Tonight is the non-tender deadline for the Rays and their six arbitration-eligible players. So it might be a good time to say your good-byes to Jonny Gomes, as 2009 has a very good chance of being less Jonny-terrific.

Willy Aybar, Dioner Navarro, Jason Bartlett and Grant Balfour will certainly be offered arbitration. Gomes is a good candidate to be non-tendered and Gabe Gross is on the cusp.

If the Rays offer Gross arbitration it might be an indication that they want to have the option of sending Matt Joyce to the minors to open the season. If Gross is not offered arbitration, Joyce will almost certainly be on the opening day roster.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Good news for the Rays. The first corner outfielder/DH signed. Raul Ibanez signed with the Phillies for three years/$30 million. With the deal also costing the Phillies a first round draft pick (Type A free agent) we can expect most of the remaining corner outfielder/DHs to come in under that mark. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Matt Joyce, who is currently playing in Mexico and is from the Tampa area, called the trade to the Rays "a dream come true." [St. Pete Times]
• Joe Maddon spoke highly of Matt Joyce the person and the ball player. [Tampa Tribune]

"I like the thunder in his bat, I like the effort with which he played," said Manager Joe Maddon. "He's a very good outfielder, he throws well and he's young. He's the kind of guy I think, as he learns more about himself at the plate, is going to be a very productive offensive player, too."...Maddon added that several baseball people had approached him since the trade was made to tell him how much they thought of Joyce as a person, and Friedman heard the same thing.

• FanGraphs breaks down the Edwin Jackson/Matt Joyce trade noting that Joyce is the better player right now and will likely get better. They compare Joyce to Jayson Werth and note that Joyce teamed with Carl Crawford and BJ Upton is easily the best defensive outfield in baseball. [Fangraphs]
• Keith Law's take is not quite as uplifting, saying Matt Joyce is best suited to be part of a right field platoon. [ESPN]
• Drays Bay shows that Matt Joyce compares favorably to Carl Crawford both defensively and against lefties and wonders why anybody would want to platoon Joyce...First off, they might be right and we are not sure Joyce isn't an everyday player (we hope he is). While they have to use Joyce's minor league splits, it is just silly to think that those numbers will translate perfectly to the major leagues. If Joyce is already near the bottom of the list in OPS against lefties with just his minor league numbers, is it too much of a stretch to worry that it might actually regress a little (or a lot) in the majors? And while Joyce's minor league OPS versus lefties (.721) is greater than Carl Crawford's major league OPS versus lefties (.695), three of the four seasons were actually worse. In fact, in 2008 at triple-A, Joyce posted an OPS of .656 versus lefties. It was only 46 at bats, but it was a crappy 46 at bats (1 HR, .308 OBP, 18.2% fly balls). And let's say Joyce does maintain his OPS versus lefties. A starting outfield with Joyce and Crawford both playing positions that we should expect offensive production from, would be atrocious against left-handers. [Drays Bay]
  
• John Romano says the Matt Joyce at worst, is a younger, cheaper Gabe Gross. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Originally Matt Joyce was to be dealt to Seattle for JJ Putz. With Putz now a Met, that leaves the Tigers without a closer. Might Joyce have been traded for a closer after all? Might Edwin Jackson close for the Tiggers? [The Flint Journal]
  
• The "Rays Digest Podcast" will be back today with another installment as Tyler Hissey recaps the Winter Meetings. [Rays Digest]
  
• Pearls of Wisdom has gone to all stops to make sure Jonny Gomes is not tendered a contract tonight. [Pearls of Wisdom]
  
• Peter Abraham is reporting that Jason Giambi is open to returning to the Yankees for less years and less dollars. This is contrary to previous reports that said Giambi preferred to play on the west coast. [The LoHud Yankees Blog]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks welcomes Matt Joyce to Devil Ray Town and hopes this means Jason Giambi is not to be a Ray. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

Last night the Rays traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matt Joyce. We have long said that Jackson needed to be moved and we like the addition of Joyce. But we have to admit, given the demand for young, cheap starting pitchers, we were a little surprised the Rays did not receive more in return.

Although we will never know exactly how the process played out, one thing that caught our attention is the lack of bidding by other teams. This is a direct result of the secretive nature of the Rays front office. Other teams leak information on a regular basis. One reason is to make it known that certain players are available and hope to encourage more teams to get involved in the bidding. The more teams involved, the higher the price. This is fundamentally different than the Rays approach.

Some teams encourage other GMs to come to them, while some teams are more proactive and approach other teams. The Rays appear to be more comfortable approaching other teams. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While keeping negotiations quiet, the Rays keep other teams from becoming involved in the player they covet.

In the end the Rays are able to get the player they want, but the overall package may be less.

Let's take a look at what is being said about the trade in the blogosphere...

Take 75 North feels this this is a terrible deal for the Tigers.

I do not see how this isn't a terrible deal for the Tigers. On the Tigers' end, they're shipping out Matt Joyce. He's, by nearly every account, an excellent outfielder...He's also a power-hitting left-handed bat, which the Tigers claim to see as a valuable skillset for the team. Finally, he's young and cheap...Losing Joyce is only part of what has me so upset about this trade, though. The second part is the Tigers are essentially choosing Gary Sheffield over him...So now the Tigers have three starters of questionable value in [Nate] Robertson, [Dontrelle] Willis and Jackson. Acquiring Jackson will probably allow them to move one of the others, but I see no reason to believe that will be a step forward...I think we're going to regret this trade almost immediately.

The Detroit Tigers Weblog does not see a benefit to the Tigers.

I'm having a hard time even writing about the deal...Joyce might flame out, but Jackson has yet to even burn...I don’t know how Jackson fits in, whether he will be a starter or reliever. Oh yeah, and he’s eligible for arbitration. Good luck Rick Knapp. I don’t get this one at all.

The Rays Party would have preferred a right-handed bat, but like Joyce and and the flexibility he provides.

The concern is why the Rays got another left-handed hitter instead of a right-hander that can hit against lefties, which was a weak spot last year. But the Rays see his potential and like they have control of him for six years. He also has options and can be sent down if the Rays feel he needs more time in the minors.

Bless You Boys would have rather seen Joyce traded for a closer.

This doesn't exactly bring clarity to a trade I'm still conflicted over, however. Joyce was too valuable to trade for a badly needed closer, yet dealing him for a middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher (which I concede that the Tigers might need, as well) seemed preferable? Am I missing something here?

Tigers Homeplate sees this as a good deal for the Tigers and Joyce.

The good thing is that Jackson is only 25 years old and has pitched the last couple of seasons in the major leagues so he will being a little bit of experience with him...Joyce should get a crack at the starting lineup down in Tampa so I think it is a good trade for him as he would have been a fourth outfielder at best in the Tigers lineup.

Drays Bay says Joyce is an upgrade over Gabe Gross.

Gross is projected at 1.4 through 600 PAs and 3 runs in the field. That's 1.9 WAR total.

1.5 + (FLD in wins form) + (BAT in wins form) = WAR

For instance: (1.5+0.7+0.3) = 2.5

Detroit Tigers Thoughts says Andrew Friedman took Dave Dombrowski "to the cleaners."

This only works out if Jackson finds something and becomes a better pitcher. He's simply not a good pitcher right now, and that will need to work....I don't see how this trade makes sense. In doing this, Dombrowski is essentially betting on Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield playing 150 games apiece this year. I don't like those odds.

The Spot Starters takes a closer look at Jackson's 2008 campaign noting that he ranked near the bottom of the AL in a number of statistical categories.

Edwin Jackson seems to be the classic example of a guy who had a better record than he deserved in 2008. I hate to say that, I absolutely hate it...I don’t think Jackson is a lost cause. Let’s give the guy a shot. Even though he can be up-and-dow, he and his 95 mph+ heater could really do some damage against the opposition in 2009.

The Grand National Championships says Joyce could be Mark Kotsay and has a higher ceiling than Jackson.

Matt Joyce has a little bit of the sleeper to his skills. He played very well in his first half-season in Detroit. He will stike out about 120 times in a season. But his offensive game is very nice. 35 doubles, 25 homers, a passable eye with a slugging percentage that can threaten .500 is magical and rad...And he can play center field for if and when the Rays tire of B.J. Upton's saucy antics. Could he turn into Mark Kotsay? It's possible. But Matt Joyce's floor is a lot higher than Mr. Jackson's.

Rays from across the pond is not happy to lose Jackson but they understand it.

Obviously losing Jackson is a bit of a shame. He had his best year ever this season, and finally looked as though he was working through his inconsistancy issues. I think that Detroit have picked up a good player there. Still, with the pitching depth that the Rays have, any trade was always likely to involve either him or Andy Sonnanstine. And while Jackson is probably the more talented, I think I'd rather lose him that Sonny - as I've said many times this year, Sonny just has a great knack for winning.

Tiger Tales is not sold on the deal.

It was not a surprise to see Joyce traded since Jim Leyland commented about his laid back approach during the summer. I also understand that Leyland likes hard throwing (Jackson has a mid 90s fast ball) pitchers with high upsides. It could turn out to be a good deal but right now I'm not a fan of the trade.

The Wayne Fontes Experience says Jackson should fit right in.

My gut reaction wasn't a good one. Mainly due to the fact Jackson can't throw strikes. He's a base on balls machine. Hey! That means Jackson should fit right in with the rest of the Tigers' staff!...Rick Knapp is going to have his hands full straightening out ANOTHER Tigers pitcher who thinks the strike zone is just a suggestion...I'll have to sleep on this trade, maybe I'll feel more enthused about acquiring Jackson with a little more time. But right now, I'm still calling this off season "a small ball of MEH"

Last night the Rays acquired outfielder Matt Joyce from the Detroit Tigers for Edwin Jackson.

What this trade means for the rotation...
Since the end of the World Series it seemed obvious that the Rays were going to trade either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. To most, Jackson seemed to be the logical choice as his peripheral numbers suggested the 14 wins in 2008 were a bit overrated. And despite a possible move to the bullpen he would have been a very expensive middle reliever.

With Jackson out of the picture, Sonny is a lock for the 4th spot in the rotation. That opens a spot that will eventually be filled by David Price. But will King David fill it in when the team breaks camp? Andrew Friedman made it clear earlier in the week that there is no guarantee Price is in the rotation to start the season. With only 5 starts above double-A, it would not surprise us to see Price in Durham for 5-6 starts to start the season. That means Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jason Hammel will battle for the final spot in Spring Training. Since Talbot still has a minor league option, look for Niemann to get the nod as the Rays try to showcase him for other teams and then trade him to the first contender that loses a starting pitcher to injury.

What this means for the lineup...
Joyce fits in immediately at the 6-spot in the lineup as the most-days right fielder for the next six years. If the Rays are able to sign a player like Jason Giambi or Milton Bradley, Joyce falls to #7 with Evan Longoria at #6 to keep the R-L-R-L lineup. But that is another story for another day. In other words, the Rays could do a lot worse than Joyce at 6/7. And more importantly, it means the Rays don't have to go through this mess again next year.

What this means for the roster...
We will touch on this a bit more later, but this move probably seals the door on Jonny Gomes' career with the Rays. Already a candidate to be non-tendered on Friday night, that now seems like a foregone conclusion. 2009 will be much less Johnny-terrific. Now the question becomes, do the Rays have room for Gabe Gross? If they tender a contract to Gross, Fernando Perez is almost certainly in Durham in 2009.

What this tells us about the Rays' front office...
The Rays have the quietest front office in baseball. Even though the Rays were talking with the Tigers for three days, we never heard a peep. Is that by design? Maybe. Most of the Rays trades seem to come from out of left field (so to speak). Did we hear anything before the Gross trade or the Willy Aybar trade or the Chad Bradford trade?

Do the Rays make it a point to keep everything under wraps as tightly as possible? Or is the front office still young enough, and the Rays still a relatively new player, that the national media has yet to establish connections within the front office?

One thing that is becoming very clear. No matter who we, as fans, think the Rays are targeting, most of the time they will get somebody we were not even thinking about. We don't know about the rest of you, but we love it.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Marc Lancaster says the Rays and Tigers have been talking since day one of the winter meetings and that at one point they were working on a three-team deal with the Mariners in which JJ Putz would have gone to Detroit. That seemed to be falling through so the Tigers and Rays decided to keep things simple and make it one-for-one. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Two writers are reporting that Milton Bradley has become the Cubs top target to play right field with Raul Ibanez possibly as a fall-back plan. The Rays will likely wait out the negotiations and hope that Bradley and the Cubs fail to reach a deal. If that happens, the Rays may be next in line for Bradley despite the acquisition of Matt Joyce. With the Rays, Bradley can spend a considerable amount of time at DH...Right now it looks as if the Rays top two targets, Bradley and Jason Giambi are both likely heading elsewhere. Would the Rays prefer Ibanez or Bobby Abreu at $8-10 million (and a first round draft pick in the case of Ibanez) over Ken Griffey at $3-4 million? [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Andrew Friedman indicated that the Rays are more likely to acquire a relief pitcher via trade, noting that the Rays need the flexibility of being able to send the acquisition to the minors. Why is this important? Because it took Troy Percival two months to decide he needed back surgery and the Rays are not sure if he will be available to open the season. [Rays Report]
• In the same report, Andrew Friedman said he would not be surprised if the Rays lose as many as three players in today's Rule 5 draft. Which reminds us. Did you guys bid farewell to Eddie Morlan yet? You only have a couple of hours left to do so. [Rays Report]
  
• Joe Maddon says he is not concerned about members of the Rays participating in the World Baseball Classic. Marc Topkin lists several players that could be chosen. [The Heater]
• Joe Maddon guesses Team USA will take Carl Crawford and a starting pitcher from the Rays roster. Of course that is only the American players. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• A recent study showed the Tampa Bay Rays were directly responsible for over $100 million in direct spending by tourists in 2008. The study also showed that more than half of the Rays' 2008 attendance (1.8 million) came from outside Piniellas County. [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
• Baseball America has the complete list of minor leaguers eligible for today's Rule 5 draft including 43 members of the Rays' organization. [Baseball America]

[Update: 11:58pm] Marc Topkin confirms.

[11:30pm] Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free-Press is now reporting that the deal reported earlier, in which the Rays would send Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matt Joyce has now been finalized.

Joyce, 24, is a left-handed hitting outfielder that hit .252/.339/.492 with 12 home runs in 92 games for the Tigers in 2008. He also hit .270/.352/.550 with 13 home runs in 56 games at triple-A.

Moving Jackson assures that Andy Sonnanstine will be in the rotation next season and clears a spot for David Price, although Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jason Hammel could also get a shot in April if Price is deemed not ready.

And with that, the Edwin Jackson era in Tampa Bay has ended. Some people like to play video games. Some people like to read books. Edwin Jackson liked to impersonate Bob Gibson for four innings and then the Hindenburg for one.

Tigers trade for Tampa Bay pitcher Edwin Jackson [Detroit Free-Press]

According to Ed Price (via MLB Trade Rumors) Edwin Jackson will be traded to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Matt Joyce.

The Detroit Tigers are set to acquire right-hander Edwin Jackson from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Matt Joyce, according to a major-league source.

Joyce, 24, is a left-handed hitting outfielder that hit .252/.339/.492 with 12 home runs in 92 games for the Tigers in 2008. He also hit .270/.352/.550 with 13 home runs in 56 games at triple-A.

Moving Jackson assures that Andy Sonnanstine will be in the rotation next season and clears a spot for David Price, although Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jason Hammel could also get a shot in April if Price is deemed not ready.

And with that, the Edwin Jackson era in Tampa Bay has ended. Some people like to play video games. Some people like to read books. Edwin Jackson liked to impersonate Bob Gibson for four innings and then the Hindenburg for one.

9:32 p.m. — Source: Tigers to aqcuire Edwin Jackson [Fox Sports]
Tigers To Acquire Edwin Jackson [MLB Trade Rumors]

Let's use this post for minor updates on previous rumors we have heard from the winter meetings and other minor tidbits. Unless something new or substantial comes along, we will continue to update this post the rest of the day.

[Update: 3:09pm] According to Ken Rosenthal the Cardinals have offered Rick Ankiel to the Mariners for closer JJ Putz. No word yet on whether the M's are considering the offer, but even if it is rejected this sheds some light on what the Cardinals are looking for in return for Ankiel.

[Update: 2:34pm] Marc Topkin chimes in on the Nelson Cruz and Jeremy Hermida rumors. Topkin says the Rays do not like Cruz enough to give up Edwin Jackson. Topkin also is skeptical about the report that the Rays "rejected" the Marlins trade proposal but adds "if the Marlins truly seek...two pitching prospects...they should have rejected it, given Hermida's thus-far unimpressive numbers."

[Update: 1:26pm] Mike Berardino is now reporting that the Marlins offered Jeremy Hermida to the Rays for two pitching prospects. The Rays rejected the offer and it appears that discussions are now dead and unlikely to be revisited. Berardino speculates that the two pitching prospects came from a list that includes Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson and Mitch Talbot...Two of those pitchers? Wow, that was ballsy.

[Update: 12:24pm] Mike Berardino of the Miami Sun-Sentinel confirms the Rays interest in Jeremy Hermida but a source is telling him that it will take more than Edwin Jackson and that Andy Sonnanstine "would interest the Marlins." Berardino says the Rays will first "exhaust several other offensive options."

[Update: 11:23am] T.R. Sullivan is reporting that the Rays have interest in Nelson Cruz. Sullivan speculates that the Rangers are not likely to do the deal for Edwin Jackson. Cruz had a breakout season in 2008, hitting .342/.429/.695 with 37 home runs in 103 triple-A games and .330/.421/.609 and 7 home runs in 31 games with the Rangers. 2008 was his 8th pro season with four different franchises. (thanks bossman)

[Update: 10:36am] The Blue Jays are apparently looking into acquiring an infielder. Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun (via MLB Trade Rumors) says Jason Bartlett is one player they have looked at...We wonder if the Rays have reached a level as contender where they would not trade within the division.

Yesterday we wondered why there were not more rumors involving the Rays and the Cardinals. Now Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the Rays are one of five teams that have shown interest in Rick Ankiel.

Ankiel is arbitration-eligible and will be a free agent following the 2009 season. He made $900K in 2008 and Sherman speculates that he will make about $3 million in 2009. Signing Ankiel to a long-term deal is considered unlikely as he is represented by Scott Boras and Boras prefers players wait until free agency.

The other four teams reportedly interested are the Yankees, Braves, Giants and one unnamed team. The Cardinals are said to be looking for starting pitching which means they will most likely demand Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine.

ANKIEL SHOWS UP ON BOMBERS' RADAR [New York Post]

Yesterday, Jayson Stark wrote that a source was saying the Rays would "never" take Delmon Young back.

Not so fast. Today Stark is saying the talks are very much alive and might involve a third team.

Stuff can change fast at the winter meetings. Contrary to what I reported Monday morning on this very blog, there were indications Monday night that Tampa Bay was still talking to the Twins about a deal that would bring outfielder Delmon Young back to the Rays.

Tampa Bay likely would deal away either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. But the trade could also involve a third team, because the Twins aren't looking to add starting pitching.

Stark speculates that the Rockies could get involved considering their interest in acquiring starting pitching and the Twins interest in Garrett Atkins.

The Rays just traded Young away (along with Jason Pridie and Brendan Harris) last season for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett (and Eddie Morlan). If we are reading this right, and we would like to think we are, this latest move would essentially make the original trade Sonnanstine or Jackson for Garza and Bartlett. Seems fair.

That sound you hear? That is Twins fans throwing up.

Jayson Stark: Rays Will Only Trade Bartlett In 'Major Deal' [Rays Index]
Rays might re-acquire Young [ESPN]

[Update: 10:05am] Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Bradley is "in intense discussions with the Cubs." That makes a little more sense.

[9:29am] As we reported yesterday, Milton Bradley had lunch with Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon. Maddon said Bradley was "very honest, open and intense. I liked all three." Madon added that the Rays have plans to meet with other outfielder/DH types.

According to Ken Rosenthal (via MLB Trade Rumors), Rangers officials believe the Rays and Royals are the leading candidates to land Bradley.

Dayton Moore of the Kansas City Star says the Royals are not involved. That might leave the Rays as the leading candidates for Bradley. In fact, we are yet to hear any other teams with serious interest. Surprising for a guy that hit .321/.436/.536 last year with an OPS+ of 163.

However, Bradley does have a history of knee problems and last year's 126 games marked only the second time in 9 seasons in which Bradley played more than 110 games. Significant playing time at DH could go a long ways to keeping Bradley on the field.

Milton Bradley Has Lunch With Andrew Friedman And Co. [Rays Index]
Rays smitten by Bradley’s ‘honesty’ [Yahoo! Sports]
9:56 p.m. — Bradley seeking new home? [Fox Sports]
Bradley To Rays Or Royals? [MLB Trade Rumors]
Royals still searching for ways to add impact free agent [Kansas City Star]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Tyler Hissey of Rays Digest will debut "The Rays Rundown", a live call-in show this morning at 11:00. [Rays Digest]
• Does anybody else find it strange that Marc Topkin will report on some rumors from the winter meetings and he "will ignore" others? How does he decide which rumors are worth reporting? Does Topkin have some special power of deduction that can tell which rumors are true and which rumors are not? Aren't all rumors from the winter meetings at least somewhat newsworthy, in that each rumor has at least some people are talking about it (usually other people like Topkin), even if some are ridiculous? Or does Topkin pass on some rumors because they come to him while he is busy watching "The Bachelor"? [The Heater]
• Yesterday we learned that the Rays might be involved in the Padres efforts to move Jake Peavy to the Cubs. Later we heard that the Padres and Cubs had figured out a way to make the deal happen without a third team. Now, Corey Brock is reporting that the particulars of the deal have been agreed upon and that there is a third team involved and possibly a fourth. Might the Rays be one of the other teams? [Hot Stove Blog]
• MLB Trade Rumors says a third team is the Orioles, but there is no word if a fourth team is confirmed to be involved, noting that attempts to get a third team involved included talks with "four to five clubs." The Padres are said to want major league-ready pitching. If the Rays were involved, it almost certainly means the Rays would send the Padres Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson or Jeff Niemann. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Buster Olney says he would "be shocked" if Rocco Baldelli does not sign with the Red Sox. [ESPN]
  
• Joe Maddon spoke highly of free agent Garret Anderson and Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wonders if Anderson might be a good fit for the Rays. [LA Times]
  
• We are surprised there are not more rumors involving the Cardinals and the Rays. The Cardinals would like to move a left-handed hitting outfielder (Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan, Colby Rasmus) and are looking for pitching. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the two teams would be a good match. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
• Mike Berardino of the Miami Sun-Sentinel shoots down the possibility of the Marlins targeting Jason Bartlett in a Jeremy Hermida deal. Berardino says that the Marlins would prefer to keep Hanley Ramirez at shortstop rather than move him to the outfield. [Miami Sun-Sentinel]
  
• Joe Maddon let it be known that he has been invited to a small dinner with President George Bush and his wife at the White House. [Rays Report]
• Joe Maddon spoke with reporters from the Winter Meetings. [MSN Video]
  
• Joe Maddon said he hoped to see Rays fans on his honeymoon in Europe. He succeeded. [Big League Stew]
• The Hudson Valley Renegades will pay tribute to Stephon Marbury next season. [Rays Prospects]
• And yes, this is the first time in the history of Rays Index in which a post referenced President George Bush and Stephon Marbury. Yes. We Love Lamp.
  

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Milton Bradley got off a plane in Las Vegas at the Winter Meetings and went straight to lunch with Rays officials.

Jon Heyman adds that the Rays may be considering several of the top right field/DH free agents including Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, and Raul Ibanez. Ibanez is the only member of that group that would cost the Rays a first round draft pick as a Type A free agent.

Heyman also mentions that Ken Griffey Jr would "love to play near his Orlando hometown."

We have said previously that with the Rays already pushing $60 million in payroll for 2009, Griffey at $3-4 million might be more realistic than the other names, even if the market pushes their salaries down. Then again, if the Rays can move salary in other areas (Edwin Jackson), that might be enough to justify adding one of the players listed above at $8-10 million for one season.

Rays Take Milton Bradley To Lunch [MLB Trade Rumors]
Griffey could be good fit for Rays [SI.com]
Griffey Could Be Good Fit For Rays [Rays Index]

[Update: 3:40pm] Now it looks like the Cubs and Padres have figured out how to move Peavy without a third team. Of course, the Rays could still try to work with the Padres on a deal for Giles, but this seems less likely now.

[9:56am]In case you missed it late last night, there is a rumor going around the winter meetings that the Rays may be getting involved in the Jake Peavy talks as a third team, with their eyes set on Brian Giles. There was talk last August that the Rays tried to land Giles but were blocked when the Red Sox put in a claim on the outfielder.

There is no mention of what the Padres would want from the Rays, but the holdup in a potential Cubs deal (for Peavy) is the lack of Cubs prospects that are close to the majors. The Padres were also looking for a major league shortstop from the Braves.

So we have to believe the Padres will be asking for something like Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays would probably rather a package include Jeff Niemann and Reid Brignac. Would Edwin Jackson get the deal done?

It seems unlikely that the Rays would be willing to part with a top pitcher for Giles (136 OPS+ in '08) if the Rays could potentially land a free agent like Bobby Abreu (120 OPS+, 3 years younger) for the same price and without having to give up any prospects. The Padres could make it more enticing by eating some of the $9 million salary [Ed. note: As per the comments, Giles' salary goes to $11 million in '09 if he is traded]. Giles is in the last year of his deal.

Of course, all this means nothing if Giles is unwilling to be traded. Giles has full veto power as a 10-and-5 player (10 year veteran, 5 years with current team) and vetoed two deals (Red Sox and A's) late last season.

Rays Rumored Third Team In Peavy Deal; Possibly Targeting Giles Again [Rays Index]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Jayson Stark says the Jeremy Hermida is exactly the type of player the Rays are looking for and wonders if a deal can be had for Jason Bartlett and either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson...Considering what else is out there, this seems like too steep a price. [ESPN]
• Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News says Rocco Baldelli's best option is to stick with the Rays...This is something we have long said. With the Rays, Rocco has a team that has been loyal when most would not and with the Rays, Rocco has a team that is very familiar with his condition and how best to utilize his talents at this point of his career. This is why the Rays will slow-play this hand, waiting out the market and Rocco. [The Sporting News]
  
• Dayn Perry says the Rays have "fewer needs to address [this offseason] than any other team in baseball." We are not sure what attendance has to do with the Rays offseason plans but Perry brings it up out of leftfield at the end of the piece noting that teams usually show an attendance spike the year after a successful playoff run. [Fox Sports]
• Marc Lancaster reports that the Andrew Friedman is getting calls from players that would not normally be interested in signing with the Rays, noting that these players want to play with the Rays and are willing to accomodate the Rays (ie. switching positions) to make it happen. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Marc Lancaster says the Rays greatest asset right now is their pitching depth and if a trade is made at the winter meetings it will probably involve a starting pitcher. [Tampa Tribune]
• Mets Fever says the Mets will have a hard time landing Edwin Jackson, noting the Metropolitans don't have outfield depth. [Mets Fever]
  
• Rays Digest takes a look at pitching prospect Nick Barnese, who was #22 on our most recent Trade Value Index. RD compares Barnese's makeup to Matt Garza and analyzes his pitch repertoire. If you are not into reading the usual rhetoric about the depth of pitching in the organization and just want to read about Barnese, skip to the 9th paragraph. [Rays Digest]
  
• MLB.com has their list of the top 50 prospects. The list is topped by David Price and includes four Rays farmhands in total. Tim Beckham (22), Wade Davis (31) and Jeremy Hellickson (39) are also on the list. [MLB]
• Rays Prospects is profiling the top hitting prospects in the organization. #13 is... [Rays Prospects]
  
• David Chalk continues to crank out his list of the top Devil Rays of all time. #18 is... [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Bud Selig and Major League Baseball make too much money and are too concerned about the image of the sport to ever put a team in Las Vegas. Still, it is a bit disheartening to hear the mayor of Las Vegas salivating over the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
• Montgomery Biscuits GM Greg Rauch is at the winter meetings in Vegas to find a radio broadcaster. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  

Andrew Friedman met with the media today prior to heading to the winter meetings in Las Vegas. Marc Topkin gives us a few of the more interesting tidbits...

* Their "two biggest focal points" of the off-season are improving their offense and strenghtening their bullpen.

Nothing new here.

* Though they'd like to add a regular rightfielder and a DH, Friedman said realistically they are only likely to acquire one "impact" player.

This goes to what we commented on this morning. The market seems to be bringing the price of more players into the range of the Rays' budget. Again, it would not surprise us if the Rays are able to land one of the bigger named players with a one year deal. These players may choose to play for one year at below what they would normally seek in a salary, with sights set on reentering the free agent market a year from now when conditions may be more favorable for a long-term deal.

This could be win-win for the Rays. They may be able to sign an impact bat without having to commit big dollars beyond the 2009 season. If the Rays are not in contention, they could trade the bat in July or they can keep the player and take the draft picks at the end of the year. So, while the Rays may not normally be looking to sign $8+ million players, this year it could come with prospects (acquired in July) or extra draft picks in 2010.

* He said they remain open to talking with their three remaining free agents - OFs Rocco Baldelli and Eric Hinske and DH Cliff Floyd, who is rehabbing a shoulder injury rather than having surgery.

This is new news on the Cliff Floyd front. Floyd originally stated that he would opt for retirement if he required surgery. A healthy Floyd can still be a masher although he would seem like a long shot for the Rays.

As for Rocco Baldelli, it appears as though the Rays are taking a "wait and see" approach, and Rocco may be their fall-back plan.

* Whereas in the past the Rays were more likely to look to the trade market rather than free agency, they are now about 50-50.

Again, the market is playing right into the hands of the Rays.

* Though all of baseball seems to be affected by the economy, he said the Rays were proceeding with their plans and are trying - thus far unsuccessfully - to be aggressive in signing players.

This is probably more of an indictment of the players. The agents and the players may still be a little shell-shocked at what is being offered, and more importantly, what is not being offered. It may be a state of denial. Or it may be a case of waiting and hoping for things to start and shake-out a bit. Either way, we expect a number of free agents to sign in the next couple of weeks as players tried to avoid the new president's tax plan by receiving their signing bonuses in 2008.

* Though the Rays appear to have an abundance of starting pitchers, they do not feel the need to make a trade, and younger pitchers such as Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann, who will be out of options and can't be sent to the minors, will get a chance to be in the bullpen.

Certainly there are options to keep some of these pitchers, but this may be posturing by Friedman, as other teams may think the Rays have to trade some of their pitching. But, by our count, there are 13 pitchers for 12 spots and the Rays say they want to add at least one more relief pitcher. Without enough chairs, somebody has to be traded before the music stops, unless...

* David Price is not guaranteed a spot in the opening day rotation which means he could open the season in the minors.

This is something we have mentioned as a possibility in the past. Keep in mind that David Price only has 20 professional starts and only 5 of those are above double-A. And if Price begins the year in triple-A, it gives the Rays time to work out who they want to keep and who they want to move.

It seems as though Edwin Jackson, Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel are competing for one spot in the bullpen. If Price starts in the minors, Jackson can stay in the rotation and give the Rays an opportunity to see if Niemann can handle a bullpen role. Of course, the Rays risk deflating the value of Jackson and Niemann. If Jackson struggles in April, people may look to his 2008 season as a fluke. If Niemann struggles in the bullpen, it could hurt his prospect status also.

Ultimately, we still see the Rays trading one or two of their starters prior to the season, but by no means are they in a position where they have to.

Rays looking for offense in Vegas [St. Pete Times]

According to Jim Street, six American League teams are among the group that has contacted free agent Ken Griffey Jr.. Based on some comments from Griffey's agent, you can be sure the Tampa Bay Rays are one of those teams.

"Kenny realizes that he probably would be a middle-ground guy when it comes to salary," he said. "He also understands that a contract could include some incentives, but I don't think he'll price himself out of a job. He's never been about being the highest paid."...Goldberg said Griffey would be receptive to a one-year contract offer from "the right team in the right place," but wouldn't be any more specific than that.

Griffey's agent says his client is healthy now after postseason season knee surgery and is ready to play a couple more years. A healthy Griffey posted 119 OPS+ with 30 home runs and a .372 OBP in 2007. Those numbers fell to 101 OPS+, 18 home runs and a .353 OBP.

This could come down to whether Griffey still wants to play the outfield on a regular basis. If he is willing to accept a role as a most-days DH, and an incentive-laden contract to play for a contender, Griffey is the type of player the Rays will target.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• We will find out this week if Troy Percival will need surgery on either his knee or his back...Also, Joe Smith is reporting that the Rays are continuing to have conversations with Rocco Baldelli. [St. Pete Times]
• Tim Bogar, the Rays Quality Assurance Coach this past season, has been hired by the Red Sox to be their first base coach. [The Heater]
  
• Rocco Baldelli won the "Tony Conigliaro Award", which is given to "a major league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage." [The Heater]
• Carl Crawford had his baseball jersey retired by his high school prior to a recent playoff game. [Houston Chronicle]
  
• Joe Maddon is one of 10 finalists for Hazelton, Pennsylvania "Person of the Year". [Standard-Speaker]
• According to Nick Cafardo, the White Sox would want more than Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson for Jermaine Dye...Huh, wha? More than Duke or Nuke for a player that is owed $11.5 million next season and a $12 million option in 2010? That should about do it for the "Jermaine Dye is a good fit for the Rays" talk. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Rounding the Bases lays out 7 reasons to trade Edwin Jackson. [Rounding the Bases]
• Rise of the Rays takes a look at some options for the Rays in right field and at DH either through trade or via free agency. [Rise of the Rays]
• Baseball Analysts previews the top 11 pitchers available in next week's Rule 5 draft, including Eddie Morlan and Chris Mason. [Baseball Analysts]
  
• The members of the Rise of the Rays community debate who will be the "key player for the Rays in 2009." [Rise of the Rays]
• Rays Prospects has an update on winter league stats for several current and former Rays prospects. [Rays Prospects]
  
• Rays Digest looks at the top hitting prospects in the organization. [Rays Digest]
  
• Baseball Talk takes a look at some of the lesser known pitching prospects in the Rays system. [Baseball Talk...]
  
• After Rhyne Hughes' solid Arizona Fall League season, Examiner.com tries to project how good the prospect can be. [Examiner.com]
• Ted Flemming offers several suggestions on what the Rays should do from the operations side of the coin, which includes broadcasting more spring training games. [Examiner.com]
• The King of Series, David Chalk's latest is counting down the 25 greatest Devil Rays...as an advent calendar. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

There has been much speculation about what the Rays will do with Edwin Jackson. Let's assume for the moment that the Rays do not trade Andy Sonnanstine and both Sonny and David Price are in the rotation at the end of Spring Training. The Rays would then have two options. Trade Jackson or more him to the bullpen.

If Jackson is moved to the bullpen, one factor that has been ignored so far is cost. Jackson is arbitration-eligible for the first time. Taking a look at starting pitchers that were arbitration-eligible for the first time last season, Jackson will make $2.5-3 million in 2009 if he goes to arbitration or signs a one-year contract. Jackson is coming off a season in which he was 14-11 with a 101 ERA+. Last year, Dave Bush was coming off a season in which he went 12-10 with a 88 ERA+. Bush signed a one-year deal for $2.55 million. Joe Blanton, signed a one-year deal for $3.7 million after going 14-10 with a 106 ERA+. However, Blanton had a stronger resume prior to arbitration-eligibility than Jackson. Daniel Cabrera, signed a one-year deal for $2.875 million after going 9-18 with an 83 ERA+.

On the contrary, relief pitchers in their first year of arbitration-eligibility signed one-year deals for $0.8-1.2 million in most cases. Aaron Heilman, who was coming off a strong 2007 season (140 ERA+, 1.070 WHIP), and pitches in a role comparable to what Jackson would be for the Rays, signed a one-year deal for $1.2 million.

Therefore, if Jackson is moved to the bullpen, the Rays will pay have to pay him 2-3 times the salary of a comparable fourth-year relief pitcher, without even knowing if Jackson will be effective out of the bullpen.

So the question that needs to be asked is: Are the Rays willing to pay $2.5-3 million for Jackson to be a middle reliever, with the hopes that he could someday become an effective closer, or would they prefer a player in that slot that makes $0.5-1 million with little or no upside, but may be more effective than Jackson in 2009?

Online Surveys & Market Research

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Posts over the next few days will be limited. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.
• An interesting take on how the Rays' 10 years of sucktitude, followed by sudden success mirrored a similar run by the Democratic Party. [The League of Nations]
• Here is a roundup of some of the top talent available in the Rule 5 draft, a list that includes two Rays. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• David Chalk just keeps churning out the "Your Sportsmen Ain't S#!t" posts. [Bugs and Cranks]
• The Examiner takes a look at catching prospect Matt Spring. [The Examiner]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Despite earlier reports that Trever Miller had signed with the Cardinals, the deal is not yet finalized but is expected to get done eventually. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at some of the better players left available for the Rule 5 draft including Eddie Morlan. [U.S.S. Mariner]
  
• Bleeding Blue and Teal looks at Eddie Morlan as one player the Mariners may target in the Rule 5 draft. [Bleeding Blue and Teal]
  
• John Harper of the New York Daily News wonders if the Mets might have to offer Ryan Church and a prospect in order to acquire Edwin Jackson. [Daily News]
  
• Bay News 9 is reporting that Albert Whitted Airport is once again being considered as a location for the Rays proposed stadium. However, as the article points out, there are still a number of obstacles that would need to be addressed. [Bay News 9]
• Evan Longoria was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team. [MLB]
• Rays Prospects have the winter league stats for Rays prospects, updated through last Thursday. [Rays Prospects]
• Tyler's Articles interviewed Jonah Keri from Baseball Between the Numbers about the Rays off-season plans. [Tyler's Articles]
• Rays Prospects takes a look at some of the Rays top hitting prospects. [Rays Prospects]
  
• Tom Jones has a Q&A with Joe Magrane who is leaving the Rays TV booth for a position with the new MLB network. [St. Pete Times]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks is back with their latest "Your Sportsmen Ain't S#!t" compared to Joe Maddon. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Really? [MLB Shop]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks takes exception to who Brian Knobbs has chosen to hang out with during the off-season. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Not sure this needed to be clarified but Andrew Friedman made it clear yesterday that David Price will be a starting pitcher in 2009 and is not a candidate to be a closer. [MLB]
  
• Rays Prospects takes another look at how starting pitchers throughout the organization pitched in 2008. This time we see that Andy Sonnanstine and James Shields both pitched within the range of major league #1 starters, while Edwin Jackson was no better than an average #5...We've mentioned this before. Sonny was clearly the better pitcher in 2008 (it wasn't even close). But the question for the Rays and for other teams looking to trade for a starting pitcher is: How good will Jackson be moving forward? Sonny is probably as good as he is going to get. And as we can see, that is pretty darned good. Jackson still has plenty of room for improvement and could be better than Sonny down the road, but will he be? [Rays Prospects]
• Her Rays is back with another installment of "Rays as Leading Men" in chick flicks. This time it is "Sweet Home Alabama" with Jason Bartlett and Rocco Baldelli...Ahhh, wasn't Bryant so adorable. But we think Jessica got the wrong character for Rocco, considering Rocco and Ethan Embry were "seperated at birth." [Her Rays]
  
• Here is Marc Lancaster's ballot for AL MVP. [Rays Report]
  
• Here is the first 2009 MLB Mock Draft we have seen. With the 30th pick, MyMLBDraft.com projects the Rays to take Josh Phegley, a catcher from Indiana. Who? Exactly. [MyMLBDraft]
• Rise of the Rays takes a closer look at the change in ticket prices for 2009. [Rise of the Rays]
  

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• We mentioned last week that David Price was one of the four nominees for ESPN the Magazine's "Next" honor. Now you can vote for the winner of the top honor and the cover of the annual "Next" issue. [ESPN]
• John Romano reflects on Evan Longoria's Rookie of the Year season and ponders what is yet to come. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Minor League Ball has their first list of the Rays' top 20 prospects...Once we get a couple more of these we will start our 2009 Meta-Analysis of Rays Prospects. [Minor League Ball]
• 9=8 takes a look at some options for the Rays in right field for 2009. [9=8]
  
• We can now scratch Matt Holliday off of our 2009 wishlist. He has been traded to the A's. [SI.com]
• Would you trade Jeff Niemann and either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson for Ryan Ludwick or Rick Ankiel? Ludwick seems like the obvious choice as a right-handed bat, but even though he is only arbitration-eligible this year for the first time, he will be 29 next season. [Baseball America]
  
• Sean McAdam previews the Rays' offseason for ESPN. [ESPN]
  

This morning we linked to a story in which we learned that Jim Hickey has ordered the pitching staff to not even touch a baseball until January. Buster Olney references a number of recent teams that made deep October playoff runs and then suffered from a breakdown of the pitching staff the following year. The main concern is a sudden and drastic increase in innings pitched from one season to the next, especially on the arms of young pitchers.

Hickey and Joe Maddon have always been cautious with their pitchers so we decided to take a closer look at how much stress was put on the Rays' arms this year due to the extra games in October...

A few notes on the above table...

• The above table only includes pitchers that were significant contributors to the 2008 Rays and figure to be a part of the 2009 roster. All totals include any innings thrown while in the minor leagues or college.
  
• The above group increased their total innings pitched by 2.6% from 2007. If JP Howell is removed from the table (used as starting pitcher in '07), the increase jumps to 8.2%
• "Stress" is a statistical look at how much stress is put on the arm of a pitcher. The stress is based on the number of pitches thrown during a season after a pitcher has reached 110 pitches in a start. For example, if James Shields throws 115 pitches in a start, 5 pitches are considered stressful. Here is a list of the pitchers with the highest Stress levels in 2008. Nine pitchers had a stress level above 20 during the regular season, and Tim Lincecum led baseball with a 49 Stress level (what the hell the Giants are thinking is beyond us).
  
• Only Matt Garza saw an increase in Stress as a result of the postseason. Garza's Stress increased from 7 to 15 after postseason starts with 116 and 118 pitches. Scott Kazmir was the only other pitcher with a start in the postseason with greater than 110 pitches (111).
  

As can be seen in the table, the pitcher that should cause the biggest concern for 2009 is Matt Garza with James Shields and Edwin Jackson to a lesser extent. We are not sure how to judge Grant Balfour's sharp increase as a relief pitcher, but it should not be ignored.

Garza's Stress level, especially in the postseason, is worrisome. However, he does have a history of high inning totals. In 2005 and 2006, Garza posted innings pitched of 184 and 185.2 respectively. His 213.1 innings this season marks only a 14.9% increase over his previous career high. Shields had the exact same number of innings pitched in the regular season as he did in 2007, so his increase is due completely to the postseason.

As can be seen in the table, a starting pitcher's Stress shows a strong correlation to the number of starts with at least 110 pitches. We looked back at each of the starting pitcher's Stress from 2007. As we can see, Garza's Stress jumped considerably in 2008, from 2 to 15. At the other end of the spectrum, Kazmir's stress was much higher in 2007. That could explain the struggles that Kazmir experienced most of the season and could lead to a rebound in 2009.

Shields and Andy Sonnanstine were able to post relatively low Stress totals despite an increase in innings pitched. This bodes well for both pitchers moving forward.

The final factor to consider, that is difficult to measure, is the stress of pitching in the postseason. Scott Kazmir (520), Shields (412) and Garza (431) each added at least 400 pitches to their arm in the postseason. Sonnanstine threw an additional 261 pitches. It could be argued that a pitch in the postseason is more taxing on the arm than a pitch during the regular season. In addition to the stress of the postseason, there is also the factor that arms are tired after pitching for 7 months (including spring training). But how much more stressful is an October pitch? Certainly this varies from pitcher to pitcher, but is something that cannot be ignored.

Ultimately, we have to trust that Hickey and Maddon will take all the extra cautions needed this offseason as the pitchers get ready for 2009. But in the end, there are some serious concerns about how effective Garza and Balfour, as well as some of the other pitchers, will be in the coming season.

Rays pitchers told to take it easy this offseason [ESPN]

Online Surveys & Market Research

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• The AL Rookie of the Year Award will be announced today.
  
• Rocco Baldelli spoke to the Providence Journal about this past season (probably the worst year of my entire life, and it ended up being one of the best years), and about his future. Rocco says he would be "just fine" playing in Boston but that he doesn't have feelings for or against the idea. He also mentions that he could probably play 100 games in 2009 if he were a DH. [Providence Journal]
  
• Contrary to one Rays website, Ken Rosenthal says the Mets are interested in Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine, but the Rays have yet to begin serious trade talks about either pitcher. Rosenthal also says that the Mets are just one of "many" clubs interested in obtaining one of the starting pitchers. [Fox Sports]
• Her Rays is not crazy about any of the trades that are being rumored to date, and compares Nick Swisher to a trifle mixed with Shepherd's Pie. [Her Rays]
  
• Mets Today speculates on what it could take to land Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine. [Mets Today]
• Buster Olney says that Jim Hickey wants the pitching staff to do nothing but rest for at least the next six weeks. Hickey does not want any of them to even touch a baseball until at least January. Olney provides several examples of pitching staffs that broke down the year after a postseason that went deep into October. Hickey is already planning on the pitchers making fewer appearances in spring training, which could lead to more pitchers in camp. [ESPN]
• Joe Maddon was the 5th worst manager in baseball when it came to utilizing the intentional walk. Out of the 29 free passes issued by Rays pitchers in 2008, 8 times the opposing team would go on to score at least 2 runs in that inning. [Joe Posnanski]
• Baseball Musings has their "Probabilistic Model of Range" for center fielders and BJ Upton comes in third in all baseball. [Baseball Musings]
• Rounding the Bases compares Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine to see which is the better pitcher for the Mets. [Rounding the Bases]
  
• The Whiz Kid's Baseball Wisdom speculates on whether the Rays will trade Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine. [The Whiz Kid's Baseball Wisdom]
• Due to some confusion, David Price did not get to perform the coin toss prior to the Florida-Vanderbilt game, which apparently was a good thing. Price said he was more nervous about the coin toss than pitching in the World Series. [St. Pete Times]
• Rays Prospects has the list of the top OPS performances from 2008 in the organization. [Rays Prospects]
  

Joe Resnick talked to Joe Maddon at the GM meetings about his upcoming honeymoon and about the Rays offseason plans. Joe Resnick didn't do his homework.

A couple of the idiotic things written by Resnick:

1. "The Rays’ top priorities are to settle their bullpen, find a regular right fielder and add a starting pitcher."...A starting pitcher? The Rays have at least 8 guys in the organization that could be a major league starting pitcher in 2009. We are not saying the Rays won't add one from outside the organization, but it is not one of their top priorities.
   
2. "Maddon is hopeful of keeping his young core of talent together, but he knows it will be difficult holding onto Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton in a few years when they become eligible for free agency." Evan Longoria? Will somebody please inform Mr. Resnick that Longoria is signed through 2016.
   

Tomorrow, look for the column in which Resnick tells us how John McCain can win the election.

Just when we were starting to hope that a trip to the World Series would end this type of nonsense, Joe Resnick goes and totally redeems our lack of faith in baseball writers.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• In case you missed it yesterday, we updated our 25-man and 40-man roster projections for 2009. Those can be found in the sidebar.
• Outs Per Swing takes a look at the Rays "wants and needs" for the offseason. Part 2 focuses on the pitching staff...We are warming to the idea of seeing if Jeff Niemann can be a future closer. [Outs Per Swing]
• Peter Abraham ran into Joe Maddon at the GM meetings in California. Maddon stated that the team will address right field and the bullpen but "aren't planning much beyond that." Maddon reiterated that David Price will be a starting pitcher and that nobody knows how much Rocco Baldelli can be expected to contribute "down the road". Abraham also noted that Maddon still has his Rayhawk but is planning on trimming it prior to his wedding on Saturday. [The LoHud Yankees Blog]
• Did MLB make a rule that says the Mets are only allowed to go after one pitcher this winter? Just because Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez are the Mets priorities doesn't mean they can't also have their eyes on other pitchers. [Drays Bay]
• Metsmerized likes the idea of trading Aaron Heilman "and another player" to the Rays for Edwin Jackson. They even wonder if the "other player" could be somebody to help the Rays land Matt Holliday. [Metsmerized]
• Dan O'Dowd (Rockies GM) now says that the Rockies don't necessarily have to receive pitching in return for Matt Holliday. Troy Renck of the Denver Post brings up the Rays and suggests Edwin Jackson and Carl Crawford. This is intriguing in that Crawford will make $8.25 million in '09 and $18.25 million over the next 2 seasons, and Jackson is arbitration-eligible and will command $1.5-2 million. Adding Holliday's $13.5 million does not seem like such a stretch if those two players are taken off the payroll, and the Rays can hold on to all of their top pitching prospects. [Denver Post]
• Purple Row wonders if the Rockies should be interested in Carl Crawford as part of a package to send Matt Holliday to the Rays. [Purple Row]
• Several teams have apparently approached Andrew Friedman at the GM meetings about BJ Upton...This is wishful thinking on their part. Upton isn't even arbitration-eligible until after the '09 season. Maybe the Rays start to consider a move then, but not now while the Rays have one of the top talents in the game playing for about $500K. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• David Price will perform the coin-toss prior to this weekend's Vanderbilt-Florida game. [Nashville City Paper]
  
• As a result of the election, free agents may be in a hurry to sign prior to January 1, or else have their signing bonuses taxed at a higher rate. [Big League Stew]
  
• We laugh because it is funny, we laugh because it is true (at least for a few of the Red Sox fans that were trolling this site during the ALCS). [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
• Examiner.com takes a look at the Rays roster and potential off-season changes...They lost us when discussing arbitration-eligible players. For some reason they list Grant Balfour as a "maybe" while predicting which arbitration-eligible players will return to the Rays next season. [Examiner]