1:21pm: Tampa Bay does have at least some interest in Butler, Topkin tweets.
12:27pm: The Rays are looking at adding a bat after trading Logan Forsythe, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets, but they aren’t locked in to another second baseman. Tampa Bay is said also to be considering first base and DH candidates.
A right-handed bat would be preferred, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggests on Twitter. The Rays have apparently cast a few lines in the water, with top remaining free-agent slugger Mike Napoli among the players being contacted. He might be too expensive, though the Rays did move $7MM off of their 2017 payroll in dealing Forsythe.
Presumably, Tampa Bay will also at least give consideration to Chris Carter, who’s perhaps the next-best power-hitting righty still available. Whether or not there’s any possibility of a trade remains unknown. Other defensively limited bats on the market include Mark Reynolds and Billy Butler, with Aaron Hill arguably representing the most appealing remaining right-handed-hitting player with substantial experience at second base.
Clearly, there’s some flexibility here for the Rays given their remaining roster alignment. Brad Miller is currently penciled in at first, but has ample experience playing up the middle and could step into the mix there. Tim Beckham and Nick Franklin are also options.
Napoli or Carter end up here. They probably haven’t signed Carter yet due to waiting for the price of Napoli to come down.
If Napolis price came down he would already be a Ranger
how about trading for Jay Bruce. I’m sure the Mets would eat up a portion of that contract just to get him off the team.
The Rays need a right handed hitter why would they want Bruce?
And they also have a surplus of outfielders
Mets Trade Bruce eat a portion of the contract maybe include a prospect or 2 and receive Alex Colome in return
Alex Colome is one of the most valuable relievers in the game. This is hilarious.
And then there’s this guy.
Say no to crack
Sure, as long as those prospects are named Ahmed Rosario and Dominic Smith.
LOL, no thanks
Trolling hard here
Lol we keeping Bruce. But maybe someone like TJ Rivera for someone like Xavier Cedeno
Not TJ! He is a great table setter and should be given a chance!
They should trade De Leon for Brian Dozier
Lol dodgers
That would be a pretty funny plot twist if the Rays packaged De Leon with a name or two (Faria/Guerrieri…. I would assume Honeywell is off limits) and traded for Dozier.
It would effectively be Forsythe + a good minor league pitcher (or two) for Dozier. Upgrading by adding one prospect. That actually doesn’t even seem terribly far fetched, in a vacuum.
Yes in your vacuum….
Good one? In the vacuum of no other moves being involved… sending a second baseman and a prospect for a better second baseman isn’t an unreasonable trade. Not saying its a realistic outcome of this actual scenario…
Totally reasonable in that if they rays still want to contend the would essentially be trading for the same player a bit more, same price, but just give up some sort of prospect and maybe the Twins net them back some controllable players like Park or Vargas
But why are we in a vacuum? It’d be a lot more comfortable outside.
That’s not really how the rays opperate
I would love to see Dozier traded to TB for DeLeon ____. That is just what Twins were asking for… and not unreasonable.
If the Twins would have accepted one-on-one deal, Dozier instead of Forsythe would have been a Dodger by now. If the Rays want Dozier, then they would have to add another good prospect along with DeLeon to get it done.
Which they could do.
Which is what he said
Avi Garcia or Melky Cabrera (if the White Sox eat some of the salary) would be interesting. I’d love to see Avi down there. He’s still a guy with skill who might benefit from a fresh start somewhere.
I have said this a few times about the Jays should trade for somebody like Avi. They have had good luck breaking out studs like EE and Bats. I think Avi could to.
Avi stinks , low everything
I’m expecting Chris Carter to be signed soon. A 1/$6.5 million with an $8mm option or $500k buyout.
At this point, don’t see Carter getting much more than 1yr/5mm…
I wouldn’t be so certain, just because MILW didn’t want to pay him 8 mill in 2017 doesn’t mean another team will, he could wait til ST injuries happen and teams get desperate.
If another team was willing to pay his projected arb salary MIL would have traded him for a nothing prospect. His contract will be less than 8 mill for sure
It’s not that the Brewers didn’t want to pay him 8MM this year. Carter’s powrr drives his arbitration earnings, and with another 40 HR season, he’d be pushed up into the 12 MM range. (And then at leat 15 if he has another year of arbitration, I don’t know off the top of my head.) The Brewers didn’t see a whole lot of development coming besides the power, so it makes sense to cut baot.
power* least* bait* goodness gracious
No need for an option, he will still be in arbitration next year
My bad. I thought this was his last Arab season.
Supposed to be arb season.
No Carter has two controllable years left i.e. 17
And thus, the official courtship of Napoli begins! This is so cute seriously you guys!!!
I know he’s lefty, but Utley seems like a fit. Inexpensive, second base, solid power, leader and theres a solid Philadelphian presence living in Tampa.
I could see Utley and either Reynolds or Carter each on 1-year deals. Carter is under team control through 2018 via arbitration if I”m not mistaken.
Utley is 38, and he is Southern California native. There is almost no way he would move to east coast team like Rays at this stage of his career unless it is World Series contender, for which the Rays are not. Utley is more likely to sign with Padres than the Rays, lol.
Yea just old and can’t hit or field anymore
Utley was above average defensively and he did hit .273/.343/.425 against RHP. He’s useful.
CJ Cron from the Angels maybe…who pitcher can we get from Rays??
Cron for Odorizzi seems to be a fit. Angels could slide chavez down to the bullpen and spot start when needed
Absolutely not. Odo blows cron out of the water
Yeah, Cron is so valuable that the Angels took away his everyday job. The has shown guys like Cron are really valued this year…
Angels are allergic to starting pitching though, that move doesn’t make sense.
What**
Alex Colome. We may need to add a catcher. Maybe a prospect like Taylor Ward
So Cron and Ward for Colome? Rays pass on that easily.
They will end up signing Butler
If they end up with butler out of all those guys people are going to be even more enraged by the Forsythe deal. I honestly think they feel the hurt of everyone even out captain that they are gonna bring in a guy like Napoli who can fill that clubhouse void after Francona praised the heck out of him in Cleveland I think Napoli is a perfect fit with Tampa to be a leader and help out our young core and young manager
They also saved 6.9 million by trading smyly. I think Napoli goes to Tampa because they need to make a semi big move for them after trading forsythe and claiming they are hellbent on winning this year. And Texas has seem to have moved on from nap on to Carter and Tampa seems to be moving in the opposite direction after saving some more money. Also rumors of weiters being a fit
Rays knew there were tons of FA bats available, thus trading Forsythe. Rays could move Miller back to SS, Duffy to 2B. Sign Lind/Reynolds to platoon 1B. Billy Butler signed to be the DH, All three of those players signed would probably equal the 7 mil. Forsythe was making. At this point Lind/Reynolds/Butler wiould be happy to take any deal.
I wouldn’t want any of the deals you mentioned. Duffy is the everyday SS next year. Miller should be the majority 2B and occasional 1B. Then I want Carter or Nap to be the 1B/DH. Prefer Carter, but Nap is also fine. If they can’t get either of those two, I would rather platoon Franklin/Beckham at 2B and use Miller at 1B.
Jose Abreu or Todd Frazier would be a great fit for the Rays.
I was thinking the same
Rays need to do sign Carter or Napoli before it is two late and move Miller to second.
Brandon Moss never gets mentioned. Is he injured?
The Rays already have too many left handed hitters. Need to replace forsythe bat and I would’ve liked another right handed hitter before forsythe even left.
Party at Napolis!!! Florida edition
How Napoli can’t get a good deal is beyond me. He showed great power and good patience with solid glove work yet again. It’s beyond frustrating that teams only want to sign him to a cheap one year deal.
I was a little surprised too. He has a great reputation as a veteran presence, would be inexpensive, and can still rake. I thought the Os were leaning that way until the price on Trumbo dropped so significantly. I would prefer him over Moss, Carter, the sheriff (Mark Reynolds), Butler, and/or Morneau. I really like Morneau but he’s probably one of the more risky ones of the bunch due to his health.
Perhaps they look at Frazier and Abreu, from the White Sox?
Why lose prospects for abreu or Frazier when you can get a cheaper or more talented player on the market?
Especially when CWS are in a mode where they expect excessive returns. I see the reasoning for Sale, Eaton, and/or Quintana but I don’t think a team is going to give away top prospects for Melky, especially the Rays. I think if the price was reasonable on Melky and Frazier they would be gone already. I think the Os at least would give up a decent prospect for Melky but Chicago wanted a cheap team controlled bullpen piece in Brach plus a top team prospect
The Rays are like a college team. No one ever plays more than 2 years.
(Except Longo of course).
2 games in that home stadium listening to cow bells would have me begging for a trade to a bench role in Minnesota instead!
Beckham is not an option, we drafted him in 2008 when are they going to realize what all the fines have known for a long time. HE STINKS….. We are always searching for a deal and sending our Stars to other teams..