Rays Have Little To Spend

Francouer for Edwin Jackson.

Jermaine Dye.

Pat Burrell's looking for a salary around $11 million a year for 3 years...Try and do a trade for Matt Holliday the Rays have the prospects it would take to get him.

Dye or Swisher for EJax and FPerez ... but for both the Sox would have to eat some money!

Sox would get speed and a pitcher (whom they need if they trade VAzquez) and the Rays would get their everyday RF!

Other possibilites:
- Giles (and a B-/C+ prospect) for EJax (but the Padres won't eat any money)
- Butler for EJax + ?
- L. Scott for EJax (I know ... same division)
- Mc Louth for EJax and Brignac

I am still shocked at the pitching depth that have in the minors/majors. When you have Jackson/Davis/McGee(currently down with injury)/Niemann without a spot in the rotation you are in very good shape. Even with their holes i still can see them doing well next year.

I actually dont see them making a major move this offseason, they could instead trade their young arms for either young position players, or better yet younger arms, and keep the system going. Say trade Jackson for 1-2 arms with good/high upside that are in Rookie and low A, that way they can keep the system stocked.

Either that or Pence is a nice target, but he is going to cost more than a simple one for one, they are going to want Jackson and something else for him.

No way the Rays trade Wade and Reid for Pence!

Little money to spend and no top ten draft picks to shoot through the majors

uh oh

RaysFan - interesting, that is more than I was thinking of the Rays giving up. Don't know if the Rays would actually give up that much, but I have to believe the Padres would jump all over an offer that included Davis and Brignac.

I was tossing around the idea of one elite prospect (Davis, Brignac, or Hellickson) and one good player/prospect (Sonnanstine, Niemann, or Barnese).

I could see Hellickson and Niemann being part of the deal. I think the Rays hold onto Davis.

"Give me Hunter Pence and Billy Butler.

Cheap, young, very high ceiling.... pretty much defines the players the Rays go for."

I agree. Though Im not sure the rays would be willing to give up all the prospects and players it would take to get both. Butler would be my first preference. Both would be amazing, but Im not counting on it. I agree though, I dont think they will go after any high priced free agents or trade for anyone with a large contract.

"I could honestly see the trade looking more like Niemann and Reid Brignac, for Pence. Since Niemann is out of options anyways and they dont have place for him in the rotation."

Niemann is actually a front runner for the bullpen next year, either as a long reliever or middle reliever. Last year in pen he was touching 98 and looked great.

Again, Jackson is who they are trying to move.

Alright, if its only Jackson, then it wouldnt work for the Padres. They want players with little to no service time. He doesnt fit the bill.

is Juan Rivera too costly?

delmonmvp - I don't think Niemann would work in the bullpen, I've heard he takes way too long to warm up.

I don't think the Astros would move Pence for prospects. They might not even do it for Peavy, but they are too much of a "win now" team.

Yes, that is true about Niemann. He still has a great arm and he can be a SP for some team. Maybe the Royals would take him for Butler and then we can trade Jackson and something for Pence.

I agree. I want to be selfish and keep Niemann, especially since I have followed his whole career (and ran into him at a 711 when he was buying condoms and gum), but its probably in our best interest to trade him. His value is very high and what he might get in return for him (Butler? Pence?) could be more valuable to us than him in a long relief role or starting in Durham.

Delmonmvp, he can not start for you in Durham, he is out of options, which is why i thought he would be trade bait to begin with.

And if anything the Astros would not trade Pence unless they were getting an impact arm in return, would be my opinion. Makes no sense otherwise. Though good, Jackson is not an impact arm.

Delmonmvp, I would like to know your opinion on something.

Considering they are all young, cheaply signed and our extremley deep farm system, you think we have any chance at getting Pence, Butler AND Street? Those are my top 3 targets, getting 2 of those would still be incredibly awesome.

And your other suggestions, I agree 100% and it should be cheap to sign Rocco to incentives and find some loogy

"you think we have any chance at getting Pence, Butler AND Street?"

Yes, and I'll tell you why. First off, the A's are an interesting team to deal with. Rather than asking for 1-2 of our top prospects, they have made it known that they would rather have 3-4 B level prospects. Its actually a great way to trade, and worked well in the Haren deal. So concievably, we might only have to give up a few guys like Royster, Barnese, and Ruggiano. As for Pence and Butler, the centerpiece in both deals would either be Jackson or Niemann. I could see Jackson to the Stros, and Niemann to Royals.

I'll break it down like this:

Huston Street for Ruggiano, Cobb, and Barnese

Butler for Niemann

Pence for Jackson and Brignac

All three of those are feasible, but thats a lot of prospects to give up, even if they are expendable. I could see 2 of these three happening. With the third need being filled by a F.A.T (Freely Available Talent), such as a Hinske, Pena, Wigginton type signing.

F.A.T

dude, delmonmvp, are you a member of DRaysBay? If you are, I go by joeybw.

Also if we get those 3 while keeping Davis AND Hellickson, we are even more awesome than I thought.

I like the Niemann for Butler suggestions. Royals are down on Butler and have done everything possible to block him. Niemann is also blocked and the Royals could use another good rotation arm.

Niemann might also interest the Astros since he played college ball at Rice in Houston. I think Houston probably overvalues Pence by a lot since he is an engergetic player and came up through their farm system. I think Pence for Brignac and Niemann would make some sense (if possible).

But Ed Wade and Drayton McLane (owner) don't seem like the kind of guys to trade a more established player like Pence for prospects, even if they should.

Lets put it this way - the Astros ownership and leadership are daft, not deft. The Rays ownership and leadership are deft, not daft.

"The Rays ownership and leadership are deft, not daft."

Andrew Friedman, Execuative of the Year Woo! Woo!

"With the third need being filled by a F.A.T (Freely Available Talent), such as a Hinske, Pena, Wigginton type signing. "

I thought fat was a word to describe such players like Big Papi, Carlos Zambrano, Joe Blanton, CC Sabathia, and Prince Fielder. :-)

I'm just throwing a name out there, but why not try platooning Hinske with Emil Brown at RF? Emil is a FA, and I don't think he gets more than what he got this year (1.5MM).

Geren misused him by playing him way too much against righties. He is a platoon player, and should stick to hitting against lefties only. Just bring in another RH bat for DH/wherever.

Could Crawford play RF against LH pitching, so Emil could play LF (Emil in RF could be disasterous).

"We dont NEED anyone bad enough to give them up. And we have too many expendable pieces (Jackson, Sonny, Niemann, Brignac, Zobrist, etc) and the best farm system in baseball, we dont have to give up our best prospects. Our third or fifth or whatever best prospect would be a number 2 in most organizations."

You're right, to an extent.

If the Rays played in an easier division, I'd agree. That division will be a three team horserace, with the Yankees and Sox bound to make some serious improvements and big splashes. You don't make the playoffs by standing pat.

So, I would say that the Rays NEED to bolster their offense and NEED to reinforce that pen from any nasty regression that might happen. With that pitching, a masher would give them a HUGE step forward. Friedman can build a bullpen. We both know that.

And, the big knock working against the Rays are payroll limitations, which could bar them from signing most of the power FAs out there. They could trade for Magglio, but it would cost both money and prospects.

I agree that Davis and Hellboy shouldn't be traded for rentals, but if its absolutely necessary to give that team the boost it needs, so be it. The Rays' depth is an advantage, but the only truly elite prospects in the system are Price (untouchable), Davis, Hellboy, Brignac, and Beckham (not going anywhere). EJax or Sonny will be a trade chip as well, preferrably EJax.