be suitors for a number of relievers this off season. Posted By: Nat Boyle
By: The RotoFeed
Could Bonds Join Royals, Devil Rays?
2007-09-25 20:06:00 Barry Bonds has a stated desire to win a World Series before his finishes his career. That doesn't gel with the idea of joining a last-place team like the Royals or Devil Rays. However, he may have to decide between non-contenders and retirement. Last week when the Giants told Bonds he wasn't welcome in 2008, I analyzed the situations of the 14 American League teams' DH spots. The Orioles, Royals, Angels, A's and Rangers seemed the most likely fits. I didn't like the D-Rays for Bonds because they've already got all three outfield spots filled and have to find playing time for Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli at DH. However, Buster Olney is intrigued by the idea of Bonds in Tampa Bay. In Olney's view, Bonds would basically split time at DH with Baldelli, pushing Gomes out of the starting picture (perhaps he'd be traded). That's reasonable if the price is right. But keep in mind John Shea's note, that Bonds wouldn't have gone to S...
By: The RotoFeed
Off Topic: Tampa Bay Devil Rays change Unis-Colors-Name
2007-09-21 02:15:00 Our Major League Baseball Blog Brothren at DRaysBay have something to talk about, no "The Rays" arent headed to the post-season. They do, however, have new jerseys, colors, and name for the upcoming 2008 Major League Baseball Season. You can checkout the New Logos below: The Rays logo on grey has kind of grown on me over the past couple hours, but overall, eh ... The colors are as weak as could be. I love Carolina Blue and even have the color in a tattoo on my left arm, but for the Tampa Bay Rays .... it doesn't exactly say "Down South" to me or Florida for that matter. Here's the New Unis: The Jersey Lettering reminds me of the Kansas City Royals, I'm not sure why but it does. By the way, the teams name is now the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Subtle, but effective different. I like the hats, but other than that, heh. At least they didn't go with red or black, but still the developers should have put themselves out there a little bit. These jerseys-color-combos are bland at best....
By: Buc'Em
New Look for the Rays
2007-09-20 23:20:00 New look for the Rays The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have unveiled a new colour scheme and logos for the 2008 season. Here they are: What do you think? To me they remind me of a cross between the Padres and the Royals. A little boring to be sure but a well needed upgrade over their current style. In fact, it reminds me of Kman’s favourite shopping spot: Sam’s club What are your thoughts? Also the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are catching my eye in another way: they decided to shut down James Shields for the season after he pitched a career high 215IP. He is not injured they say, it is just a straight shut down. Kudos to them, there is no reason to work him any harder at this point. JP, take note.
By: The RotoFeed
A Look At Jamie Shields
2007-09-19 22:10:00 With Jamie Shields shut down for the season (smart move) let's take a look at his breakout 2007 season. "); // --> The numbers: 31 starts215 innings6.94 innings/start (4th in baseball)3.85 ERA1.11 WHIP12 wins13.8 expected wins7.7 K/91.51 BB/95.1 K/BB (2nd in baseball)1.17 HR/912.7% HR/flyball8.46 H/9.287 BABIP against a .338 team BABIP43.4% groundball rate And those numbers include a nasty June-July stretch where he posted a 6.12 ERA and allowed tons of home runs. Shields seems capable of a monster year in 2008. He's a total horse; he could reasonably pitch 230 innings next year. At the same strikeout rate that's 197 Ks. Ideally the HR/flyball would come down a bit, which would help. Not sure what to think of his BABIP quite yet. .287 isn't unsustainably low but it is certainly out of place on the D-Rays. He was at .334 last year as a rookie. Let's split the difference and say he allows a hit per inning. Say also that Shields elite control...
By: The RotoFeed
Boras Offers Opinion On Carlos Pena
2007-09-19 06:18:00 I have to admit it: sometimes I like Scott Boras. I always love a good villain in a movie. My personal favorite is Kurtwood Smith (the dad from That 70's Show) in Robocop. But sometimes even I get annoyed with Boras's hyperbole. He seemed to stretch the truth a bit on Kyle Lohse. He implied the Cardinals would fail to win the division this year because they didn't sign Jeff Weaver. And now he's making his pitch for Devil Rays first baseman Carlos Pena (hat tip DRays Bay). The difference is that while Lohse and Weaver are mediocre at best, Pena truly did have an elite season. Boras called him "the greatest player to ever put on a Devil Ray uniform." That's a bold statement given that the D-Rays have employed a near Hall-Of-Famer (Fred McGriff) and an actual Hall-Of-Famer (Wade Boggs). I'd like to take a quick aside and determine if Pena's 2007 is even the best-ever single season by a Devil Ray. So far he's got 5...
By: The RotoFeed
The Biggest Losers
2007-09-06 17:38:00 When Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at the U.S. Open last night, it was the continuation of an unfortunate trend for him. Roddick's career record against Federer now stands at 1-14, for a .066 winning percentage.While this news must be disconcerting for Roddick and his fans, there are some baseball fans who feel a similar despair when their teams play a certain opponent.In honor of Roddick's wretched record, here is a look at the 10 worst winning percentages in head-to-head match-ups in Major League Baseball history.(Criteria: Records from 1901 through 2007, with a minimum of 162 head-to-head games, in the regular season only. Data from BaseballReference.com)1) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 54-109, .331 vs. New York Yankees2) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 56-107, .344 vs. Boston Red Sox3) Texas Rangers: 226-351, .392 vs. Baltimore Orioles4) (Tie) Kansas City Royals: 167-244, .406 vs. New York Yankees and Texas Rangers: 236-345, .406 vs. New York Yankees6) (Tie) Oakland/Philadelphia/Kansas Cit...
Photo Gallery: Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles; August 30th, 200
2007-09-02 01:32:00 Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles; August 30th, 2007Here are photos of the Tampa Bay Devil vs. Baltimore Orioles game on Thursday!Hope you all enjoy!
By: The Oriole Post
Rays Mulling Plans For Pena, Baldelli
2007-08-27 23:29:00 We'll start with the positive vibes: the Rays unearthed Carlos Pena from the free talent pool this year, and he's got a decent shot at besting the franchise home record of 34 (held jointly by Jose Canseco and Aubrey Huff). He could also top Canseco's team-best .563 SLG from 1999. Pena, a Scott Boras client, is making just $800,000 this year. Talk about bang for your buck. He'll have about four years of big league service time after this season, meaning he's under team control and could go to arbitration. He's set to reach free agency after the 2009 season, in my estimation. Going to arbitration with him is the low-risk option, as the Rays would just be on the hook for one year. The two sides might be able to come to an agreement in the $4MM range, even. Another option, suggested by Marc Topkin, is to sign Pena to a three-year deal with an option. Pena is loves Tampa Bay; he's up for the idea. A three-year pact would buy o...
By: The RotoFeed
Tampa Bay Devil Rays shut down outfielder Rocco Baldelli?s rehab due to all
2007-08-25 00:59:00 The Tampa Bay Devil Rays shut down center fielder Rocco Baldelli’s rehabilitation because of soreness. Baldelli was shut down after sitting out Class-A Vero Beach’s game Wednesday. Baldelli has felt soreness since his rehab stint began August 18. Baldelli said before his rehab that trainers have been helping him change his running mechanics in an attempt to ...
By: MLB News Blog
Schilling Would Consider Devil Rays In 2008
2007-08-22 16:06:00 Curt Schilling acts as his own agent, and he has a list of less than ten teams he'd like to play for in 2008. He actually prefers a one-year deal over two. His main priority, as you might expect, is joining a team with a strong chance to win the World Series. Almost any team in baseball would benefit from signing Schilling to a one-year deal. But an intriguing possibility surfaced yesterday. Schilling would be open to playing for an up-and-coming young team like the Devil Rays. He'd love to join their rotation and work with young hurlers like Scott Kazmir, Jamie Shields, Andy Sonnanstine, and Edwin Jackson. That could actually make a formidable rotation. Granted it may have just been a throwaway comment by Schilling, made mainly because the Red Sox are in Tampa Bay right now. Could you imagine if the Devil Rays raised their payroll from the $25MM range to $75MM? They could add Schilling, maybe a Francisco Cordero, and even make Jorg...
By: The RotoFeed
Devil Rays Interested In Fernando Cabrera
2007-08-10 21:49:00 According to Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune, the Devil Rays are interested in recently released 25 year-old reliever Fernando Cabrera. In the past, it was revealed that the Orioles inquired on him. Since he was released, Cabrera is eligible to sign with any team. According to R.J. Anderson of Drays Bay: "Cabrera throws a 92-95 fastball with a good hard splitter and a slider that produces a load of swings and misses." var random_number = Math.random(); if (random_number
By: The RotoFeed
The Idiot File: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Elijah Dukes; Does Talent Supe
2007-08-03 19:11:00 Ah, the benefits of being an athlete.Will someone please tell me why this guy (pictured above) is still offered the privledge of employment with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?Oops, let's not forget -- talent supercedes morality in sports....Read the report here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/n-ews/story?id=2959870from the AP, the block quote I love:Earlier this summer, Devil Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg defended his decision to deactivate Dukes rather than release him."This will pass, hopefully, with a very positive outcome for him," the owner said at the time. "If it doesn't, our reputation will remain intact as an organization that's trying to help somebody or did what they think they could to help somebody." Now, if he were batting .200, and didn't have a body of throughbred, would the 'Rays be giving us lip service? Of course not!If I were the Devil Rays, cut ties with him now!You have a talented team, and he is NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE!
By: The Oriole Post
Failed Trades
2007-08-01 19:17:00 Let's take a look at some deals that almost happened yesterday. Kyle Farnsworth for Bob Wickman. This would've been fun, reunions with former teams for both players. However, the Braves wanted the Yankees to pick up all of Farnsworth's salary, apparently. Brian Cashman didn't want to make him go away that badly, and Wickman would probably be a nonfactor back in the AL. Mariners acquire Mark Loretta. Eh. Let's not overstate the abilities of Loretta. It sounds like Tim Purpura wanted some kind of legitimate prospect for him. Rockies send Jeff Baker and others to Tampa Bay for Dan Wheeler. We can't really evaluate this one without knowing who else would've been involved. And the Rays don't really have a place to play Baker; they're already squeezed finding playing time for Jonny Gomes. If Rocco Baldelli ever gets healthy they'll really have a pickle. I mentioned in a recent interview at D-Rays Bay - Wheeler would pro...
By: The RotoFeed
Elijah Dukes To Stay Put Today
2007-07-31 18:36:00 Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune says it's his understanding that there's "no chance" Elijah Dukes will be moved today. That makes sense; Dukes hasn't taken part in baseball activities for over a month. He should be traded in the offseason.
By: The RotoFeed
Mariners Targeting Al Reyes
2007-07-30 16:54:00 Recent reports had indicated that Tampa Bay closer Al Reyes was off the market. Maybe those were false, or maybe the Dan Wheeler acquisition has increased the Rays' willingness to listen. At any rate, interest is growing in Reyes. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times notes the Mariners' interest; they had two scouts at Tropicana Field yesterday. Reyes did not pitch, however. One of those scouts was Norm Charlton on a special assignment. Topkin seems to imply that the Rays would want young catcher Jeff Clement in return for Reyes. He also alludes to the Mets' interest but believes a three-team deal could be necessary to get the Rays what they want. From the start of the season through June 17th, Reyes was a revelation for the Devil Rays. During that time period Reyes had a 2.17 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 2.5 BB/9 with 16 saves in 29 innings. But since then Reyes has allowed 12 earned runs in nine innings, all of them coming from three separate ...
By: The RotoFeed
Could D-Rays Flip Dan Wheeler?
2007-07-30 08:12:00 Keith Law raises a good point in his blog post today - the Devil Rays might be able to spin Dan Wheeler for a younger, cheaper player. Law thinks it's very likely that Andrew Friedman and Co. will aggressively shop Wheeler in the next two days. They've managed to spin Ty Wigginton into a more scarce commodity with higher demand. For example: if Octavio Dotel is worthy of a discussion about Dodgers' shortstop Chin-Ling Hu, does Wheeler fall within the same realm? If not, does controlling him through 2008 close the gap? With Reid Brignac struggling in Double A overall, why not attempt to add another shortstop? Or if Brignac succeeds (his bat has come alive this month), the Rays could move Hu to second base. Evan Longoria at third base would make Akinori Iwamura expendable. Another option would be to target Seattle's Jeff Clement, though I'd imagine Bill Bavasi would want more than just Wheeler. Carlos Pena would be a nice fit. The Rockies...
By: The RotoFeed
Reds Acquire Jorge Cantu
2007-07-29 03:10:00 In a minor move, the Reds acquired infielder Jorge Cantu today along with outfielder Shaun Cumberland. They shipped pitchers Calvin Medlock and Brian Shackelford to the Devil Rays in the deal. The Reds are doing the right thing by sending the 24 year-old Cantu to Triple A to re-establish himself. Yes, he once drove in 117 runs and blah blah blah. The power potential is nice; he now needs to keep his head down, maybe learn a little plate discipline, and hit his way into the Reds' lineup. There's no infield spot for him, unless Wayne Krivsky foolishly trades Edwin Encarnacion or just starts Cantu over EE. Cumberland is a legitimate prospect, though the 23 year-old didn't step up to the challenge of Double A. He's got the tools to succeed, and he was never going to crack the Devil Rays' outfield. There's some upside here even if the numbers don't show it. I don't know much about Medlock but the reliever posted sick numbers in his second crack...
By: The RotoFeed
Astros Trade Wheeler To Devil Rays For Wigginton
2007-07-29 02:55:00 UPDATE: Wigginton will be used as the primary third baseman; you have to expert Morgan Ensberg to be gone soon. We expected both players to be traded, but not for each other. Today, the Astros traded 29 year-old reliever Dan Wheeler to the Devil Rays for 29 year-old supersub Ty Wigginton. By my count, Wheeler reaches free agency after the 2008 season and Wiggy after 2009. Looking at the two most important metrics, strikeout and walk rate, Wheeler should return to form for Tampa Bay. His strikeout rate is up; his walks down. Wheeler does not allow many baserunners. Perhaps the reunion with former Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey will help Wheeler curb his gopheritis. Should the Rays trade Al Reyes, or perhaps even if they don't, Wheeler is a strong candidate to assume closing duties for the team. I'm seeing a lot of folks panning Tim Purpura for getting Wigginton for Wheeler. Personally I don't think it's too bad. The Astros will ha...
By: The RotoFeed
Mariners Considering Kei Igawa, Al Reyes, Jason Jennings?
2007-07-28 17:08:00 Apparently the Mariners have some interest in twice-demoted Yankees starter Kei Igawa, according to an uncited TV report. The report pleased Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima. Igawa is locked up through 2011, which may or may not be a positive. He earns another $1.5MM this year plus $4MM annually through the end of the contract. The posting fee situation ensures that Igawa's salary is really cheap, the price a team might pay for a semi-utility guy like Mark DeRosa. If Igawa can be league average in the comfy confines of Safeco, he's a bargain. More likely he'd have value to an NL team. The Mariners were in on Igawa this offseason, along with the Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Cubs, Tigers, and Indians. Igawa was said to prefer playing on the West Coast. The 28 year-old had a decent strikeout rate but has otherwise been rocked in 62 innings as a Yankee. Meanwhile Dan Graziano says the Mariners are entertaining prac...
By: The RotoFeed
Yankees Focused On Gagne, Wheeler, Qualls
2007-07-28 17:00:00 It seems highly likely that the Yankees will make a move to upgrade their bullpen before the Tuesday trade deadline. They appear to have three main targets. Kat O'Brien of Newsday says the Yanks have had serious discussions with Texas regarding Eric Gagne. Though Gagne wants to close, remember that he can be traded to New York without his consent. A Rivera-Gagne combo would essentially turn every game into seven innings. O'Brien names righthanders Ian Kennedy and Jeff Marquez as two pitchers the Rangers might be after. Kennedy is definitely more highly regarded. The Rangers also like Melky Cabrera but the Yankees are resisting. Meanwhile, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tells us that the Yankees have "narrowed their sights" to Dan Wheeler and Chad Qualls of the Astros. The Astros control Wheeler through 2009 and Qualls through 2010, so the asking price will be significant. Jayson Stark says Houston is looking for a...
By: The RotoFeed
Teams Looking At Ty Wigginton
2007-07-26 22:12:00 UPDATE: You can toss the Cubs into the mix for Wigginton. One role player drawing a lot of interest is Tampa Bay's Ty Wigginton. He plays hard, he's versatile, he delivered his own baby, and he's at .274/.325/452 in 372 ABs. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times says the Dodgers, Twins, Red Sox, and Yankees are in on Wigginton. Wiggy might have a starting role for the former two teams. Andrew Friedman may be compelled to find a deal before the deadline, because at $4MM plus Wigginton is a nontender candidate for the D-Rays next year. Names like Scott Proctor and Scott Baker have surfaced as possible returns for Wigginton, but the general impression seems to be that the Devil Rays would need to improve their offer to get one of them.
By: The RotoFeed
Ty Wigginton For Scott Proctor?
2007-07-21 17:22:00 According to George King and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Devil Rays are willing to send Ty Wigginton to the Yankees for Scott Proctor. The Yanks are willing to trade Proctor because they believe Joba Chamberlain can jump up from Double A and fill in capably. Chamberlain is flat-out nasty. Given his previous interest in Wilson Betemit, it looks like Brian Cashman is focused on adding a versatile player who is under control for several more years. A bonus for Wigginton is that he bats right-handed. Betemit is a switch-hitter but hasn't done much from the right side. It's unclear how the Devil Rays would use Proctor, but I'm guessing they'd leave him in relief. Having a decent guy who can pitch 80 solid innings in the AL East for a few seasons is a stronger need than starting pitching right now. The Rays quietly have a ton of quality pitching in the Majors or in the pipeline. This is a team with a $24MM Opening Day payroll this y...
By: The RotoFeed
Tim Brown's Latest: A's, Yankees
2007-07-20 21:33:00 Yahoo's Tim Brown has a new post up, with some trade rumors we've heard before and some we haven't. Clearly the A's are sellers, and they're offering up Mike Piazza, Joe Kennedy, and Bobby Kielty. Brown names the Twins as the club most interested in Piazza. He also feels the Yankees, Angels, Mariners, and Red Sox would be good fits. But where would Piazza play on the Red Sox? The Red Sox were apparently close to a deal for Kielty, a 31 year-old switch-hitting extra outfielder. He hasn't played much center since '02, so maybe the Sox have relaxed that requirement. Kielty was supposed to be moved in a three-team deal that would have sent Wily Mo Pena somewhere. The deal has stalled, but it's really starting to look like Pena is on the move. The Yankees and Rangers are still discussing Mark Teixeira. My guess is that Brian Cashman just wants to see if this can be done without involving Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. Failing that...
By: The RotoFeed
Cantu On His Way Out Of Tampa Bay?
2007-07-20 20:48:00 Jorge Cantu seems to want out of Tampa Bay; he's dissatisfied with his lack of playing time this year. He was recently designated for assigment to Durham again. Most likely, the only reason he's still in the organization is that Andrew Friedman couldn't get anything useful for him via trade. 117 RBIs just don't have the pull they did in the past. But even if he doesn't really have a position and doesn't draw walks, there should be at least a little interest in a 25 year-old with good power. Cantu slugged .497 with 28 HR in 2005; he still owns those skills somewhere. He's never actually had a full season at the Triple A level. Maybe it's time to take a step back before his development moves forward. I think almost any team would be well served to buy low on Cantu, figure out one position he can play tolerably, and get him back on track.
By: The RotoFeed
More Jamie Shields
2007-07-08 07:48:00 Tom Koch-Weser has another WHIFF Profile of Jamie Shields up at the STATS, Inc. blog. This is great stuff and I highly doubt your league mates are reading it yet. Take advantage of the info while you can. If I had to pick someone, I'd say Shields is quietly becoming the Aaron Harang of the AL. 200 Ks and a fine WHIP with little fanfare. Plus is seems like he'll be able to munch 220+ innings year in, year out. All this despite pitching in the toughest division in baseball. If Shields was in Harang's division, we'd be talking Cy votes.
By: The RotoFeed
White Sox Planted Buehrle To Boston Rumor
2007-06-26 19:43:00 Keith Law, on ESPNEWS yesterday, reported that the Mark Buehrle-to-Boston rumor is bogus and almost certainly planted by the White Sox front office. Couldn't hurt to try, unless the plant damages relations with the Red Sox in the future. This type of practice is probably more common than we realize, though. Furthermore, Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox are out of this thing (if they were ever really in it). By the way, the reason for the refusal to allow a 72-hour negotiating window: Buehrle's likelihood of signing with St. Louis after the season. A loyal MLBTR reader, summing up Ken Rosenthal's recent comments on WEEI, noted that the Yankees are not actually involved on Buehrle. A GM always wants the Yankees and Red Sox involved when conducting a player auction, but it looks like that's not the case with Buehrle. Perhaps the Mets-Braves rivalry can be exploited instead. Another Buehrle note - R.J. And...
By: The RotoFeed
Joel Guzman YouTube HR Blast
2007-06-24 18:17:00 Joel Guzman YouTube HR Blast I?ll try to keep this brief. Guzman has spent time within many experts past top 10 prospects lists. Now he?d have a hard time cracking a top 200 list. He?s been written off, plain and simple. Sure, there?s plenty to hate like his up and down fielding, his propensity to the strikeout and his displeasure of the walk. Still, the kid is only 22 in AAA. Last season, he was 21 in AAA. Not too many prospects touch AAA at that age. Hell, most college draft picks are 20 or 21 when their drafted (1st overall pick David Price is only 9 months younger than Guzman). In his past ten games, Guzman is hitting .371 with 3 HR & 10 RBI. Acquired by the Rays for Julio Lugo before the trading deadline last season, Guzman (6-6, 250) may not live up to his lofty potential but he could settle in as a Johnny Gomes type MLB player, with 25+ HR power and a boatload of strikeouts. Check out this YouTube clip of a towering HR that gets a ?Wow? mid-sentence from the colo...
By: The RotoFeed
Elijah Dukes Demoted
2007-06-22 23:31:00 We knew something was coming...the Devil Rays demoted outfielder Elijah Dukes today and also placed him on the temporary inactive list (ie, no pay). A trade or release is forthcoming. According to the Tampa Tribune, the Rays spent yesterday exploring potential deals. You'd think with millions of dollars hanging in the balance, Dukes would just relax and focus on baseball with his new team.
By: The RotoFeed
Marlins Still Like Elijah Dukes
2007-06-21 19:10:00 The Marlins have flirted with the idea of acquiring Elijah Dukes for center field for at least a few months. Back in March, Jayson Stark mentioned the idea. At that point, Peter Gammons felt that the Fish would not trade young pitching to get their center fielder. Now they may be able to get Dukes for next to nothing. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Marlins have Dukes on the radar if they can get him for little. Any breathing reliever might do the trick. If the Marlins think, for some reason, that they can alleviate Dukes' off-the-field issues, it could be a fantastic example of buying low. By the way, one source tells me that the Nationals are definitely not interested in Dukes. A less exciting but safe option for Florida would be Brady Clark, who recently became a free agent. The Marlins have some interest.
By: The RotoFeed
Kansas City Royals/Tampa Bay Devil Rays over 9
2007-06-02 00:58:00 Adding one more. Big Friday card. Kansas City Royals/Tampa Bay Devil Rays over 9 -110 $165 to win $150 If you liked this post, buy me a beer!Share This
By: HEAVYCHALK.com
Stark's Latest
2007-06-01 18:28:00 Hey everybody, I'm back from my trip. I hope you enjoyed the posts from Tom and Jeff in the meantime. California was actually colder than Chicago is right now, go figure. Jayson Stark had a new column up at ESPN.com yesterday; let's dissect the trade rumors. Stark quotes scouts doubting whether Miguel Tejada's power will ever return. Over the last year and a half or so, the Orioles had all sorts of young players they could've acquired for Tejada. Names like Felix Pie, Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy, Ryan Sweeney, Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar have surfaced before. Tejada earns $12MM this year, $13MM in '08, and another $13MM in '09. That doesn't sound too bad but one more year of declining power might change my opinion. Seems the D-Rays would like to trade Elijah Dukes for a solid reliever. A few teams might bow out because of Dukes' past, but in my experience most don't care. I could see a match with the Padres, as they will need a...
By: The RotoFeed
Baseball Season Well Under Way - AL East
2007-05-28 21:40:00 As we approach the completion of May, Major League Baseball completes the first third of the 2007 season. Lots of baseball remains, but yet the standings are beginning to shape up and we begin to see who are contenders and who aren’t. In the American League East, the Boston Red Sox are in control and hold ...
By: Sport Talker
Carl Crawford Available?
2007-05-12 03:56:00 Just a mini-rumor of sorts, only a notch above speculation. But hey, this is a rumor site. Yahoo's Tim Brown mentions that Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford can be had, and suggests the Angels make an offer. It's early yet, but it looks like Crawford will set a career high in walks at age 25. He's never topped 37 in a season, but already has 15 in 34 games. This is an excellent step forward in development, and convenient for the walk-allergic Angels if they're interested. Hopefully they wouldn't unteach the new skill. Crawford is also maintaining his power with a .481 SLG. Crawford is signed through his prime on a very team-friendly contract: assuming all options are exercised, he's owed $27.5MM for 2007-10. A package of prospects centered around oft-rumored Ervin Santana seems to make sense. The mass media is calling for the Halos' pitching surplus to be used for a bat, and I agree. However, I'm not sure Crawford would ...
By: The RotoFeed
Juan Salas Suspended for 50 Games
2007-05-08 13:35:00 Juan Salas, a Tampa Bay reliever, was suspended for 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy. Salas was having a decent year: 3.95 ERA in 15 appearances, though he was walking nearly a batter an inning, and that never bodes well. Salas is in his first full big-league season, so he probably wasn't going anywhere, but the suspension does make it harder for the Rays to trade any relief arms that draw interest. At this point, the only guy who would probably do that is Al Reyes, and while he's off to a great start, he's only desirable by comparison to the rest of the Rays pen. By Jeff SackmannBrew Crew Ball
By: The RotoFeed
Trading Rich Harden
2007-04-26 23:16:00 Rich Harden's name first popped up in trade rumors in December. John Delcos spoke with Mets GM Omar Minaya and indicated that the A's starter was surprisingly available, perhaps for a package of Lastings Milledge, Aaron Heilman, and Philip Humber. Ken Rosenthal later indicated that it was Dan Haren the Mets really wanted. A confusing situation all around. Buster Olney brought the rumor back to life today in his blog with some informed speculation. He thinks that if Harden could stay healthy for a month or two, there could be a huge market for him at the deadline. He's locked up at a reasonable price through 2009. Olney speculates that the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, or the big money teams could make a play. One source Olney spoke to liked the Devil Rays as a suitor. Personally I think Kazmir/Harden would be a lot better on paper than in reality, much like Prior/Wood. I have to admit that putting Elijah Dukes and Milton Bradley on the sam...
By: The RotoFeed
Thoughts On Jamie Shields
2007-04-23 20:24:00 Tampa Bay starter Jamie Shields is the hot pickup of the moment after yesterday's eight inning, twelve strikeout performance against the Tribe. What's the deal with this guy? Is he mixed league material? The 25 year-old Shields had a solid rookie debut for the Rays, posting a 2.7 K/BB in 124 innings. His strikeout rate was above average at 7.5 per nine. He didn't help in mixed leagues, however, because he was quite hittable and allowed a lot of home runs. The RotoAuthority preseason take: I had him labeled as a sleeper, good for 12 wins with a 4.15 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. That also included 142 Ks in 196 innings. PECOTA had a similar opinion - solid but not spectacular. It called for a 4.23 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 10 wins and 127 Ks in 169 innings. ZiPs said he'd post a 4.70 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9 wins, and 136 Ks in 184 innings. All of us saw his K rate falling to the 6.5-6.7 per nine range. My own projection was influenced by the fact that...
By: The RotoFeed
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Home Opener Tonight! (April 6, 2007)
2007-04-07 21:36:00 The new Tropicana Field upgrades (including the first game on the new 'FieldTurf II') and refurbishments will be enjoyed by a packed house of paying attendees tonight as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays open against the Toronto Blue Jays. James Shields takes the mound for the Rays as they battle Gustavo
By: A Wikia Wiki
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Home Opener Tonight! (April 6, 2007)
2007-04-07 21:36:00 The new Tropicana Field upgrades (including the first game on the new 'FieldTurf II') and refurbishments will be enjoyed by a packed house of paying attendees tonight as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays open against the Toronto Blue Jays. James Shields takes the mound for the Rays as they battle Gustavo
By: A Wikia Wiki
|
|
 |
|
 |
