The Rays claimed Dewon Day off of waivers from the Red Sox. Day, 28, is a right-handed pitcher that split time between double-A and triple-A in the White Sox organization in 2008. He posted an ERA of 4.56 at triple-A despite 25 strike outs and only 6 walks in 23.2 innings.

Day was added to the 40-man roster, taking the last available spot. He does have minor league options remaining.

Rays claim Day from Red Sox [Rays Report]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Grant Balfour's nickname is catching on Down Under. [The Australian]

"Yeah, 'The Mad Australian'. They call me that [in the U.S.] because I get pretty fired up sometimes," Balfour admits. "It's pretty full-on and intense during the season and I am just out there competing as hard as I can every pitch."

• Former New York Times columnist Murray Chass says there is good reason to group JC Romero with members of the Black Sox scandal. [Murray Chass...On Baseball]
  
• Not sure how much of this is the new Spring Training home and how much is due to the Rays successful 2008 season, but tickets for Rays Spring Training games are selling fast. [Herald-Tribune]
  
• Rocco Baldelli reflects on what it means to him to move from the Rays to the Red Sox. [Tampa Tribune]

"I think it's beginning to sink in," he said. "In a way, it's sad because, obviously I'm from Rhode Island, but I also consider St. Pete my home. One way or another, the last nine years of my life have been spent mostly down there. I have a lot of good friends there, a lot of people who I'm going to miss. It's a great place. I loved my time there and I'll cherish it always."

• In her own special way, Her Rays went through all the stages of depression after Rocco Baldelli signed with the Rays. She was even willing to give the Red Sox John Gruden if they would have let the Rays keep Rocco...That doesn't seem very fair for the people of New England. [Her Rays]
  
• The other major leaguer from Rhode Island, Dan Wheeler, was named the New England Player of the Year. [Providence Journal]
• Marc Lancaster says the Rays will likely head into 2009 with a platoon in right field with Matt Joyce in the minor leagues...It just seems to us, that as long as Gabe Gross is on the team, Joyce will start the year in triple-A. It just doesn't make sense to have both players on the 25-man roster. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays are working with Tampa Bay Watch to help restore salt marsh habitats. [TBN Weekly]
  
• USA Baseball has released a list of 22 players that have expressed an interest in playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. That list does not include any Rays. [Rays Report]
  
• Rays Prospects has the final stat lines for prospects in the various winter leagues. [Rays Prospects]
• How rough is it for corner outfielders and DHs this year? It looks like Eric Hinske's only substantial offer at this point is from Japan. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  

Online Surveys & Market Research

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Another day, another feature piece on the Rays in the New York Times. This time they take a look at the staying power of the team in the AL East, noting that core of the team could be unchanged in 2009 and beyond. However, Gerry Hunsicker reiterated that due to financial limitations, the team is always "trying to trade people a year too soon than a year too late.". The piece also speculates that Scott Kazmir could be traded along with one or more of the arbitration-eligible players (Edwin Jackson?)...In the piece it is indicated that the Rays likely turned a profit for the first time under Stuart Sternberg thanks to reaching the World Series. [New York Times]
• Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the Rays have "started - and are winning - a war for supremacy with the Red Sox" in the AL East and that the rivalry between the Sox and Yankees has been put on ice for now. Silverman says the Rays are good for baseball and refreshing for the Red Sox. [Boston Herald]
  
• Eric Hinske gets to face Brad Lidge again. They are in a Fantasy Football league together. Seriously. [Fanhouse]
  
• There is a rally tentatively scheduled for 4:30pm on Friday at Straub Park in St. Pete. [MLB]
  
• We wish we could have muted Tim McCarver and Joe Buck and instead listened to Sully's wife. She had more insight...Speaking of which, did any of you watching on TV know that Jason Bartlett ran through a stop sign in the 7th inning? Us neither. We listened to Dave Wills call during the Rays' radio broadcast and indicates that Bartlett indeed ran through a stop sign. Of course we never saw replay from FOX TV and McCarver and Buck never even bring the issue up. [Sully Baseball]
  
• Jerry Crasnick of ESPN takes a look at what the World Series means for the Rays moving forward and how this is a team that could be better next year. [ESPN]
• Jon Heyman says there was no disappointment, anger or bitterness in the Rays locker room following their game 5 loss...There is a part of us that wished the Rays had taken the World Series loss a little tougher. But then again, this is what has been great about the Rays all season. They are able to get over losses very quickly and move forward. [SI.com]
  
• Jordi over at The Serious Tip opens up about what the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays meant to him. [The Serious Tip]
• Will never happen. NEV-er. [Chicago Tribune]
  
• A Joe Maddon pumpkin? Wow. That's all we got. Wow. [The Heater]
• Mike Wlodarczyk is blogging from the Arizona Fall League. [Rays Prospects]
  

Click on above images to be taken to full standings, box scores or schedule...

Online Surveys & Market Research

Just the links for now...the "Pepper" post for games 1 and 2 will be up in a little bit.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Ben Zobrist will get the start in RF tonight over Gabe Gross. [The Heater]
  
• Marc Topkin is reporting that the Rays' roster is official and it is the same as the ALCS. No Eric Hinske and no Shawn Riggans. [The Heater]
• The World Series preview is up at Deadspin. [Deadspin]
  
• "If you care about sports, you will root for the Rays when the World Series opens tonight". Dan Shanoff goes on to list a number of reasons why all fans outside of Philadelphia should be firmly behind the Rays. [The Sporting Blog]
• Wag Rankings breaks down the players' wives. (thanks Kevin) [Wag Rankings]
  
• Jayson Stark and Jim Caple debate who will win the World Series. Caple says Rays will sweep. [ESPN]
• Hugging Harold Reynolds peruses Craigslist looking at the ticket market for the World Series. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
  
• Tyler Hissey interviews a Phillies writer about the team. [Scout.com]
  
• The Blue Workhorse has "23 Reasons to Root for the Rays". [The Blue Workhorse]
  
• Here is a breakdown of the World Series, position-by-position...We are not sure where they got Dioner Navarro's statline. Not even close. [SI.com]
• A new take on the old "Rays are bad for baseball" shtick. Rumors and Rants feels that the Rays are proving that equality in baseball is not necessary. [Rumors and Rants]
  
• The Phillies have lost a World Series to every team in the AL East, except the Rays. [The Big Lead]
• A World Series preview from Rays Digest. [Rays Digest]
  
• Jonny Gomes says the brawl with the Yankees in Spring Training set the tone for the season. [New York Daily News]
• Howard Bryant wonders if the Rays will be able to maintain the success if they win the World Series or if they will go the way of the Marlins after each of their titles. [ESPN]
• Philly Burbs breaks down each team's "intangibles". (thanks Chris) [Philly Burbs]
• A look at where several of the players on the field tonight were the last time the Phillies won the World Series. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
  
• Stu Sternberg also runs a softball team in Rye, NY. [New York Times]
• A roundtable at Fanhouse discusses the World Series. They (mostly) like the Rays. [Fanhouse]
  
• The Hardball Times has a scouting report on Scott Kazmir. [The Hardball Times]
  

We wanna be sedated...

Lots o' Linkety Goodness, so let's get right to it.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• "Rays Index binging on caffeine" is back. This time we were asked by Deadspin "What the World Series means to us." [Deadspin]
  
• Game will mark the first time this season that the Phillies played a game on artificial turf. [Beerleaguer]
• Marc Topkin is reporting that the Rays will go with the same 25-man roster used in the ALCS. There is some speculation that Shawn Riggans and/or Eric Hinske could be added to the roster. Topkin says neither is likely. Also, as expected, Scott Kazmir will be the game 1 starter. [The Heater]
  
• Evan Longoria was named the AL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. [The Heater]
  
• Tim Welke will be the crew chief during the World Series. [MLB]
  
• An in depth statistical look at the World Series by Baseball Prospectus gives the edge to the Rays. (thanks Scot) [Baseball Prospectus]
  

For all of the detail above, I keep coming back to one point: the Rays are a much better baseball team than the Phillies are. The gap between the leagues is real, and when you adjust for it and other factors—as third-order wins do—you find that the Rays were actually ten games better than the Phillies this season. They’ve also beaten better teams to get to the Series. Compare the rosters, and while the Phillies have their share of frontline talent, perhaps even more than the Rays have, the Rays have almost no dead spots on the roster, and are much stronger towards the bottom of the lineup, the back of the rotation, the bullpen, and the bench...Three of the last four World Series have been AL sweeps. The presence of Hamels makes that result unlikely, but even he won’t be enough. Rays in six.

• A solid piece on ESPN.com looking at how the Rays were built for success. [ESPN]
  
• The Phillies are putting all their hopes on rubber duckies...OK, may be not all. [The Fightins]
• David Chalk makes a guest appearance at Walkoff Walk and in his usual unbiased manor, predicts a Rays win. [Walkoff Walk]
  
• Some tales of "wretchedness" from the Rays fanbase. [Deadspin]
  
• Big League Stew has a cool video of fans at Raymond James Stadium gathered around TVs watching the final inning of the ALCS game 7. [Big League Stew]
  
• A Rockies fan will be rooting for the Rays for selfish reasons...The odd thing is we used the exact same logic last season when we were rooting for the Rockies. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Yet another Red Sox blogger throws their support behind the Phillies...We wouldn't want it any other way. [Sully Baseball]
• In a classic example of "Like Team, Like Fan", one fan tries to run onto the field at Fenway and fails miserably (video). [Home Run Derby]
• Big League Stew ranks the Mohawks found in the Rays' clubhouse. [Big League Stew]
• Home Run Derby breaks down the Rays and Phillies cheer squads. [Home Run Derby]
• 31.5 reasons to watch the World Series...Our favorite is #31.5. [ESPN]
  

THE TELLING: There was a lot of discussion as to whether Eric Hinske or Fernando Perez would be left off the roster in the ALCS. We are not sure why it was even a question. Joe Maddon needs Perez on the roster. When Jon Lester starts for the Red Sox, Rocco Baldelli is the Rays right fielder, if he is ready to play the field. If Rocco can't go, it will be Perez in right field...We would never want Joe Maddon's responsibility to tell Troy Percival he is not on the ALCS roster. But could you imagine how much worse it would have been if the opponent was Percy's former ballclub, the Angels?

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Edwin Jackson has been added to the ALCS roster as the 11th pitcher. To make room, Eric Hinske was removed. This leaves Fernando Perez on the roster. [The Heater]
• Sweet. Fancy. Moses. Her Rays asked for it and now a Spa in the Bay Area is delivering. Rayhawks for women. Be sure to catch the end of the video. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Joe Maddon addressed the media. Among the questions was when Maddon thought the Rays turned the corner this season. He pointed to the Blue Jays series after the all-star break after the Rays had lost 7 in a row and everybody was predicting an end to that "nice story". [MLB]
• Here is a transcript of James Shields meeting with the media. [MLB]
  
• This may be satire, but at least one member of the Red Sox Nation remembers that the Sox sucked for 86 years and that winning the World Series is not a birthright. [Over The Monster]
• Several people suggested this for the ALDS. The Rays will have 11 original season-ticket holders throw out the first pitch for game 1 of the ALCS. Dick Vitale will do the honors in game 2...There is a nice symmetry to the number 11. It is the number of wins needed to win the World Series. [Rays Report]
• If the Rays win the ALCS, the Red Sox writer at Bugs and Cranks will have to cut his hair into a Rayhawk...Game On! [Bugs and Cranks]
• One computer simulation says the Red Sox have a slight edge in the series, winning 53% of 10,000 simulations. [Fire Brand of the American League]
  

[Update: 9:58pm] And the Rays opponent in the ALDS will be the Chicago White Sox after their 1-0 victory over the Twins. This season the Rays were 6-4 against the Sox, going 4-3 in two series at the Trop back in April and May and taking 2 of 3 in Chicago at the end of August.

[Update: 9:05pm] Scoreless through 5 and a half. We are so confused every time they go back to the studio and Ernie Johnson is sitting there. We are expecting Charles Barkley to be there and tell us how ridiculous Nick Blackburn's pitch selection is.

[Update: 8:49pm] Momentum turning play? With 1 out and a man on third, Michael Cuddyer tried tagging on a very shallow flyball to center. The ball was shallow enough even for Ken Griffey Jr who fired a 1-hopper to home to get Cuddyer at the plate and end the inning.

[Update: 8:01pm] They are underway in Chicago, scoreless in the second inning. Anybody else rooting for the White Sox to win in 17 innings, using all their relievers and a couple of starters?

[Update: 5:51pm] Jonny Gomes is telling the media he is not on the ALDS roster, but will travel with the team. We believe teams can add a player to the roster during a series if an injury occurs.

[Update: 4:35pm] Joe Maddon just announced that James Shields will be the game 1 starter and Scott Kazmir will go in game 2. Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine will follow in games 3 and 4, respectively. Edwin Jackson is telling reporters that he is not on the postseason roster for the first round.

[4:30pm] We now know Carl Crawford will be on the postseason roster. That means the final roster spot could come down to Eric Hinske or Fernando Perez, unless Joe Maddon decides to use only six pitchers in the bullpen. That is not likely if Troy Percival is also on the roster. If Percy is on, we are guessing Hinske and Edwin Jackson are off. Check back throughout the evening as we will post roster updates here as well as updates on the Twins-White Sox 1-game playoff.

Online Surveys & Market Research

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Joe Maddon told the press today that Carl Crawford will be on the postseason roster and will start game 1 in left field. However, he will likely bat lower in the lineup. [Rays Report]
  
• Carl Crawford went 2-3 in this morning's instructional league game, hitting a triple off the wall his first time up and adding a single later. He also struck out looking and was caught stealing. [The Heater]
• In case you missed it earlier, Modern West, Kevin Costner's band, have recorded a song for the Rays' postseason...And it is as bad as you can imagine. [Rays Index]
  
• Outs Per Swing is back with another list of pitching performances. This time it is the "Bottom 10"...It is good thing the Rays won the division. Had the Rays missed the division title or even the playoffs by 1 or 2 games, this list would have caused us to repeatedly pound our head on the desk, all while mumbling the name "Edwin Jackson". [Outs Per Swing]
  
• The Dodgers "Ain't S#!t" compared to the Rays. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• The books in Vegas stand to lose a lot of money if the Rays win the World Series and even if they just win the AL. [Vegas Watch]
• The Rays first round playoff series will be umpired by a crew led by Joe West. [Rays Report]
  

Oakland 2, Tampa Bay Rays 1. (Sorry. The standings/schedule widget called in sick today. Should be back tomorrow)

THE GOOD: Scott Kazmir. We really don't want to put Kaz here, but we are trying to find something positive from last night. Anything. And Kid K has been so bad, that last night actually seemed pretty good. But SWEET FANCY MOSES! How in the H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS does a "good" starting pitcher last only 5 innings when he only gave up 2 hits and 2 walks? He actually had three 1-2-3 innings, allowing only 5 baserunners, and yet he still needed 97 pitches. That doesn't even make sense.

THE BAD: That was as pathetic a loss as we have seen all year. Did the Rays play a throwback game without telling anybody? Give those guys some green unis and we'd swear that was the '02 Devil Rays. The Rays absolutely looked and played like a little league team last night. Exhibit A: Top of the 5th, the Rays have runners on first and second with no outs, down 2-1. Ben Zobrist makes the first out on what we assume was a safety squeeze. It was difficult to tell for sure. If it was a suicide squeeze, he took off too late. If it was a safety squeeze he took off too soon. If it was neither, Akinori Iwamura is an idiot. With Jason Bartlett now on second base, he was picked off for the second out. Mercilessly killing the rally. Exhibit B: Top of the 8th, 1 out, Willy Aybar on first base. Eric Hinske hits a lazy flyball to left field. Not good, but not terrible. Ahhh, but Aybar, who is now apparently so paranoid about not running hard, took off sprinting, rounding second and on his way to third. He was easily doubled-up, forgetting the number of outs. Exhibit C: The Rays were 2-11 with runners in scoring position, with 3 Ks.

THE TELLING: Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds. Now that Carl Crawford will likely miss the rest of the regular season, we are more luke-warm to the idea of Bonds playing for the Rays, but we still put the chances of actually happening somewhere south of 1%. The other name making the circles now is Sheffield, who was placed on waivers by the Tigers. It would be very unlikely for the Rays to put in a claim on Sheffield, even if they would like to work out a trade. The risk for the Rays is for the Tigers to not pull Sheffield back from waivers. There is a good chance the Tigers would just let the Rays take Sheffield and his '09 salary of $14MM without asking for anything in return. If we were still in July, the Rays could work a trade in which the Tigers pay a good chunk of that salary....The Red Sox traded for veteran Paul Byrd, adding to an already deep pitching staff...

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Carl Crawford has elected to have surgery on his finger and will be sidelined 6-8 weeks. There are 6.5 weeks remaining in the regular season. Andrew Friedman said if everything went well, he could play again in the regular season...It sounds like there is a good chance CC would be available should the Rays make the playoffs. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• The Rays are now hoping that Jason Bartlett, one of the weakest hitting DH's in baseball history, will be able to play SS this Friday. The Rays are also hoping that Evan Longoria, who did not have a broken wrist, but actually did, will be back in the lineup on Sept 1. [MLB]

When asked if Sept. 1 seemed like a reasonable projection for Longoria's return, Friedman answered: "Yeah, that seems reasonable. We'll re-X-ray it and go through that process again. I think it's very reasonable as we're sitting here today. But as everybody knows, bones heal at different paces, and it's too hard to say definitively at this point."

• Joe Maddon plans to use Justin Ruggiano (LF) and Rocco Baldelli (RF) against lefties while Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross will play against righties. Papa Joe also said Willy Aybar will be at 3B most days, but we can also expect to see Ben Zobrist and/or Eric Hinske at the hot corner. [St. Pete Times]
• Cliff Floyd says the biggest concern with all the injuries is the danger of the rest of the players trying to do too much. [Tampa Tribune]

"I just hope we don't all try to jump on that ship and go, 'It's me - let me be the man to take over,'" said Floyd. "No. Let's just stay within ourselves like we are and just keep it chill on the field...We all know how important those guys were. I mean, hell, you ain't going to replace them, no matter who you bring up or who you get, unless you go out and get one of the best players of the game. And you're still not replacing them because those guys are part of this team."

• Andy Sonnanstine, who grew a beard in support of Rocco Baldelli, is now clean-shaven, as is Rocco, now that Rocco has finally returned to the roster...While Rocco's "Lumberjack" look will be missed, The Duke's fuzz will not. [Bradenton Herald]
• Marc Lancaster agrees that Gary Sheffield does not seem like a good fit for the Rays. [Rays Report]
  

THE GOOD: Rally Time. The Rays are now 3-0 in games in which Troy Percival blew a save and are 27-0 in games in which he has appeared.

THE BAD: The offense for the first 6 innings. Prior to the 7th inning, the Rays only hit was an infield single by Evan Longoria in which he beat out a routine ground ball to third. Prior to BJ Upton's grond-rule double to lead off the 7th, Fernando Galarraga had retired 14 in a row...

THE TELLING: After Jason Bartlett was removed from the game and Shawn Riggans was used as a pinch-hitter and was the Rays' last player off the bench, meaning he would have stayed in the game had Rays not won the game in the bottom of the 10th. The question then becomes: What would the defense have looked like had the Rays taken the field in the top of the 11th (We were on the Detroit feed, so not sure if Dwayne and Joe discussed this) [Ed. note: See second bullet below]? Our guess is Riggans would have been in right field, with Willy Aybar coming in to play third and Evan Longoria shifting over to play short. Riggans has never played a position other than catcher in his major or minor league career...The Rays are 16-1 at the Trop this season when the crowd is more than 30,000. Bodes well for any potential playoff hopes.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Jason Bartlett will need a couple of days off after taking a pitch off the index finger of his throwing hand, but there is no break and he will not need a trip to the DL. This likely means that Evan Longoria will be the starting shortstop for the next few days, unless the Rays recall Ben Zobrist and demote Jonny Gomes...Also, Shawn Riggans has a significant bruise on his chest, but is otherwise OK, after taking a 97mph fastball to the middle of his chest. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Marc Topkin says that Shawn Riggans would have come out of the game, with Jonny Gomes moving from DH to right field had the Rays needed to play the 11th inning. That would have elimnated the DH spot forcing the pitcher to bat in Riggans' spot (#9). Therefore, whoever pitched the top of the 11th, would have been the 4th batter in the bottom of the 11th. We are not sure if this is Topkin's speculation or if this came from Joe Maddon, but we are not sure that scenario is better than Riggans playing right field. How much worse than Gomes could he be? [The Heater]
• Rocco Baldelli is back with the Rays and is set to meet with Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman today to discuss the next step in his return...That next step is likely to be activation from the DL, and we are hearing that could be as soon as today. Of course that could be altered if the Rays need to recall Ben Zobrist and demote Jonny Gomes. [MLB]
• If and when Rocco Baldelli returns, the Rays are asking that he not give 100% all the time. [St. Pete Times]
• Brant James does a Q&A with Rocco Baldelli. The biggest revelation is that Rocco does not sound optimistic that he will ever be able to be an everyday player again. [The Heater]
  

"It's a weird thing to say to an athlete. Rocco would sprint after balls 110 percent, no matter what the scoreboard (said)," Friedman said. "That's how he played the game, or plays the game. We're trying to get him to pick situations and understand situations on the scoreboard, different things to conserve his bullets, for lack of a better word."

• Trever Miller got the win, ending his record streak of 121 straight apearances without a decision. [Bradenton Herald]
• In Ted Flemming's blog, he ponders Eric Hinske and Dioner Navarro for Comeback Player of the Year...Hinske, sure. But Navi? Not sure where he came back from. [Speaking of Sports]
  
• The Rays are up to 3rd in the latest Chicago Tribune power rankings, behind only the Angels and the Cubs (of course). [Chicago Tribune]
  

Yesterday we presented our updated Trade Value Index (TVI). With a little over a week until next Thursday's trade deadline, rather than take a look at the players the Rays may target we will take a look at the players most likely to be sent packing should Andrew Friedman and Co. decide to pull the trigger on a deal.

Gerry Hunsicker, Rays' Senior VP for baseball operations and Friedman's guru, has made two of the best deadline deals in recent memory. In 2004, Hunsicker landed Carlos Beltran and 6 years earlier he traded for Randy Johnson. While the Astros failed to reach the World Series in either year, both Beltran and Johnson were key figures in Houston's playoff runs.

On the other hand Friedman sounds more like a guy that is willing to sit on the talent in place.

Keep in mind all of the "rumors" in the media recently are 99% speculation. They have a simple formula and the Rays always fit the formula. The media looks at a player and picks the teams still in contention that would view that player as an improvement. Then they decide which teams have the stronger farm system. The Rays will almost always satisfy both criteria.

The problem is the Rays are not like most ball clubs and are in the process of redefining success for small-market clubs. We feel that the Rays are more likely to follow the blueprint of the Angels who rarely make in-season deals and prefer to hold on to their homegrown talent.

That being said, there is still a chance the Rays will swing a deal for a mid-level player such as a middle reliever to add depth to a staff that has suffered a number of injuries. There is also a need for a right-handed hitting outfielder as the Rays have struggled against lefties this season and possibly a utility infielder that is an upgrade over Ben Zobrist and can serve as a backup shortstop.

So if a trade is made, which players are most likely to be used as bait...

Jason Hammel 3:2
Any deals involving pitchers will almost certainly involve Hammel to open a spot in either the bullpen or the rotation (with either Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine moving to the bullpen). Hammel can still bring the heat with a mid-90s fastball, but do any teams still think he can be a starter?

Jeff Niemann 2:1
While other teams will certainly ask for David Price, Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson, Niemann is the piece of value that the Rays would prefer to trade. While certainly Niemann's star shines less brightly these days, he is still young, and very big and he has a lot of upside.

Jonny Gomes 3:1
Like Hammel, any deal for a right-handed hitting outfielder will almost certainly involve Gomes going in the other direction. Nobody doubts Gomes' power or his intensity, and if given regular playing time, he could be a solid DH or outfielder for another team.

Fernando Perez 7:2
Perez has loads of talent but he still struggles with strikeouts. The Rays have no room in center with BJ Upton but could Perez play right field in '09 and be the Rays leadoff hitter? Or is he expendable? Like Niemann, Perez is one player we can see the Rays using as trade-bait.

Ben Zobrist 5:1
Whether as a utility infielder or a starting shortstop, Benny Boo Boo has proven that he can be a major leaguer. He will never be an all-star, but there are plenty of teams out there with worse options plaing short or second.

Mitch Talbot 5:1
Talbot would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the arm that puts a deal over the top. He is a bit of a tweener. He has shown flashes of brilliance, like his performance in '06 SL playoffs, but he has been very up-and-down since moving to Durham. There is some upside and there does not seem to be a future for him with the Rays.

Dale Thayer 7:1
Thayer who seemed destined to be a career minor leaguer, has blossomed this season in Durham with a 1.43 ERA and 57Ks in 50.1 innings with only 17 walks. With Jeff Niemann and Juan Salas also in Durham as bullpen insurance, Thayer is certainly expendable. He is also Rule 5 eligible this winter, so now may be a good time to move him.

Eric Hinske 7:1
Hinske is a free agent at the end of the year, and with Gabe Gross and a healthy Cliff Floyd, Hinske is certainly expendable. But he has also been one of the Rays better hitters this season. Would the Rays risk moving an offensive contributor with the offense struggling a bit?

Juan Salas 8:1
If the Rays don't trade for a relief pitcher, Salas is probably the next guy up from Durham when somebody is needed. He has pitched well for Durham, with a 2.12 ERA and 38Ks in 34 innings with only 8 walks. Might somebody be enticed by the comparisons of Salas' cutter to Mariano Rivera's?

James Houser 8:1
Like Jeff Niemann, Houser is another name that the Rays will counter with when teams ask for one of the big pitching prospects. He is a tall lefty with some upside. Could be more tempting than a Mitch Talbot.

Justin Ruggiano 8:1
Ruggiano is similar to Mitch Talbot in that he is a bit of tweener. He posts good numbers in triple-A and could be serviceable as a 4th outfielder in the major leagues, but does he have a future with the Rays? Again, would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the bat that puts a deal over the top.

Joel Guzman 10:1
Won't be 24 until November, and while he has a ton of power and a very good glove with plenty of positional flexibility, he still strikes out way too much (88 in 355 ABs this year) and his OBP is embarassing (.271). He will also be out of options in '09, so a move now or this winter may be necessary. Might somebody else be tempted by the talent?

Shawn Riggans 10:1
To us, this is the most intriguing name on the list. Riggans can hit. He still has plenty of room for improvement behind the plate and he is not that young (even for a catcher; 28 in a few days). The Rays also have Mike DiFeLice in Durham. DiFelice will be on the team in September no matter what happens, but would Maddon prefer DiFelice on a potential playoff roster? There is also John Jaso who was recently promoted to Durham and could make Riggans even more expendable.

Reid Brignac 10:1
Have the Rays soured a bit on Brignac? We can't see Brignac being traded, especially until Tim Beckham shows that he is a major leaguer-in-waiting. And there is also that open right field slot in '09. Could the Rays give Brignac a shot at RF in spring training? Still, no matter what the plans are, teams will ask for Brignac. Will the Rays bite?

Dan Johnson 12:1
Having a huge season since being demoted to Durham. Unfortunately, he has shown little or no power in the majors and has very little positional flexibility for a guy that is better suited for a bench role. Still, he has big league experience which a NL contender might value.

Al Reyes 15:1
A free agent at the end of the year, but has been struggling with injuries which make him more valuable to the Rays than to any suitor.

Chris Mason 15:1
Would anybody want him?

Gary Glover 20:1
Ditto

Grant Balfour 50:1
Another name that is very intriguing to us. If there is any inkling in the Rays front office that this recent run by Balfour is a fluke, then now is the time to trade the power righty and sell high. But everything we have seen indicates that Balfour is the real-deal and maybe he just needed to find some confidence which he has plenty of right now.

THE GOOD: Carlos Pena's solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game. Could this be the moment that gets El Gato back on track? Prior to that at bat, Pena had left 2 runners on in the 1st inning, 3 in the 2nd, 1 runner in the 4th and 2 more in the 6th.

THE BAD: Evan Longoria and Dan Wheeler in the 10th inning. You absolutely cannot lose that game. You are at home, going for a sweep against an inferior ball club and Carlos Pena had just bailed you out in the bottom of the 9th. You have to shut the Royals down in the 10th and give your team a shot to win. Longoria put Wheeler in a jam right off the bat with a throwing error that left the leadoff runner on 2nd and Wheeler gave up a 3-run home run to a guy who only had 3 coming into the game. This is one of those games that if the Rays miss the playoffs by a game or 2, we will look back and cringe.

THE TELLING: In order to give BJ Upton a day off, Joe Maddon penciled Carl Crawford into center field and CC was not happy about it...Reid Brignac did not play and is 0-4 with a walk and 3 strikeouts in his brief major league career...Remember that "reasonable goal" of a .500 season (81 wins)? The Rays need to go 27-47 over the remainder of the season in order to surpass that mark...Even though Boston has a 1.5 game lead in the Wild Card, the Rays magic number over the second place Twins is also 69 (for a playoff spot) as both the Twinkies and Red Sox have the same number of losses.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• We are back, if ever so briefly. On Thursday Mrs. Prof (no longer just figuratively) and I will be on our way to the Islands for a week. There will be updates while we are gone, although we are still working on the exact details. More to come in the next day or two.
• The Rays have a 77.8% chance of making the playoffs this season. [The Heater]
  
• Al Reyes threw a simluated game and says he is ready to come off the DL. [Herald-Tribune]
  
• Dioner Navarro and Scott Kazmir were named to the AL All-Star squad and Dan Shanoff says the Rays got screwed by politics. [The Sporting News]
• Evan Longoria still has a shot to be named to the final spot on the AL roster, and is currently leading the voting. [The Heater]
  
• John Romano says that Joe Maddon should have been named an all-star coach. [St. Pete Times]
• Marc Lancaster says the Rays are more likely to make a small move before the trade deadline, rather than go after some of the big names that are being tossed around right now...We agree. As we have stated before, our prediction is Eric Hinske for a utility infielder that is an upgrade over Ben Zobrist and possibly a relief pitcher to add to the bullpen depth. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays appear to have interest in Brian Fuentes. Of course the Rockies want Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson. That doesn't mean they will get one of those top pitching prospects. [The Heater]
  
• Bill Madden says that with the Rays on top of the AL East, the Yankees and Red Sox lack the "spark" from years past. [NY Daily News]
• The New York Daily News says the Rays are the new "beasts of the AL East." [NY Daily News]
• Richard Justice says that the Rays could be even better in the second half...While there is definitely room for improvement, it will be difficult to keep up this torrid pace of wins especially with more games on the road in the second half. [Yahoo! Sports]
  
• Now that the Rays are on the lips of media outlets everywhere some are offended that the Rays are often referred to as the "Tampa Rays". [St. Pete Times]
• The Rays surpassed 1 million in attendance in their 48th game this season. That is second fastest in franchise history, out-paced only by the inaugural season. [Tampa Tribune]
• A writer for the Aspen Times says the Rays are "not yet" this year's Rockies (upstart World Series participant)...He is right. While the Rays may not make it to the World Series, this Rays squad is much better than the Rockies squad that got hot late and ran through a weak NL playoff field. [Aspen Times]
• Marc Topkin lays out 5 keys to the Rays playoff hopes. [St. Pete Times]
• Former Rays prospect Wes Bankston hit his first major league home run for the A's. [MLB]
• Former Rays GM Chuck LaMar would like to take credit for the Rays success. We don't have the energy to give this it's proper beatdown. [The Heater]
  

Jeff Moore thinks the San Diego Padres should trade Brian Giles to a team that needs a right fielder and a leadoff hitter. Jeff Moore thinks that the Tampa Bay Rays make a perfect trade partner.

Now 37, Giles is no longer a power threat, but he has emerged as an excellent leadoff hitter. Unfortunately, he is still paid like a power hitter, with his 2008 salary sitting at $9 million, and another $3 million required to buy him out after the season to avoid another $9M for 2009...The Rays' current right-field situation consists primarily of the recently acquired Gabe Gross (2008 OPS of .688), Eric Hinske and Johnny Gomes (who should be a DH) [RI-Gomes has only started 3 games in RF in '08]. Their leadoff hitter in all but two games this season has been second baseman Akinori Iwamura (2008 OBP of .339). The Rays could use help in both spots.

Interesting. you got our attention. Now what does Mr. Moore think the Rays should give up for Giles?

Rays get: Brian Giles. His 2008 buyout paid by Padres if activated by the Rays ($3 million).

Padres get: Jeff Niemann, Eric Hinske and Desmond Jennings.

This is the kind of crap that is generated when somebody knows very little about the team he is writing about.

Would the Rays trade for a player and add payroll if they thought it would improve the club and help in a playoff push? YES.

Are they going to add $6 million in prorated salary for a player (Eric Hinske) that actually has a lower OPS (.831) than Eric Hinske (.847) this season (not to mention Hinske is only being paid $800K this season)? NO

Are they also going to mortgage part of the future by trading TWO Top-100 prospects (Jeff Niemann and Desmond Jennings) for a player that is a free agent at the end of the season? NO

Giles is an interesting player. The Rays might actually be a better team with him at the top of the order. But this is the type of move that other teams make and then regret 96.4% of the time. Andrew Friedman and Co. have gotten the Rays to their current position by NOT making silly desperation moves like this. Just because the Rays are suddenly one of the better teams in baseball, does not mean they are going to deviate from the plan that got them there.

Padres Giles could cure what ails Rays [Fox Sports]

Marc Lancaster. You picked the wrong day to try and unload this garbage on us.

Willy Aybar is set to come off the DL in the next day or two. Aybar is being prepped on his rehab assignment to be a utility player upon his return, receiving playing time at first base, second base and third base.

As we have mentioned on this site, this will create quite a problem for Andrew Friedman, as he must decide who Aybar will replace on the roster. The only two bench players with options are Ben Zobrist and Shawn Riggans. As the backup shortstop and catcher, on the surface, it appears both will be staying put. On the other hand, the Rays have four players playing right field and DH. Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes are safe as the starting DHs.

That leaves either Gabe Gross or Eric Hinske as the odd-man out. Gross is the better defensive option while Hinske provides more offense and a bit of position flexibility (can play third, first). Without minor league options, if one of those players is moved, they would have to be traded or placed on waivers.

Lancaster provides two scenarios that would allow the Rays to keep everybody.

1. Send Zobrist to the minors and let Evan Longoria serve as the backup shortstop.
2. Drop a relief pitcher and keep an 11-man pitching staff.

Do these scenarios sound familiar? They should if you read the comments section on any Rays blog.

The problem with Lancaster's presentation is that he presents the first scenario as if the move is a real possibility. He even seems to be hinting that the team is considering this option.

Sorting through the possibilities, an interesting scenario is beginning to emerge as an avenue to clear space for Aybar.

Where exactly is this emerging from? Lancaster's mind? The thoughts of commenters on this or another site? Because it sure isn't emerging from the team.

On Tuesday, Longoria said the Rays haven't asked him about playing shortstop in a pinch, but he said he thinks he could handle the job.

So. Because Lancaster brought it up to Longoria, and he said he could handle it, then it is "emerging as an avenue"? In fact, Longoria admits that it would take "some work". Not exactly the sort of thing that is easy to work on in the regular season, when he has not played the position since college.

Marc Lancaster: Evan, you took Spanish in college right? Well, the Rays get tour groups from Spanish speaking countries all the time. Do you think you could handle showing them around if the regular tour guide ever calls in sick?
Evan Longoria: I guess I could probably handle it, but I would need to spend some time brushing up on my Spanish.
Marc Lancaster: *typing on typewriter* An interesting scenario is beginning to emerge as an avenue to help the Rays out if their Spanish speaking tour guide ever calls in sick.

Shortstop is the most demanding position on the field. You can't throw a guy out there cold-turkey. Yes, Dirtbag is a great defensive player. And yes he has played there before. This just in: Almost every player on the team has played shortstop at some point in the past. Alex Rodriguez was a gold glove shortstop. Yet, whenever Derek Jeter is injured, A-Rod does not shift over and play short. Why change two positions when the manager only has to change one?

Maddon loves positional flexibility. With only four guys on the bench, it is a necessity. Right now, he has 4 guys playing two positions. Keeping Hinske and Gross makes the team less flexible. Not more.

And what does Joe Maddon think of the possibility of going with an 11-man pitching staff?

the moment you think you can, you can't.

Let us translate that for Mr. Lancaster: "No. Nope. Not going to happen. Don't even bring it up." And yet, Lancaster still brings it up as a possibility.

Marc Lancaster: Joe, Percy has pitched the last 3 days and Wheeler went 2 innings yesterday. With only 5.5 relievers (Miller only gets credit for 0.5), it seems like the bullpen is pretty thin. Have you thought about just letting Kazmir go all 9 innings tonight. That's what they did in the old days.
Joe Maddon: *punches Lancaster in the nose*

Yes. As recently as 3-4 years ago, some teams were still using 11-man pitching staffs. However, with pitchers rarely working past the 7th inning, and the advent of lefty-specialists, the 12-man staff has become the norm. With the Rays starters pitching well, certainly it is possible. But as Maddon said, you never know when you will need that extra guy. Whether it is a pitcher getting knocked out in the 3rd inning, or an extra-inning game. With the 12-man staffs we are no longer subjected to seeing a positional player come in to pitch in the 14th inning because a manager is out of pitchers.

Also, baseball no longer schedules double-headers. The beauty of double-headers is that there were more off-days during the regular season in which pitchers could rest their arms. The Rays are in the midst of a stretch in which they will play 20 games in 21 days. Not exactly the time to have fewer pitchers.

Could the Rays implement one of the above strategies? Sure they could. But there is no indication they will, and even if they do, it will only be a band-aid move until a better solution presents itself.

We would love to applaud Marc Lancaster "for the effort", but we can't. He obviously did not think this through.

THE GOOD: The Rays deserved 3 losses for last night. Thank goodness they only get one in the standings. And because everybody else in the division lost except for the O's, the Rays maintain their half-game lead in the division.

THE BAD: DO NOT try to feed us this pile of crap that Andy Sonnanstine was "better than score indicates". That's you Roger Mooney (by the way, we are still waiting for you to explain why the Rays did not like the Sports Illustrated cover). Just because 5 of the runs were unearned DOES NOT mean that Sonnanstine has no responsibility. It is not as if Evan Longoria committed 5 errors. Longoria did not give up the 2 hits before the error, or the 3 hits after the error. And as the Rangers broadcast crew mentioned last night, that error could have very easily been ruled a base hit. The ball had a wicked side-spin on it and took an angled hop. In fact the only player that deserves any blame close to what Sonny deserves is Eric Hinske. In the first inning, he played a single into a double by taking a crappy, slow angle and letting a ball get by to the wall. The next batter followed with an RBI double. In the second inning, Hinske once again played a single into a double by letting a ball get by him to the wall. Later in the game, while a valiant effort, Hinske dove for a ball that went off his glove. Hinske is giving the opposition extra bases on an almost nightly basis. How much more of this can Joe Maddon take?...And of course, then there was the bottom of the 3rd inning, with 2 runners on in a 5-run game, Carlos Pena got ahead 3-0 only to end up striking out...And of course, there was the 2-on, no outs, double play from Eric Hinske that killed a rally in the 6th, and the no outs double play from Carl Crawford that killed another one in the 7th inning.

THE TELLING: Her Rays has a much more insightful recap, if you are a masochist.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• The first vote totals were released and only Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Carlos Pena are listed among the leaders. C'mon people. If we don't vote for CC, nobody will! [Rays Report]
• Joe Maddon says that Willy Aybar will rejoin the Rays when he comes off the DL. Marc Lancaster indicates that could happen in time for the White Sox series tomorrow...We will get to the rest of the garbage in this piece later. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• The Rays Index Live Blog-A-Baloo of the Week will be this afternoon with game 3 of the Rangers series and will be held right here.
• Rocco Baldelli stated once again that he once to play for the Rays this season. Joe Maddon says the team is "cautiously optimistic". In other words, nothing new here. [MLB]
  
• How bad is it right now for the Mets? One of the more popular Mets blogs is now following the Rays...maybe. [Mets Geek aka Rays Geek]
  

THE GOOD: The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball and Scott Kazmir is just getting warmed up. Last night, the game was over in the first inning. He struck out all three batters in the first inning, with 2 coming on sliders in the dirt. He was also consistently hitting 93-94 on the gun with his fastball. He had 7 Ks in the first 3 innings, and 9 after 5. He would finish with 10 in 7 innings of work, with no walks...The Catwalks. Nobody loves those catwalks more than Carlos Pena who hit another one last night for a double on what would have been a routine flyball...Evan Longoria made yet another diving stop on a ground ball and kept the leadoff hitter off base in a one-run game in the 4th...Dioner Navarro helped kill a rally in the 6th with a perfect throw to third base to gun down a would-be base stealer.

THE BAD: Gary Glover. Can somebody gives us a good reason why a pitcher with 11 walks to only 10 strikeouts and 27 baserunners in 14.1 innings, still has a job? Is there one good reason why Glover is still in the bullpen and Grant Balfour, who is tearing up AAA, is not? Or better yet, is there a good reason Glover is still in the bullpen and Jeff Niemann is not? Nobody can tell us that the Rays' bullpen, although great so far, wouldn't be better with Niemann in place of Glover. Clearly, nobody in the rotation is going to pitch themselves out of a job anytime soon and if somebody gets hurt, the Rays then could go with Jason Hammel or JK Ryu or JP Howell or Ben Hendrickson. And if it were to be a long-term injury, they could just re-stretch out Niemann and go that route...Cliff Floyd beat out an infiield single in the 5th inning, and our knees started hurting just watching him run to first base...

THE TELLING: Scott Kazmir is 5-6 mph from possibly becoming the best pitcher in baseball. No. We are not talking about a 99 mph fastball, although that would certainly help. On his good days, Kid K's fastball sits about 93-94. Ideally, a pitcher's changeup would be thrown 8-9 mph slower. Kazmir's change is usually 78-79, for a difference of 14-16 mph. It would be a much more effective pitch if he was throwing it 84-85. Compare to James Shields who throws a 91-92 mph fastball and an 82-83 mph changeup. That is a difference of 8-10 mph. Perfect. And one reason he has one of the most dominating changeups in baseball. Kaz throws a harder fastball, but a slower changup. The problem with throwing a changeup too slow, as Kazmir does, is that it gives the batters a chance to reload even if they are fooled. With a difference of 14-15 mph, it is much easier for the batter to recognize that the pitch is not a fastball and lay off if they are geared for the hard stuff. If Kazmir could find a couple of extra inches on his changeup, he would then have three plus-pitches, and the power of Grayskull would be his...

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• This week's Rays Index Live Blog-A-Baloo will be held tomorrow afternoon for the final game of the Rangers series. Seeing as how we are in Texas this week, the game will be an AM start for us. That means live blogging and drinking while still in our PJs. Yummy!
  
• Marc Lancaster suggests that Willy Aybar may be the player that is without a job when he is ready to return from the DL. Ben Zobrist and Shawn Riggans' jobs are safe. That means the final two bench spots go to Gabe Gross, Eric Hinske and Aybar. With Aybar's better defense and OPS and the ability to also play second base, we have been speculating that Andrew Friedman would try and trade Hinske. Lancaster suggests that Aybar's inability to play the outfield gives Hinske the edge. Of course the Rays do have Jonny Gomes and Zobrist, who got work in the OF in spring training, as backup outfielders. We are not sure how many backup OF the Rays need. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Joe Maddon wants to start giving his starters regular days off so that the linup is fresh down the stretch. He specifically mentioned BJ Upton, who seemed to tire down the stretch last season and Dioner Navarro who has had a few passed balls recently. [MLB]

"Because I do believe this, I believe you have to rest your guys during the season," Maddon said. "You have to. It's a long year and you want to play well in September. If you play well in September you'll do fine in October. You've got to keep them fresh for that good September. ... You just have to rest people at the right time and you've got to keep an eye on them. And it does matter at the end of the season."

• Baseball Musings takes a look at the Rays and Red Sox and compares their home/road splits. [Baseball Musings]
  
• DRays Bay takes a look at BJ Upton's lack of power and wonders if we should be concerned...The Rays are in first place in the AL East and have the best record in baseball and Upton is only 23. He'll be fine, and we don't need to worry. [DRays Bay]