Back in December, we addressed questions raised over Jason Bartlett's sudden decline in defensive performance in 2008. At the time we speculated that in addition to the two injuries he played through during the season, playing with a gold glove-caliber third baseman may have directly impacted Bartlett's numbers.

Using Baseball Musings' "Probabilistic Model of Range," we reasoned that the addition of Evan Longoria, who displays great range to his left (towards second base) may be taking away opportunities from Bartlett due to a significant overlap in their defensive range.

Now Baseball Prospectus (via Drays Bay), using a defensive plus/minus metric, shows us that Bartlett was just as effective moving to his right in 2008 and that his defensive decline was due entirely to fielding chances to his left.

...John Dewan's other defensive number, Plus/Minus, had Bartlett at -1 in 2008 after seasons of +13 and +18 in 2006-2007. That's a massive and sudden degradation, made even stranger since Bartlett was just as effective going to his right both years (+11); it was when going to his left (a drop from +4 to -11) that his defense became a problem for him in 2008.

So despite the significant overlap in range, Bartlett does not appear to have been impacted by the improved range of his third base partner.

Now it appears that his defensive decline was due entirely to his shoulder and leg injuries. While possible, it does not seem likely that a player's defensive skills would erode so quickly. It may be that one or both injuries was more troublesome when Bartlett was moving to his left. The throwing motion alone, for a shortstop moving to his left, is considerably different and may have been difficult or painful for Bartlett.

Whatever the explanation, a healthy Bartlett in 2009 should go a long ways towards once again being one of the premiere defensive shortstops in baseball.

Possible Explanantion For Bartlett's Defensive Decline In 2008 [Rays Index]

The Rays have five players that are arbitration-eligible: Dioner Navarro, Jason Bartlett, Gabe Gross, Grant Balfour, Willy Aybar. The Rays will have until January 19 to reach an agreement with each of these players prior to filing arbitration numbers. The Rays have a strict "file-and-go" policy. Once arbitration numbers have been filed, they will no longer negotiate with a player.

The Rays have an excellent track record for getting these deals done prior to the deadline, so look for each of these players to have a new contract in the next two weeks.

Typically, players that avoid arbitration sign one-year deals. Of the above players, the Rays seem most likely to give long-term deals to Navarro and Balfour with Bartlett as a possibility.

Balfour already hinted that his participation in the World Baseball Classic could be contingent on the deal offered by the Rays.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• A very thorough biography for Patrick B. Burrell. His idol was George Brett.[JockBio]
  
• Ken Rosenthal reports that the Rays have kicked the tires on Gabe Kapler as a potential right fielder. Kapler played 96 games for the Brewers last season hitting .301/.340/.498. The Rays interest in Kapler further suggests that Matt Joyce will begin the season in the minor leagues. In theory, Kapler would be used as part of a platoon with Gabe Gross in right field until Joyce is deemed ready to be the everyday guy. Kapler posted a 1.001 OPS against lefties in 87 plate appearances in 2008 and has an .828 career OPS versus lefties. [Fox Sports]
• Buster Olney takes a look at how much the Rays lineup may improve in 2009 with the addition on Pat Burrell and healthy seasons from the returning position players. [ESPN]
• The Rays Party of America takes the MLB Network and Harold Reynolds to task for their portrayal of the Rays' success in 2008...Speaking of which, yesterday afternoon was a treat as the MLB Network broadcast game 2 of the World Series. You know, the good game. [The Rays Party of America]
  
• The Rays announced a couple more signings of former major leaguers to minor league deals. This time it is a pair of pitchers. Randy Choate is a lefty who has spent parts of 8 seasons with the Yankees and D-Backs. Last year he spent the year at triple-A in the Brewers organization posting a 5.08 ERA with 31 Ks and 20 walks in 39 innings. Julio DePaula is a righty that appeared in 16 games for the Twins in 2007. Last year he was at triple-A and posted a 5.70 ERA with 65 Ks and 41 walks in 77.1 innings. [The Heater]
  

Marc Topkin is reporting that Jonny Gomes has been non-tendered by the Rays and is now a free agent. The Rays did offer arbitration to the remaining five players that were arbitration-eligible (Willy Aybar, Grant Balfour, Jason Bartlett, Gabe Gross, Dioner Navarro).

With the Rays offering Gross arbitration, it suggests that there is at least a possibility that Matt Joyce will begin the season in triple-A as both players offer a similar skill set.

And so it is. Jonny Gomes' career with the Rays has now come to an end...and yes, the 2009 season will indeed be less Jonny-Terrific.

Gomes non-tendered, now a free agent [The Heater]

Almost exactly one year after being traded together from the Twins to the Rays, and a couple of weeks after Joe Maddon did the same, Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett got married...Not to each other, that would be illegal in most states.

Bartlett married Kelly Chevez on November 15 (picture of the couple below). This came a little more than one year after Bartlett proposed to Kelly while missing a week of the Twins season with "an injury".

Garza married Serina Ortiz on November 29. Here is video of Garza talking about the wedding. When asked if he was as nervous during game 7 of the ALCS, Garza responded "hell nah!" Matt and Serina have dated since high school and have two children together.

In the same video we learn that Garza is conducting a baseball clinic later this month with some former Fresno State teammates. We hope this doesn't violate Jim Hickey's orders that the pitchers are not to touch a baseball until January.

On a side note, Garza's dad, Rudy Garza, is a member of the Army National Guard and will be deployed to Kuwait in January.

Cangratulations to Matt and Jason, and a heart-felt 'thank you' to Rudy.

KELLY CHEVEZ & JASON BARTLETT [TheKnot.com]
Being Prepared Is Jason Bartlett's Motto [Rays Index]
Up Close and Personal with Matt Garza [ABC30]
Rays pitchers told to take it easy this offseason [ESPN]
Success hasn't spoiled Garzas [Fresno Bee]

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, 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.
  

According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com the Rays would only move Jayson Bartlett in a 'major deal'.

The Rays are telling clubs that ask about their shortstop, Jason Bartlett, that they're only willing to trade him in a "major deal." Would Jeremy Hermida be "major" enough? Stay tuned.

Our guess is that Jeremy Hermida would not be major enough.

Stark also touches on the recent rumblings that the Rays talked to the Twins about the possibility of bringing Delmon Young back.

Yes, they kicked Delmon Young's name around when the Twins approached them to express interest. But according to one source who talked to the Rays' brass, they would "never" take Young back.

We were surprised when Young's name was first mentioned, but it also does not surprise us that Andrew Friedman is exhausting all possibilities. The Rays need a right fielder and Young is still a potential 7-tool player. Unfortunately, the 6th and 7th tools are "Bat Tossing" and "Bitching".

Phillies, Moyer haggling over money [ESPN]
Rays Talked To Twins About Bringing Back Delmon Young [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]
  

According to Danny Knobler of CBS Sportline, a baseball official says the Rays talked to the Twins about reacquiring Delmon Young.

...the Rays have also discussed trying to reacquire Delmon Young, the outfielder who they traded to the Twins last winter to get Bartlett and Matt Garza...It doesn't appear that the Young talks got very far, and neither did Tampa Bay's efforts to acquire Denard Span, another Twins outfielder.

It makes sense that the Rays would inquire about Young, as the Twins have an abundance of outfielders and have been rumored to be willing to move Young. However, a deal with the Rays seems unlikely as it would be an indictment of Twins' general manager Bill Smith. Trading Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett for Young was Smith's first major move as GM.

Knobler also notes that the Rays may be willing to include Bartlett in a deal this winter. This does not come as a surprise as Bartlett is arbitration-eligible for the first time and is in line for a large bump in salary. With Reid Brignac waiting in the wings, the Rays have a player who was voted the top defensive shortstop in the International League in 2008 and offers a higher upside than Bartlett with the bat at a much lower cost.

And if Brignac is not ready to handle an everyday job in the big leagues, the Rays could conceivably move rookie of the year Evan Longoria to shortstop and start Willy Aybar at third base. This last scenario offers the Rays a vast improvement offensively with only a slight downgrade defensively.

[CBS Sportsline]

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]
  

For the second consecutive season Carlos Pena has finished 9th in the American League MVP voting. Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox took home the award with 16 of the 28 first place votes. Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett each received votes. Longoria placed 11th after being named the unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year award. Bartlett, who was named the Rays' team MVP, finished 18th.

Pena received a single third place vote and appeared on 13 of the 28 ballots. Longoria's highest votes were two sixth place votes and he appeared on 12 ballots. Bartlett received a single 5th place vote, the only ballot he appeared on.

Pena's 9th place showing in 2007 was the highest finish in the MVP voting in franchise history. The previous high was Aubrey Huff, who finished 24th in 2003. Carl Crawford finished 26th in 2006 and Jorge Cantu finished 27th in 2005, the only other Rays to receive MVP consideration.

Pedroia named AL MVP [MLB]
Carlos Pena 9th Most Valuable American Leaguer [Rays Index]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Rocco Baldelli has filed for free agency. [MLB]
• Joe Maddon will be getting married on Saturday. [MLB]
• Eric Hinske has filed for free agency. [MLB]
  
• MLB Trade Rumors has posted their annual "offseason lookout" for the Rays, taking a look at the '09 roster and payroll commitments. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• The Rays have already held meetings in preparation for the offseason and Andrew Friedman is now in California for the general manager's meetings. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Rise of the Rays takes a look at many of the options the Rays could choose to bring in to play right field or fill a role in the bullpen. [Rise of the Rays]
• MLB Trade Rumors has updated their list of 2009 free agents to reflect Type A and Type B free agents. Since the Rays finished in the top-half of the league in terms of final record, they would have to surrender their first round pick to another team should they decide to sign a Type A free agent. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• Rocco Baldelli addressed his free agency and said that he is "very comfortable" playing with the Rays and sounded like a person that wants to return to the organization in 2009. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Expect to see a lot of stories like this one: "Baldelli Makes Perfect Sense for the Red Sox"...While the Rays and the Rocco Baldelli will try to work on a deal for 2009 and beyond, there is some sentiment that the Rays will only offer a minor league deal. We are not so sure. We think it is actually more likely that Rocco signs an incentive-laden major league deal. Baldelli is appreciated in a Rays uniform and the team and the fans believe in him and know what he can do. We have a feeling that Rocco needs that. And while he is a native New Englander, Baldelli could very easily get lost in the shuffle on the Red Sox bench. [Baseball Talk]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks answers some fan mail. Hilarity ensues. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Joe Smith talks to Joe Maddon on his reflections from the season and the World Series and the criticism he has received concerning the use of his bullpen in game 5. [St. Pete Times]
  
• The Bradenton Herald remembers many of the great moments from 2008 and wonders if it will ever be that great again. [Bradenton Herald]
• Rays Digest takes a look at how the Rays fared in the "Fielding Bible Awards." Carl Crawford was the only winner from the Rays but several others received consideration. [Rays Digest]
  
• Sully Baseball is not convinced the Rays are a "dynasty in the works." There have been a lot of stories written recently built around the premise that the Rays are set up to be good for years to come, but we don't think anybody is ready to start tossing around the "D-word". As Rays fans we would be happy to win just one and as baseball fans we know that at best the Rays still have to share the AL East with the Red Sox and Yankees. [Sully Baseball]
• John Romano takes a look at how tough it will be for the Rays to repeat in 2009. [St. Pete Times]
• To address a point raised after the World Series, Tom Foley did waive Jason Bartlett home in the 7th inning of game 5. The Fox TV broadcast never showed a replay with Foley and the announcers never addressed the issue. The Rays radio broadcast indicated that Bartlett ran through a stop sign. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Rays Prospects has an update on the happenings in the AFL. [Rays Prospects]
  

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...

THE GOOD: Three games in Philly. Rays only have to win one. Winning two would be gravy but again, not necessary. The Rays now have 2 chances to get that one win in Philly...Bars in NYC are open until 4:00. And even then, 4:00am is more of a suggestion than a rule. With game 3 not ending until 2:00, it was nice and much needed to get out for a bit...Defense. Over he course of 5 outs in the 2nd and 3rd, the Rays made 4 incredible plays to keep the game close. A snag on a hot shot by Carlos Pena and a nice play up the middle by Jason Bartlett started the 2nd and then an inning later it was the Fat Catcher with a perfect throw to second to nail Jimmy Rollins who was 47-50 prior to this game followed by BJ Upton making one of his trademark "gliding" over-the-shoulder catches...JP Howell. Typical JP. Howell came in after a leadoff walk with the score tied in the 8th. He strikes out Chase Utley, picks Jayson Werth off second and gets Ryan Howard looking. He has been the Rays best and most consistent reliever all year and nothing has changed in the playoffs.

THE BAD: Dioner Navarro's golden brain fart. Ya gotta win that game. After being down 4-1 late, the Rays battled back to tie the game in the 8th. At that point you gotta find a way to win the game. And yet, in the top of the 9th the Rays go down 1-2-3 with an easy strike out, and two weak ground outs. And the bottom of the 9th? Don't get us started. Absolutely awful. We don't care how quickly that ball bounces back to Navarro on the wild pitch. He is not getting the runner at second if he tries a thousand times. So why take a chance on throwing one into the outfield when Navi doesn't even get a chance to get his body into throwing position? You can't let a runner go from first to third with no outs. What happens after that means nothing. The Rays lost the game on Navarro's brain fart...Getting beat by Carlos Ruiz. We don't mind the Chase Utley and Ryan Howard home runs. Great hitters. Tip your cap. But how does Matt Garza let a guy that hit 4 home runs in the regular season beat him for a home run in the World Series. You can't get beat by Ruiz. It just can't happen...Leadoff hitters. Phillies hitters leading off an inning were on base 10 times in the first 2 games. Last night it was worse. Batters that led off an inning were on base 6 times. 3 of those runners scored...The wind. With the Rays trailing 2-1 in the 6th, Evan Longoria hit a ball to left field that would have been 50 feet past the fence on a normal day, but last night, the ball stayed in the park...The Rays 1 extra base hit in the first two games was doubled in game 3. In other words, the Rays bats are quickly becoming the "Blackout of '08".

THE TELLING: Carl Crawford reached on a bunt single in the 7th. It was his first bunt attempt of any kind in 2008. He would later score. The Rays now have 22 stolen bases this postseason, 2 more than the previous record.

ONE MORE BAD: Can we stop with the umpiring bitch-fest please? After game 1 we noted that the Phillies caught some "breaks" in their win. Missed calls happen. It is part of the game. Did the umpire miss the call on Carl Crawford? Sure did. Was it a horrible call? Not even close. CC is out by about 6 inches. On TV in super-duper-HD-slow-mo-mo the distance looked bigger than the gap between John Kruk's ears. But in reality it was a bang-bang play in which the umpire got caught in a bad spot.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• The Phillies were more than a little upset when the backups were not introduced prior to game 1. It should be noted that the Rays backups were not introduced either and did not have issue. This is a decision made by the TV network and backups have not been introduced since 2004. [ESPN]
• A season ticket holder since 1998 stands to win a lot of money if the Rays win the World Series. [The Big Lead]
• We find it just a little strange that a story on the disappearance of "The Heckler" is found in the Wall Street Journal...Is this where our economy is right now? [Wall Street Journal]
  

Just the links this morning. We should have more later.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Just in case you missed all the links in our "Happy Hour" edition yesterday afternoon, here is the link. [Rays Index]
• Joe Maddon still hasn't announced the rotation for the World Series, but look for Scott Kazmir to get the game 1 start followed by James Shields and Matt Garza. [MLB]
• Charlie Manuel first tough decision in picking a DH for game 1, which could affect the postseason roster. [Beerleaguer]
  
• The RAYSHEAD Army is growing and we couldn't be more proud. [Newsday]
  
• ALCS game 7 was the most watched baseball game ever to be shown on a cable network. [Awful Announcing]
• Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe tries desperately to find a silver lining for Red Sox fans. Ryan wants Red Sox fans to realize that the team overcame a lot just to get to game 7 of the ALCS...That is all fine and dandy, but that means nothing right now. it might mean something in a few months, but not now. The truth is, the Red Sox were in game 7 and they lost. End of story. It doesn't matter how they got there. The Red Sox had one shot at glory and flushed it down the toilet. [Boston Globe]
• Sox and Pinstripes takes a fairly even-handed look back at the ALCS. [Sox and Pinstripes]
• The Hardball Times looks at why the Rays beat the Red Sox. [The Hardball Times]
  
• Cliff Corcoran of SI.com takes a look at 4 things we learned about the Rays in the ALCS. [SI.com]
• Marc Lancaster says there is a sense in Philadelphia that the Phillies caught a break when the Red Sox lost. [Tampa Tribune]
• John Romano puts the Rays season in a historical context. [St. Pete Times]
  
• One Red Sox writer lost a bet on the ALCS and is now sporting a beautiful Rayhawk. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Gary Shelton says it had to be the Phillies. It is only fitting that the Rays go for their first World Series title against a team from Philadelphia. [St. Pete Times]
  
• The Joe Maddon song of the week, should be song of the year. [the somewhat manly nerd]
• Last week one Red Sox site tried to compare the Red Sox to Rocky. That one was lost on us. This week David Chalk compares members of the Phillies to characters from Rocky movies. This one makes more sense. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune joins the growing wave of national media that recognizes the Rays are not going to be a one-hit wonder. [Chicago Tribune]
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel also looks at the future and says Evan Longoria was a big part of the "master plan". [Orlando Sentinel]
  
• Several members of the Rays chat it up in "The Dugout" after winning the ALCS. [Fanhouse]
• SI.com wonders if the economy can have a positive impact on the World Series ratings. [SI.com]
• The Boston Herald talks about David Price's role in the ALCS and preparing for the World Series. [Boston Herald]
• One of the writers from Oh, It's THOSE Girls guest posts at Bugs and Cranks on the struggle of rooting for two of her former Twinkies, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza...Speaking of which. Not sure where we first heard this, but shouldn't Garza's sports psychologist have been named the ALCS MVP? Maybe he/she deserves a playoff share? [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Another article trying to convince baseball fans that Phillies and Rays is a good series including "The Greatest Team Turnaround Story in the History of Modern Sports." [ESPN]
• After losing to Tampa Bay squads twice before in quest for championships, a Phillies fan is hoping the third time is a charm...Or as we like to say, three is a pattern. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• One Cleveland Indians fan is jumping on the Rays Bandwagon. [Kanka's Sports Page]
  
• The Rays have released Jorge Velandia from the Durham Bulls. Velandia appeared in 14 games for the Devil Rays in 2007. [Baseball America]
• Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says the Red Sox may have gone to the World Series with Manny Ramirez, but that trading him was the right thing to do for the "greater good"...If by "greater good" he means bringing the Pink Hat Nation back down a peg, then we completely agree. [Boston Globe]

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

THE GOOD: With several pitching roles still up in the air, Troy Percival looked healthy in 1 inning of work and will likely be on the post-season roster. David Price looked solid coming in with the bases loaded and 1 out and not allowing a run...The Rays first round opponent is still undecided. The White Sox will play a make up game today versus the Tigers. A win will force a 1-game playoff against the Twins tomorrow. With the possibility of a both teams playing tomorrow, the Rays' potential opponent will not have a fresh bullpen and will not be able to setup their rotation for the ALDS. With the Twins likely to start Nick Blackburn, the first two pitchers in the ALDS figure to be Nelson Liriano and Kevin Slowey. The White Sox have been working with a 4-man rotation. Gavin Floyd will start today and John Danks would likely go tomorrow. Javier Vazquez and Mark Buerhle would be the starters for the first 2 games of the ALDS.

THE BAD: With Joe Maddon wanting to see how Edwin Jackson would look in relief, Jackson, blew a 2-run lead in the 9th and may have pitched his way off the post-season roster...The Rays will open the ALDS series at 2:30 on Thursday and will play game 2 at 6:00 on Friday. Yes, it sucks. But really, did you expect anything different? Nationally, this series has the least draw. There are just too many big market teams in the playoffs.

THE TELLING: Starters for the first 2 games will be James Shields and Scott Kazmir, although the exact order is still undecided as is the rest of the post-season roster which will be finalized this afternoon...The Rays are the first team not from Boston or New York to win the AL East since 1997. The Rays finished the season having spent 111 days in first place. In the first 10 seasons they spent 20 days in first place combined. The Rays are just the 2nd MLB team and only 7th team from one of the four major sports to finish in first place the year after having the league's worst record. They are the first team ever to win 97 games in the first season following a streak of 10 consecutive losing seasons. They are only the 10th team to improve at least 30 games over the previous season.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• On Friday we linked to a report that claimed Rocco Baldelli had been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. While Baldelli's condition is one of the 43 diseases covered by the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Rocco has done a PSA for the MDA, mitochondrial myopathy is in fact not a form of muscular dystrophy...We are not a real doctor. We just play one when we are teaching undergrads. [The Heater]
  
• Carl Crawford was reinstated from the DL and appeared as a pinch runner on Friday night. He has had two successful batting practice sessions and will participate in an instructional league game today. Crawford still has hopes of being ready to return to the lineup in time for Thursday's game 1 of the ALDS. [The Heater]
• David Price has reworked his warmup routine so that he can get ready quicker for work out of the bullpen...Also, Jason Bartlett continues to battle a cold. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays were happy they will play game 1 on Thursday, receiving the extra day of rest before the start of the series. [St. Pete Times]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks has started his playoff edition of "Your Team Ain't S#!t" compared to the Rays...Chalk took a lot of heat for this series prior to the season. Only 2 teams finished with better records than the Rays and the Rays went 9-3 combined against the Angels (6-3) and Cubs (3-0) [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• We love the title of this piece. Apparently the Red Sox conceded the division title as if they decided they did not want it. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Outs Per Swing has a collection of quotes from the players in reaction to winning the AL East. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• 1,200 fans greeted the Rays upon their return to St. Pete-Clearwater airport...Anybody else surprised the Cowbell Kid hasn't cut that blue afro into a mohawk? [Tampa Tribune]
• Want to see a picture of Jonny Gomes drinking beer out of an athletic cup? Neither did we. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Bill Chastain says the Rays are built for postseason success. [MLB]
  
• When somebody tries to rip apart Marc Topkin's subjective column by starting their own piece with a subjective statement like "Posnanski - best sportswriter in the world", which is then followed up by several more opinions, it takes away any credibility from the rest of the argument. [DRays Bay]
  

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

THE GOOD: 3 more bases loaded walks. This is starting to get ridiculous. That is now 24 on the season which leads all baseball, to go with 4 hit batters in the same situation. The Rays now have a .376 OBP with the bases loaded, which also leads the majors. On the other hand, the White Sox (Rays likely first round opponent) lead the majors with 11 home runs with the bases loaded...Foiling the double-steal. The biggest play of the game may have been a flawlessly executed thwarting of the O's attempted double-steal in the 5th. With 1 out and men on first and third, the O's attempted a double-steal. Dioner Navarro's throw went threw to second. Aki Iwamura, seeing the runner on 3rd break for home, cut off the throw and nailed the runner at home. It was perfect. A play practiced by every team from little league on and yet rarely do teams pull it off. That kept the Rays within 1 and killed a rally.

THE BAD: When the playoffs start, can the Rays risk a first inning performance like last night from Edwin Jackson? The Rays were lucky that they ran into a pitching staff as poor as the Orioles or they would not have overcome a first inning in which Nuke gave up 6 hits and 5 runs before an out was recorded. At least with Andy Sonnanstine, his bad outings are the type where he gets nit-picked to death. A run here. 2 runs there. In the playoffs, Joe Maddon will be able to recognize that early and get him out of there. On the other hand, Jackson's bad outings are nuclear meltdowns. At this point we have to assume Sonnanstine will be the game 4 starter. Then again, if the Rays play their first game on October 1, they could bring the game 1 starter back in game 4 on normal rest.

THE TELLING: According to Baseball Prospectus, with the magic number now 1, the odds of winning the AL East is now 99.5%...The Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox for the second time in 2 days. They now trail the Central leaders by one-half game. They are 1 back in the loss column, so they need to win again tonight to have a realistic chance. The Rays will likely face the the winner of the Central division in the ALDS...The Angels came from behind in the 8th inning last night and the Rays still trail by 2 for the best record in the AL. The Rays do have the tie-breaker between the two clubs having won the season series.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• The magic number is 1 and today's game is at 1:00 in Detroit. Hell yeah. We gotta do a Live Blog-A-Baloo!
  
• In case you missed it yesterday afternoon, we ran a bunch of "Webtopia" links in the evening "Happy Hour" feature. [Rays Index]
  
• Another name to throw in the first-pitch mix: A guy that knows something about winning championships, Jon Gruden...Just sayin'.
• Uh-oh. Attack of the Fennellyisms...Something about Troy Percival and pitching in the post-season. Hard to tell. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• John Romano takes a look at some of the post-season roster decisions that are looming, including the bullpen (will Troy Percival be ready, and if not will Grant Balfour get a chance to close in the final series against Detroit?), the rotation (3- or 4-man rotation) and outfield (Fernando Perez and/or Carl Crawford). Joe Maddon makes it clear that even though he and Percy have a long history, the decision will be based on what is best for the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
• Praise for the the Rays these days is coming from all corners of the MLBiverse. [MLB]
  
• Both St. Pete and Tampa are planing celebrations in honor of the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
• Another example of how improbable this run has been for the Rays...Camden Chat put together an All-AL East team and there are only 2 Rays on the list, and that was only because they decided to take a middle reliever, JP Howell. The other was Dioner Navarro. [Camden Chat]
• Dick Scanlon says that Jason Bartlett is just one of the Rays MVPs. [Lakeland Ledger]
  

[UPDATE: 11:32] The Red Sox beat the Indians, but the Rays overcame a first inning that saw the O's score 5 runs before an out, to get the win. With the victory, the Rays magic number to win the division is now 1. The Angels are currently losing in the 5th inning, 4-2. An Angels loss and the Rays be 1 game behind for the best record in the AL. The Rays won the season-series with the Angels 6-3.

As we get closer to the playoffs, the links are going to start coming fast and furious...On certain days we will provide a late afternoon "Happy Hour" to try and keep the pace...

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Marc Lancaster has a quote from Terry Francona that suggests the Red Sox will concede the division. [Rays Report]
• Carl Crawford is now ceding that he probably will not be ready for the first round of the playoffs...If there was any doubt, this should solidify Fernando Perez' spot on the roster for the ALDS. [Rays Report]
  
• Curious as to who will throw out the first pitch in the Rays home playoff games? Well, it won't be any former members of the organization according to Matt Silverman. "MLB asked us who it'd be. We realized nobody in the history of the franchise had done anything to be worthy of the honor."...Ouch. The truth hurts. [Washington Post]
• Deadspin suggests Victor Zambrano. [Deadspin]
• Outs Per Swing has an exhaustive list of candidates. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• Bugs and Cranks offers 5 suggestions...We like the idea of Mr. T. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Jason Bartlett should hire Brittany Ghiroli as his publicist. Ghiroli breaks down exactly how valuable Bartlett has been to the Rays and she does it much better than we did. [MLB]
  
• MLB Trade Rumors breaks down all of playoff teams/contenders to see which teams have benefited the most from their own first-round picks. The Rays come in 4th behind the Mets, Brewers and Phillies. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Tampa Bay Rays Prospects has compiled a nice list of the organization's top strikeout-to-walk ratios from this past season. The top two players are from the Venezuelan and Dominican Summer Leagues which is even below rookie league, so don't put too much weight in those numbers. The truly impressive numbers are from Jeremy Hellickson (8.1 at high-A and AA), Heath Rollins (4.2 at high-A and AA) and Mitch Talbot (4.0 at AAA). [Tampa Bay Rays Prospects]
• Joe Bucs Fan is not happy with Stu Sternberg for leaving the tarps on the upper deck for the first two rounds of the playoffs...For the record, MLB has final say in the World Series. If the Rays make it that far, MLB has already told the Rays to have the tarp removed. [Joe Bucs Fan]
  

Way too much is being made of the decision by the local chapter of the BBWAA to name Jason Bartlett the Rays' MVP.

First it was the guys at Fire Joe Morgan taking exception to the vote.

"...if any baseball analyst of any kind tells me that "you really have to watch Jason Bartlett play every day to understand how much he means to this team," and that same analyst is found drowned at the bottom of my hot tub the next morning, and I am found standing upon that corpse, in the hot tub..." [You get the idea]

Then Big League Stew challenges his readers to try an name the pictured MVP.

I honestly have no idea why the Tampa Bay baseball writers just named Monsieur Bartlett the Rays' season MVP, well ahead of Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.

Somebody even hoped it was an April Fools Joke (funny is following along in the comments on that link as the author arrogantly dismisses anybody that disagrees with his assertion that Bartlett is not in the top 10 MVPs for the Rays).

An argument can be made that other players are more deserving, but to completely discount the notion of Bartlett as MVP as a "joke" is indicative of somebody that is just not paying attention.

The single biggest reason the Rays have improved by 27 games in the win column (so far) is the ability of the team to prevent runs. In 2007, the Rays pitching staff allowed 944 runs. This season the Rays are on pace to give up 663 runs, a 281 run improvement.

While each pitcher contributed to the improvement, Bartlett contributed to the improvement of every pitcher. He was also the keystone to the improvement of the entire defense. Just as Troy Percival improved the entire bullpen by slotting the rest of the relievers into positions more suited for their talents, Bartlett solidified a defense that cost the Rays games in 2007. And Bartlett's value is magnified having replaced a group that cost the Rays more runs than they prevented.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena have better offensive numbers and both play excellent defense. But, the Rays made it clear that if the team was to improve, they needed to be stronger up the middle. And that is what Bartlett brings to the team. Defense begins with the shortstop, catcher and center fielder. If those are weak, the entire defense is weak.

Bartlett would not have been our first choice for MVP. We would have voted for Dioner Navarro (the catcher in us may be biased), and Longoria, Pena and Upton deserve consideration. But Bartlett would be in our top 5 and we have no problem with anybody else that would do the same.

MVP voting is subjective. This is why the awards are voted on. Even with a clear #1, people will disagree. Just don't you dare disagree with this guy.

Tampa Bay BBWAA awards [Rays Report]
It's OK [Fire Joe Morgan]
This man is the MVP of your Tampa Bay Rays...Name him [Big League Stew]