Rays Rumors

Odds & Ends: Barajas, Piniella, Nats, Ramirez, Jackson

By Zachary Links | August 22, 2010 at 6:28pm CDT

From the South Bay to the Valley, from the West Side to the East Side, everybody is very happy because Vin Scully will return in 2011. Let's check out some links from around the web..

A member of the Mets watching Rod Barajas say goodbye to his teammates quipped "Can I go with him?", tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
Ken Rosenthal pays tribute to Lou Piniella, and opines that Joe Girardi would be a perfect managerial replacement, though he has doubts that the Cubs could pry him away from New York.
The Nationals have extended their affiliation with the Syracuse Chiefs for an additional two seasons, according to the team's official Twitter page.
Josh Thole is excited about having the opportunity to start every day now that Rod Barajas has been claimed off waivers by the Dodgers, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
The Rays might be willing to take a chance on Manny Ramirez, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
With the way Austin Jackson is playing, it looks like the Tigers got the better end of the Curtis Granderson deal, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.
Pittsburgh's signing of Mexican hurler Luis Heredia was years in the making, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes that the Indians weren't afraid to spend on the draft this year. Cleveland's top ten picks all signed for more than their recommended slot.
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) jokes that Buck Showalter has done too well with the Orioles as the club might now lose out on the first overall pick in the draft. Baltimore is now 44-80 while the Pirates are 40-83.

Crawford And Pena Talk Oakland

By Steve Adams | August 22, 2010 at 1:57pm CDT

With the Athletics hosting Tampa Bay this weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser spoke with both Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena about the possibility of joining the A's next season.

While it's far from qualifying evidence to say that either player is writing Oakland down atop his offseason wish list, it's worth noting that both players had positive things to say about the organization as well. Crawford dodged the question somewhat, though he did praise Oakland's pitching staff:

"The main thing is that I want to see how the season ends and how things work out with this team," Crawford said. "I hope things go well, and if not, I'll have to see what's out there. (Oakland) does have good pitching. I'll weigh a lot of things, but obviously I want to go somewhere where the team can win."

Crawford has been connected to the Yankees frequently, and that's no surprise. The market's top free agents are often linked with the Bronx Bombers, and with good reason; in recent years they've snatched Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett from the free agent market. If the Yankees decide that they prefer fellow free agents Jayson Werth and/or Cliff Lee to Crawford, then Crawford may be looking for work in other markets.

Oakland's pitching would love Crawford's defense, and the ballpark's spacious confines would suit Crawford's speedy skillset quite nicely. Just ask fellow outfielder Coco Crisp, who's enjoying a .304/.366/.530 line in Oakland with eight doubles and three triples in just 136 PAs. If Crisp's option is exercised, the outfield situation could become muddled with Rajai Davis, Ryan Sweeney returning, and Michael Taylor waiting in the wings.

Pena spent 40 games of the 2002 season as the A's first baseman. He tells Slusser that he never rules anything out, and that he enjoys the Oakland area. Pena's strikeouts and walks are both slightly down this season, but he remains a power threat and is still walking in 14.5% of his plate appearances. The A's currently have Daric Barton, Chris Carter, and Jack Cust as 1B/DH candidates (with Carter seeing some OF time).

Again, it's far from conclusive evidence to support that either player will be heading to Oakland following the 2010 campaign, but the A's have over $20MM coming off the books, largely thanks to Ben Sheets and Eric Chavez. Billy Beane will have the money to spend, and the need to add some offense to a club that ranks 26th in both team OPS and runs scored. Keep in mind that the A's have quietly managed a .500 season — they may not be as far from winning as their modest offense suggests.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Feliz, Braves, Kershaw

By Mike Axisa | August 20, 2010 at 9:33am CDT

On this date two years ago, umpires agreed to the use of instant replay to help determine boundary calls, such as fair or foul, on home runs. Expanded use of instant replay remains a hot topic in baseball, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig continues to dance around the subject, more replay feels inevitable at this point.

Here are a bunch of links from around the baseball blogosphere…

Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts interviews players and team personnel about minor league life, touching on everything from salary to housing to food, the whole nine. It's a long, but truly great read.
Capitol Avenue Club analyzes the Derrek Lee trade.
Pine Tar and Pocket Protectors says that Pedro Feliz is not the answer for the Cardinals.
Beyond The Box Score looks at which teams are building the best bullpens on the cheap.
Amazin' Avenue tries to figure out who should close for the Mets with Francisco Rodriguez out for the season.
Royals Review questions whether or not Kansas City has something in Bryan Bullington.
The Few, The Proud, The Brave looks ahead to Atlanta's offseason as well as the 2011 season.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. tries to figure out if the Pirates should start spending this offseason.
The Process Report lists the Rays' farmhands eligible for this year's Rule 5 Draft.
SD Sports Net wonders if the Padres whiffed by failing to sign first rounder Karsten Whitson.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness uses Ricky Romero's new contract as a basis for a Clayton Kershaw contract extension.
Baseball Time In Arlington examines the hidden value of Cliff Lee.
Camden Crazies wonders if Brad Bergesen is back to being an effective pitcher.
1 Blue Jays Way introduces us to Toronto's prospects.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Rays Sign Ramon Ortiz

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 18, 2010 at 3:52pm CDT

The Rays signed right-hander Ramon Ortiz and assigned him to Triple A Durham, according to the transactions page for the International League. The 37-year-old pitched 30 innings for the Dodgers this year, posting a 6.30 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.

After the Dodgers designated Ortiz for assignment, the Mets picked him up on a minor league deal. Ortiz pitched well for the Mets' Triple A affiliate, posting a 3.94 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in Buffalo. He'll presumably stay in the minors until September, since the Rays have a deep rotation, even with Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis on the DL.

Odds & Ends: Owings, Yankees, Counsell, Livingston

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 17, 2010 at 9:58pm CDT

Some more links for Tuesday as two of the game's best second basemen – Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia – return to action…

Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Barry Bloom that Micah Owings requested that the Reds try to trade him to another MLB organization. The Reds, who designated Owings for assignment today, will try to trade Owings.
Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal projects Boston’s 2014 roster.
The Yankees agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Christopher Tamarez for $650K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. BA has video of the wiry 16-year-old.
Craig Counsell told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he would not object to being traded to a contender. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes analyzed the market for Counsell, who cleared waivers yesterday.
The Rays signed former big league pitcher Bobby Livingston, according to the International League's transactions page. The Dodgers recently released the left-hander.
Teams are calling the Cubs about Derrek Lee and others, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Lee, who can veto any deal, turned down a trade to the Angels last month.

Rays Sign Josh Sale, Drew Vettleson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 16, 2010 at 11:34pm CDT

The Rays agreed to sign first-round pick Josh Sale and supplementary first-rounder Drew Vettleson, according to Conor Glassey of Baseball America (Twitter link). Sale, a 19-year-old outfielder, had committed to playing at Gonzaga next season. Last year, MLB recommended a $1.467MM bonus for the 17th-overall selection, but the Rays signed Sale for $1.62MM. Vettleson, a two-way player who turned 19 last month, gets $845K.

The Rays already signed first-rounder Justin O'Conner for $1.025MM. Click here for the complete list of 2010 first-rounders to sign.

Draft Signings: Hahn, Shipers, Cates, Cone

By Luke Adams 2 | August 15, 2010 at 10:25am CDT

The deadline for signing draft picks is fast approaching, as teams have until tomorrow night at 11 CST to finalize deals with this year's draftees. Here are a few notable above-slot agreements, with any new updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:

Sixth-round pick Jesse Hahn has signed with the Rays for $525K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. Hahn was projected as a first-rounder at one point, but Tommy John surgery hurt his value. Still, he easily exceeded MLB's recommended $150K maximum for players drafted after the fifth round.
The Indians signed 23rd-round left-hander Tony Dischler for $255K, tweets Callis.
The Mariners agreed to terms with 16th-round pick Jordan Shipers for a deal worth $800K, according to Callis. That bonus is the highest so far for any player draft later than the fourth round.
Third-rounder Zach Cates reached an agreement with the Padres for a $765K bonus, the highest to date for a third-round selection. Callis reports that the right-hander more than doubled MLB's recommended bonus of approximately $380K for the draft slot.
Derek Cone, the Dodgers' 31st-round pick, signed with the club for $150K, according to Callis (via Twitter).
For a summary of which first-rounders and sandwich picks have signed so far, click here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell

By Mike Axisa | August 13, 2010 at 11:00am CDT

On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

Joe Posnanski tries to determine who the worst everyday player in baseball is.
Royals Review breaks down all the changes the Royals have gone through since the start of last season.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness congratulates Garret Anderson on the worst offensive season in Dodgers history.
Bright House Sports Network looks at the Rays' history of waiver trades, plus some names they might target this month.
The Process Report wonders if this season will be Dan Wheeler's last stand in Tampa.
DRays Bay tries to figure out if Gabe Kapler should be designated for assignment.
Disciples of Uecker thinks the Jim Edmonds–Chris Dickerson trade was the best for everyone.
Around The Majors posted a two part series looking at the events that have brought Andres Torres' career back from the dead (parts one & two).
Meanwhile, Joe Pawlikowski at FanGraphs examines Pat Burrell's resurgence since joining the Giants.
The Nats Blog breaks down Stephen Strasburg's first bump in the road.
Red Sox Beacon re-introduces us to Carlos Delgado.
U.S.S. Mariner looks at the job security of Major League managers, or the lack thereof.
Camden Crazies explains the Buck Showalter magic going on in Baltimore.
Randall On Baseball revisits the trade that sent Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
Baseball 101 looks at a different way of valuing relievers based on the work of Bill James.
Baseball Analysts analyzed the Rule 5 Draft.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Draft Signings, K-Rod

By Tim Dierkes | August 11, 2010 at 1:46pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, as newly acquired catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia joins the Red Sox…

The Rays signed ninth-round draft pick Jake DePew for $460K, reported Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat yesterday. DePew, a catcher, was drafted out of Granite City High School.
The Yankees inked 12th-rounder Daniel Burawa for $300K, reports Aaron Fitt of Baseball America. The righty came out of St. John's as a draft-eligible sophomore.
A healthy, somewhat effective 2011 season by Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez could trigger a $17.5MM option for 2012, explains Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
SI's Tim Marchman outlines the limitations of advanced defensive stats.

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Viciedo

By Mike Axisa | August 8, 2010 at 11:23am CDT

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe breaks down the 2010 Red Sox and what members of the team may not be around for 2011. He says Jayson Werth will be a free agent target and wonders if they're willing to commit three or four years to Adrian Beltre, who is having a monster season. Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka could be trade bait, and then there's the issue of David Ortiz's $12.5MM option.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

There have been "minimal, if any" talks between the Sox and Victor Martinez about a new contract.
Expect Boston to revamp their bullpen, which could mean replacing Hideki Okajima.
Carfado believes that the Rangers settled ownership situation will help the team down the stretch as the players don't have to deal with any speculation.
Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit, a pair of offseason pickups that are the Rays' two best relievers, will need to have their workloads monitored down the stretch, particularly Benoit who is coming off major shoulder surgery.
The Angels have close to $110MM tied up in 2011 payroll counting arbitration raises, which could hinder their pursuit of free agents this winter.
Kenny Williams says that teams never asked for Dayan Viciedo in a trade because they knew he was unavailable. We heard that Williams was willing to trade him before the deadline.
A split between the Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu seems likely this offseason.

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