If recent history is any indication, the Rays will go after impact players in July and role players in August. Jason Bay, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez are among the stars the Rays have pursued leading up to the July 31st deadline and Chad Bradford, Gregg Zaun and Russ Springer are among the players they have acquired in August. As MLB.com’s Bill Chastain reports, Rays GM Andrew Friedman expects 2010 will be similar.
“I would imagine that that will be our approach again this year," Friedman said.
The Rays have a well-rounded team, as their 44-32 record suggests. But Friedman promises to “be aggressive” if they can improve. The Rays, who designated Hank Blalock for assignment yesterday, could look to add a DH or improve their ‘pen.
The Rays problem rests with their offense hitting poorly when the bases are empty. It’s been awhile since I last checked, but I’m pretty sure that number is down around .230 or .240.
Isn’t their problem that most nights, the lineup has four or five guys doing nothing this year?
Which is essentially what I was getting at.
I’ll believe the Rays will pull the trigger on the big deadline deal when they actually do it. Not to fault them. Obviously they’re glad to have not traded Niemann, etc.
Please trade for Doumit. Pretty please.
I see the Rays going after Jose Guillen and Wil Ohman
You think they could try and deal Crawford since he’s entering free agency soon and they probably won’t be able to keep him. I’d do it if I were the front office. I’d rather take at least three good prospects over just a compensation pick for losing him.
Except you’re also trading away everything Crawford will do to help them make to and go deep in the postseason, couple that with the extreme uncertainty of prospects and you really have just a horrible decision being made, so I’d say it’s a good thing for the Rays that you aren’t in the front office.
Hm, true… Guess a Crawford trade would be more a waiver-wire move if somehow the Rays drop out or an offseason move. I just figured you’d need to cut him at some point. I guess I’m so used to the Rays being bad that I forget they’re contenders now. lol
Hm, true… Guess a Crawford trade would be more a waiver-wire move if somehow the Rays drop out or an offseason move. I just figured you’d need to cut him at some point. I guess I’m so used to the Rays being bad that I forget they’re contenders now. lol
The Rays are about to become a non factor once the Red Sox really get rolling. Between them and New York ( the two teams I hate more than anything) the Rays will once again be the third wheel in that division. I say trade Crawford and Upton while they can. I have a feeling Upton is about to fall off the map and they will be sorry they just sat on him and didnt try and move him when they could. I could possibly see a deal with Atlanta for him or Arizona so he can play with his brother Justin. Not sure who would be in on Crawford mid season like this. I would say the Yankees but they will not give up prospects for someone they can just sign in the off season ( see Cliff Lee). Possibly the Reds if they can cough up the right prospect package for him. That would pretty much put them over the top I would think for a post season push.
The Rays have 21 remaining games versus the Red Sox and the Yankees combined. Somehow if they aren’t in first, they will still be a factor considering their combined record against these teams is 10-6 at the moment. Also don’t be giving the “inevitable yearly bronze” out to the Rays when they have only been recievers of such an award just once in their history. To say that you can see deals with certain teams without a scarce idea of players in mind, you are wasting your time. A certain team maybe interested in a player or maybe a team could be a good fit for a player doesn’t mean any deal is even possible. The Rays want more value back in return then just prospects, this is not a flea market. Rays are not sellers this year, they are buyers. And the off-season is plenty long enough for family reunions.