Baseball America has the Rays' list of minor league free agents...



The biggest name on this list is Joel Guzman. Guzman was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Julio Lugo to the Dodgers. In two years, Guzman appeared in 16 games for the Rays (all in 2007) going 9-37 with no home runs. Long known for his solid glovework and power potential, his bat just never caught up with the hype. In 242 games since being acquired, Guzman hit only 36 home runs, and posted an attrocious 220-to-42 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go along with his .281 and .276 OBP rates.

Nick DeBarr was a former Rule 5 pick (2006) by the Red Sox that was later returned when he did not make the major league roster.

Last night's contest was rained out. The Rays and Yankees will play a day-night double-header with the first going at the originally scheduled 1:05 and the night-cap will be at 7:05...Boston beat the Jays last night 7-0, and will also play a double-header today...The Twins were rained out in Baltimore so the magic number remains 10.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• DRays Bay doesn't understand why all 29 Major League GMs, who are actually, you know, paid to make such decisions, passed on the opportunity to add a guy to their roster who had 103 strikeouts and only 19 walks in triple-A. A player that will be out of minor league options in '09. A player that has a career minor league OBP of .311. A player, who despite all of his "power potential" has only hit 20 home runs once in 7 minor league seasons...And when we *tried* to have an intelligent discussion on the matter in their comments section, the only responses were vile attacks on our website and on us personally. Having a conversation with them is like a Martian talking to a fungo. [Drays Bay]
  
• In case you missed it last night in the Twitter updates in the right-hand column or this morning in the "Down on the Farm" segment, David Price, Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jonny Gomes will join the Rays today, now that Durham's season is over. Despite pitching on Tuesday, Price is available to pitch during today's double-header. Niemann last pitched on Wednesday, so we expect he will not be available today. All three, Price, Niemann and Talbot will work out of the bullpen for now. [Rays Report]
• Evan Longoria will return to the lineup in game 1 today. He will not start in game 2. BJ Upton is not expected to play today and Troy Percival is expected to be day-to-day for the rest of the season. [Tampa Tribune]
• John Romano wants to give Joe Maddon the benefit of the doubt, but if Maddon truly has the team's best interest at heart, then Romano thinks Troy Percival should not be closing any longer. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Take away the historical context and the $20 million players, and we fully agree, the Trop is better than Yankee Stadium. And unlike 99% of the people that badmouth the Trop, we have actually been to games in both stadiums. I would also say that the level of comfort and enjoyment of the Trop is better than Fenway where only people 5'2" can be comfortable and half the seats face the outfield wall, Shea Stadium which is a dump and new Commiskey, which is boring. We are sure there are others. [Bugs and Cranks]
• The Rays lost the coin-flip to decide who would host a matchup should a one-game playoff be needed to decide the AL East crown...To clarify, a one-game playoff will only be necessary if both the White Sox and Twins have better records than the Rays and the Red Sox. One-game playoffs are not used if both teams are guaranteed a playoff spot. In this case it is very likely that both the Rays and the Red Sox will be in the playoffs making this entire matter moot. [The Heater]
• The Florida Aquarium has given five new baby Rays some familiar names. [Tampa Bay's 10]
  

Marc Topkin is reporting that Dan Johnson and Michel Hernandez have been added to the 40-man roster and will report to the Rays. To make room on the 40-man roster, Joel Guzman has been designated for assignment.

Johnson will start tonight in left field, with Eric Hinske in right and Gabe Gross in center. Sweet Fancy Moses. That might be the worst defensive range ever for a major league outfield.

Johnson was originally added to the Rays' roster in April, when he was claimed off of waivers from the A's, but was with the Rays for less than a week, appearing in only 1 game. He was designated for assignment and assigned to Durham. At Durham, Johnson led the IL in OBP (.424) and OPS (.980), hitting 25 home runs. Johnson also expanded his defensive range. Prior to this season, Johnson had only played first base as a pro, but has seen time at third base and the outfield in Durham.

Hernandez is a journeyman minor leaguer who has only appeared in 5 major league games (with the Yankees in 2003) in 11 professional seasons. He was only recently acquired by the Rays to fill the void on the Durham roster after the promotion of John Jaso and release of Mike DiFelice.

Guzman, the Dodgers' former top prospect, was originally acquired (with Sergio Pedroza) for Julio Lugo. The former shortstop flashed a good glove at several positions and immense power, but never was able to command the strikezone. This season Guzman had 103 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 116 games.

With the Durham Bulls playing game 1 of the IL championship series tonight, Craig Albernaz and Rashad Eldridge have been added to the active roster. Both players were most recently with double-A Montgomery.

C Hernandez, INF/OF Johnson called up [The Heater]

Indianapolis 9, Durham 8. David Price made his second triple-A start, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 4. He added a wild pitch. He left with a 5-3 lead, but Dale Thayer gave up 5 runs in 1 inning of work...After regaining the lead, Scott Dohmann blew his first save in 20 opportunities...Jonny Gomes was 2-3 with 2 walks and a 3-run home run...Elliot Johnson added his 8th long ball...John Jaso was 2-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Tennessee 11, Montgomery 2. Jason Cromer allowed 12 hits and 2 walks in only 4.2 innings, leading to 3 runs...Rhyne Hughes was 2-4 with his 13th home run, a solo shot in the first inning...Matt Spring had 3 hits in 4 at bats, including a double.

Vero Beach @ Palm Beach (ppd. rain)

Columbus 5, Hagerstown 4 (10). Stephen Vogt homered with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th for the walk-off win...Jeremy Hall started and gave up 4 runs in 5.2 innings on 10 hits and a walk...The top 5 hitters in the lineup all had 2 hits apiece, including Reid Fronk who had a pair of RBI on 2-4 hitting.

Hudson Valley

Elizabethton 16, Princeton 4. Tim Beckham was 2-4 with a double and his 2nd home run. He did commit his 11th error on a throw.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Joel Guzman has been placed on the DL. Chris Nowak has been promoted from Montgomery to take his place. [Biscuits' Batter]
  

An interesting situation is developing in Durham, that is worth keeping an eye on...

Dan Johnson has started the last two games for the Durham Bulls at third base. Johnson, who leads the International League in OBP (.422) and OPS (.969), has only played first base and DH since being drafted in 2001 by the A's. Joel Guzman, the Bulls regular third baseman started both games at shortstop, a position he played exclusively his first three years as a pro in the Dodgers organization.

There is no official word as to why the move was made. Was the move done to make Johnson a third baseman, to return Guzman to shortstop or both? Reid Brignac is on the DL, and Guzman could be filling that vacancy. But the Bulls also have Ronnie Merrill, recently promoted from Montgomery and Elliot Johnson as two players better suited to play SS.

Johnson has shown signs he can be a decent major league hitter, with a career .344 OBP in 318 games, but many feel he does not hit well enough to be an everyday first baseman or DH, and he does not have enough positional flexibility to be a bench player in the majors.

With Evan Longoria on the DL and Willy Aybar filling in for the next few weeks at third base, adding the hot corner to Johnson's resume could make him more attractive to Joe Maddon as a bench option and spot-starter.

Also, a successful return to SS for Guzman, could give Maddon a better defensive backup at that position in the majors. Guzman has always shown strong defensive abilities, even at SS, despite being 6'6". He is hitting .248-19-68 (.277 OBP) in 111 games. Guzman has immense power, but has never developed command of the strikezone. This season he has 100 strikeouts and only 19 walks.

Complicating matters is the roster status of both players. Johnson is not on the 40-man roster. If Andrew Friedman does decide to promote Johnson, somebody would have to be removed from the roster. Of course, Friedman may also be attempting to increase the trade value of Johnson who would not have to clear waivers. As for Guzman, he will be out of minor league options in 2009. Therefore, he will either have to be on the Rays 25-man roster, traded or Designated for Assignment, effectively making him a free agent.

With only a couple of weeks remaining in the Bulls' schedule, this will be an interesting development to follow as the Rays could be setting up a future move with the major league roster.

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.

Lehigh Valley 4, Durham 3. Ben Hendrickson gave up a single unearned run in 7 innings...Elliot Johnson hit his 4th home run and drove in 2.

Mobile 6, Montgomery 4. James Houser gave up 6 runs in 4 innings...Chris Nowak drove in 3 of the runs on 1-3 hitting.

Vero Beach 5, Clearwater 2. With the recent roster changes Chuck Tiffany got the spot-start and threw 3 shutout innings, on 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 2...Rocco Baldelli doubled, walked and drove in 2 in 5 plate appearances...Desmon Jennings was 3-5 with a double and a triple.

Columbus 6, Charleston 1. Jeremy Hall stuck out 8 and walked 1 in 8 shutout innings...Reid Frink finished 2-4 with his 8th home run. He drove in 3.

Hudson Valley 1, Brooklyn 0 (12). A John Mollicone single in the 12 won it for the 'Gades...Nick Barnese struck out 9 and walked none in 7 shutout innings. He gave up 3 hits.

Danville 7, Princeton 1.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• David Price will make his double-A debut today and Tim Beckham will make his professional debut today. [Biscuits' Batter]
  
• Joel Guzman has been placed on the Temporary Inactive List so that he could return home to tend to a death in his family.
  
• ArmchairGM includes Jeremy Hellickson and Reid Brignac in their latest look at the top prospects in the minors. [ArmchairGM]
• Fangraphs wonders what has happened to Wade Davis in '08. [FanGraphs]
  
• Dexter Sports profiles Jake McGee. [Dexter Sports]
  

Norfolk 5, Durham 4. Joel Guzman hit his 12th home run and finished 3-4. In his last 8 games, Guzman is now 13-32 with 6 home runs and 10 RBI...Mitch Talbot allowed 4 runs in 6.1 innings. Juan Salas pitched the final 2.1 innings but picked up the loss after allowing a 2-strike, 2-out solo home run in the 9th inning...Reid Brignac was 1-3, while Elliot Johnson and Mike DiFelice added 2 hits and an RBI apiece.

Montgomery 3, Chattanooga 1. Wade Davis picked up his 5th win with 5 strike outs and only 1 walk and 2 hits in 7 innings. He gave up 1 run. He retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced...Rashad Eldridge and Gabby Martinez were 2-4 each. Eldrige added his 10th stolen base and Martinez drove in his 31st RBI.

Vero Beach 3, St. Lucie 2. Ryan Morse struck out 5 and gave up 2 runs in 6 innings...Ryan Reid picked up his 8th save with 2 strikeouts in 1.1 innings. He now has 44 strike outs to only 3 walks....Vero Beach managed only 3 hits, but managed 3 runs for the win.

Asheville 2, Columbus 1. Alex Cobb gave up only 1 hit and 1 walk in 7 shutout innings, but was saddled with a no-decision as the bullpen could not hold the 1-0 lead. Cobb did not allow a baserunner until one out in the 5th when he hit a batter. The no-hitter was broken up with 2 outs in the 6th with an infield single.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• David Price will make his second professional start tonight for Vero Beach. He will be opposed by Pedro Martinez of the Mets, who is on a rehab assignment. [Biscuits Batter]
  
• Baseball-Intellect has started a video breakdown of the top prospects in the upcoming Rule 4 draft. Up first is lefty Brian Matusz. Not very likely to go to the Rays, as most mock drafts have him falling to the Orioles at #5. Our concern, and this report seems to confirm this, is whether Matusz would even be a first-rounder if he weren't a left-hander. Probably not. [Baseball-Intellect]
  

Durham 7, Norfolk 1 (gm 1). Jeff Niemann worked 5 innings but was pulled after 75 pitches. He did pick up the win allowing only 1 unearned run...Nathan Haynes lead off and went 2-3 with 2 RBI while Joel Guzman hit a home run in his 4th straight game and 11th overall...Reid Brignac was 1-4 with a double and an RBI.

Norfolk 6, Durham 1 (gm 2). Kurt Birkins was used as a spot-starter in the night cap and took the loss after giving up 3 runs in 3 innings...Justin Ruggiano had 1 of the Bulls' 5 hits, drove in a run and stole his 11th base...Joel Guzman was 1-3 and Reid Brignac was 0-3.

Montgomery 4, Chattanooga 2. Jake McGee picked up his 2nd straight win and 5th on the year despite walking 4 and giving up 4 hits in 5 innings. He pitched around most of the trouble holding the Choo-choos scoreless for the first 5 innings. He was pulled in the 6th after allowing the first 2 batters reach base. Jason Cromer came in and allowed both inherited runners to score...Rashad Eldridge and Matt Spring were each 2-4, while Spring added his 4th home run, a solo shot in the 9th.

Vero Beach (off day)

Asheville 9, Columbus 5. Brian Flores was pounded for 7 runs in 4 innings and dropped to 4-2...Greg Sexton was 3-5 with a double and an RBI raising his average to .309...

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• ArmchairGM previews the upcoming draft and Mock's the first 5 picks predicting that the Rays will select Buster Posey. [Armchair GM]
  
• Tampa Bay's Tomorrow wonders if the answer to the right field situation is already in the minors, by the name of Joel Guzman. Guzman has now hit a home run in 4 straight games and has 11 on the season. At 23, Guzman could be on the verge of finally discovering consistent power. [Tampa Bay's Tomorrow]
• Joe Maddon notes that Willy Aybar is swinging the bat well on his rehab assignment. Aybar got the day off yesterday and Maddon wants to see how Aybar's leg responds to a day off and will return to the lineup today for a couple of games and then the team will decide what the next step is. [MLB]
  

Evan Longoria has been promoted from AAA Durham and will make his major league debut tonight for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Baltimore Orioles.

The timing of the promotion raises several questions:

1. What has Longoria done in two weeks at Durham to show that he is now ready?

Not much. We were told that Willy Aybar was given the job out of spring training because Longoria was not ready. In 7 games, The Dirtbag was 5-25 (.200) with 1 RBI and ZERO extra-base hits. If the decision was indeed based completely on whether or not Longoria was ready, the Rays would not be calling him up now just to fill the hole created by the injury to Aybar. Longoria is no more ready after only 7 AAA games than he was at the end of March. Rather, the Rays would let Eric Hinske or Joel Guzman start at third base for the next two weeks.

2. Will Longoria still be the starting third baseman when Aybar comes off the DL?

If he struggles, the Rays have a built-in excuse to send Longoria back to Durham in two weeks. But that would just go back to the first question. Why bring him up now if he wasn't considered "ready" at the end of spring training? Longoria was not on the 40-man roster. If the Rays were just looking for a two-week stop-gap, they would go with a player already on the 40-man roster. So maybe the job was his all along and the Rays were just waiting the requisite number of days to delay his free agency clock...which brings us to question #3...

3. Did the Rays keep Longoria in Durham long enough to delay the free agency clock?

A service year is considered 172 days. If a player spends 172 (or more) days on the major league roster they receive credit for a full season. The 2008 regular season ends on Sept. 28. If we are adding right, and we like to think we are...if The Dirtbag spends the rest of the season on the major league roster, he will accumulate only 167 service days. In other words, the Rays have successfully pushed back Longoria's pending free agency. If Longoria would have been on the opening day roster, he would have been elegible for free agency following the 2013 season. Having waited only two weeks, Longoria will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2014 season. And while the Rays will certainly try to sign Longoria to a long-term deal, that one year delay will make a huge difference in the structure of any agreement reached between the two sides.

4. Who is out if Longoria sticks?

The Rays will have an interesting problem in a few weeks when Cliff Floyd and Aybar return from the DL (Aybar should only be gone 2 weeks, Floyd 4-6 weeks). Of the four players on the bench, Mike DiFelice and Elliot Johnson appear to be safe due to team needs (backup catcher/shorstop). Certainly Justin Ruggiano will be gone. But that leaves Hinske, Floyd, Gomes, Aybar and Nathan Haynes for four spots. Floyd, Gomes and Aybar are safe. That leaves Hinske and Haynes for one spot. Keep in mind that Haynes is the Rays best defensive right fielder and really the only backup center fielder, although Johnson and Gomes could do it in an emergency. Also keep in mind that all of those players are out of options. Might the Rays seek to trade Gomes or Hinske? There is a very good possibility. If not, they will be forced to DFA Haynes and let Gomes, Aybar and Hinske share the right field duties...and nobody wants that.

While the Rays did not keep Longoria down long enough to delay his arbitration eligibility, they did save the team a year on the back-end and the only cost to the fans and his teammates was 10 games. It is difficult to argue with the reasoning, but forgive us if we question the excuses.

Tampa Bay Devil Dogs (2 days until opening day)

DRG here again to get you through the weekend...

Yesterday: Reds 6, Tampa Bay Rays 3.

• The Good: Carl Crawford was 3-4 with 2 doubles...Carlos Pena hit a ball so hard off the top of the wall in right field that he was held to a single...Dioner Navarro continues to hit, adding 2 more hits and is at .366 in March...Matt Garza went 5 allowing only 2 unearned runs...Jason Bartlett and Aki Iwamura combined on yet another picture-perfect double play.
  
• The Bad: Miscommunication in center field with BJ Upton allowed a routine fly ball to drop, leading to 2 unearned runs, after Matt Garza cruised through the first four frames.
  
• The Telling: Joel Guzman had a great game in the field getting several tough plays and handling them well including throwing a runner out at home. With the addition of Nathan Haynes, Eric Hinske is probably out meaning the third baseman is either Guzman or Elliot Johnson if Willy Aybar is not ready on opening day...Oops. Just found out this morning that Guzman is out, Hinske is in.
  

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• A total of 8 players were cut yesterday. Other than Grant Balfour, the biggest names were Mike DiFelice, Josh Paul and Andy Cannizaro meaning that Shawn Riggans will indeed be the backup catcher and Elliot Johnson will be the backup-whatever. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• Word just came down that the final roster spot will go to Eric Hinske with Joel Guzman being optioned. [The Heater]
  
• Scott Kazmir threw in the outfield yesterday and all reports were that he looked and felt good. [Tampa Tribune]
• Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd are both on track to be ready for opening day while Rocco Baldelli was officially transferred to the 60-day disabled list opening a spot on the 40-man roster. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Baseball Prospectus looks at the leading candidates for the top pick in the June amateur draft, with hot shot high school shortstop Tim Beckham looking like the odds on favorite these days. Sweet Fancy Moses! I am drooling just reading the scouts takes. Better than Justin Upton? Sign me up. [Baseball Prospectus]

Beckham is without question the toolsiest player in the draft, and he's lived up to expectations this year, if not exceeded them. A true shortstop with outstanding hitting skills, power potential, plus speed, and good fielding skills, most insiders agree that no position player comes close to his overall upside. "He looks like Justin Upton to me, only Upton had the throwing problem in high school and this kid doesn't," said one scouting director. "He's also a lot stronger than I thought he was," he continued. "I wasn't sure of the power before, but I'm pretty convinced now." Another scouting director agreed that he was one of the elite players in the draft. "He's a guy who has proven it at every event and every showcase, he plays up the middle and he doesn't have to move," he said. "It's hard to classify high school players as safe, but this one is about as safe as it gets."

• The Wall Street Journal grades the managers in three categories and then ranks them. Joe Maddon comes in at #14. Interestingly, he is tied with his former boss Mike Scioscia. [Wall Street Journal]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (4 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Twins 4, Tampa Bay Rays 2.

The Good: The Rays used the league minimum three regulars yesterday. Two of those three, Jason Bartlett and Aki Iwamura the Rays new double-play combo combined for 5 of the Rays 6 hits, including two extra-base hits and both RBI. They also combined on yet another double-play...For the second straight game Rays pitchers did not walk a batter.

The Bad: Elliot Johnson committed two errors on the same play in center field. First he misplayed a hard hit ground ball single up the middle, and then threw the ball into the dugout. Not what Johnson wants trying to convince Joe Maddon that he can be the backup centerfielder for the first week of the season.

The Telling: Jason Bartlett added his 5th stolen base indicating that even though he will bat 9th, Joe Maddon is going to treat Bartlett like a second leadoff hitter and Bartlett is going to rack up steals this year.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Obligatory Public Service Announcement: We will be hosting the 2nd Annual Opening Day Tampa Bay Rays Live Blog here at RI. So feel free to stop by and join in on the shenanigans as participation is certainly welcome.
• Two days ago we ran a poll on public opinion about the Rays decision to send Evan Longoria to the minors to begin the season. 52.3% of respondents think Longoria should have began the season with the Rays. 47.7% think the Rays did the right thing with sending Longoria to Durham, with 36.7% thinking the move should have been made at least in part because it is good for the future of the franchise. Interestingly, 60.0% think Dirtbag needs more seasoning although about half of those think he could finish the learning curve at the big league level. [Rays Index]
• Thanks to the great work of Stacy Long, we have our first look at what the rosters for each minor league affiliate might look like to begin the 2008 season. These are reflected in the CorkBoard in the sidebar. We say might because camp has yet to break and some of these assignments are only temporary based on needs. There are also several players still in big league camp that have yet to be reassigned. In addition, most of the players listed under the two short-season squads will remain in extended spring training and have yet to be assigned to a specific team. Finally, starting lineups for each team won't be relevant until the season begins...However, we do see a number of big names in the system have taken their expected steps up in 2008. [Riverwalk Talk]
  
• Tigers pitcher Todd Jones takes a none-too-subtle shot at the Rays in the little side bar of his Sporting News blog. Don't worry, you will find our none-too-subtle response in the comments section. [The Sporting News]
• Rocco Baldelli's favorite sport to watch is Team USA softball...Me too Rocco, you sly dog. Me too. *nodding acceptingly* [Bradenton Herald]
  
• Interestingly, with Evan Longoria now in the minors, Willy Aybar may not be the opening day third baseman after all because of a nagging hamstring problem. If he is not ready to go, the starter would either be Elliot Johnson or Joel Guzman. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Joe Maddon calls Jason Bartlett "probably the best base runner I've seen since Paul Molitor." High praise indeed. And just another example that people should not consider Bartlett's spot in the lineup (#9) a sign that Maddon does not have any faith in Bartlett's abilities. Quite the opposite. As the #9 hitter, Bartlett and Iwamura provide Maddon with back-to-back leadoff hitters to get on base and wreak havoc on the basepaths in front of the Rays mini-muderer's row of 2-3-4 hitters Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and BJ Upton. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• RJ Anderson urges Rays fans to look at the big picture and not panic about recent moves involving Jeff Niemann and Evan Longoria or the injury by Scott Kazmir. [DRays Bay]
  
• We are beginning to think the Rob Neyer at ESPN.com is a closet Rays fan. Yesterday, he tackles the issue of whether or not the Rays lied to the fans about why Evan Longoria was sent to the minors. [ESPN]

Of course the Rays lied. Teams lie to their fans weekly, if not daily (Christmas and New Year's are usually lie-free). Baseball teams, like everybody else in the world, tell you whatever they think they can get away with, especially if they think it's something you want to hear...For me, the bottom line is this: I don't care if my favorite team lies, as long as it's in the service of the franchise's long-term health. And while the Rays look silly now, given how impressive Longoria was this spring, I think it was a lie worth telling. And a month or two from now when Longoria is beginning his late drive for Rookie of the Year, all should be forgiven.

• Rob Neyer also has his annual list of the "Top 50 for five years". He previously gave us the positional lists in which Carl Crawford was named the top left fielder for the next five years and BJ Upton topped the list of center fielders...In the overall Top 50, Upton comes in at #15, Crawford is #36 and Evan Longoria comes in at #20 although Neyer notes that the 20-spot "might be too high, as Longoria hasn't played a single inning in the majors. It might be too low, as any objective method will choose Longoria as the American League's No. 1 or 2 third baseman over the next five years." [ESPN]
  
• Jim Moloney calls the Rays one of the top 10 stories of 2008. [MLB]
• Stacy Long has a neat story about how the Rays acquired a new middle infielder (Jeff Bannon) for the Durham squad after Bulls manager Charlie Montoya met Bannon's wife who was a nurse in the hospital where Montoya's son was being treated. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (5 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 10, Jays 0.

The Good: Rays pitchers combined on a shutout without walking a batter and striking out 8. Jason Hammel was limited to 4 innings in the game so that the relievers could catch up on their work (Hammel continued to work in bullpen after his 4 innings), but was very effective. He did not allow a run and gave up only 3 hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out 2...Five relievers, that will all be on the opening day roster, combined for 5 shutout innings, with only 2 hits and no walks with 6 strikeouts...Another errorless game...Jonny Gomes was 3-4 with his 4th home run of the spring...Eric Hinske had a double and a RBI.

The Bad: Guess we could put Cliff Floyd here for going 0-3 and lowering his spring average to just north of the Mendoza Line (.205), but that is a stretch as spring numbers don't mean much, but they mean even less for veterans.

The Telling: Elliot Johnson started at short and played the first 8 innings. Right off the bat in the first he successfully turned a double play and later handled a ground ball cleanly. Johnson needed to show he could handle short if he is going to be a utility player off the bench while Ben Zobrist is on the DL.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Obligatory Public Service Announcement: We will be hosting the 2nd Annual Opening Day Tampa Bay Rays Live Blog here at RI. So feel free to stop by and join in on the shenanigans as participation is certainly welcome.
  
• In case you missed it late yesterday, we have a poll going to gauge the reaction of RAYSHEADS to the demotion of Evan Longoria and see what you think the Rays should have done. [Rays Index]
• Several Rays are not happy about the demotion of Evan Longoria including Jonny Gomes...They must not have asked Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman their thoughts. [St. Pete Times]
  

If I say I commit to winning, he's on my team for sure. I think everybody wearing a Tampa Bay hat and uniform wants that guy here. I don't think it's a good day on the players' end and for everybody in a uniform.

• Joe Maddon is taking a very a conservative approach with Scott Kazmir. Kid K will play catch the next few days and may throw from a mound some time next week. And yes, he was officially placed on the DL. [The Heater]
• Gary Shelton shows that the Rays will improve in 2008 and the biggest reason is the bullpen, especially considering the Rays in essence traded Shawn Camp, Ruddy Lugo and Brian Stokes for Troy Percival, Dan Wheeler and Trever Miller. [St. Pete Times]
  
• This is the extreme example of the uninformed bashing that some people are tossing at the Rays since the Evan Longoria demotion...And for the record, the Rays do not have the worst winning percentage in baseball history. There are 20 franchises in history with lower winning percentages. [Mike Responts]
  
• Drays Bay found a stat that shows that Dioner Navarro is one of the better catchers in baseball at blocking pitches in the dirt and preventing runs. [DRays Bay]
• Most previews should have this title. At least this blog is honest enough to admit it, and that earns points in our book. [The Ballclub]
• Willy Aybar is trying to put his troubled past behind and is relishing his fresh start. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Brian Anderson, who attempted a comeback from Tommy John surgery this spring with the Rays, has accepted a position with the team in which he will assist pitching coach Jim Hickey and the front office with scouting. [Rays Report]

Tampa Bay Rays (7 days until Opening Day)

We have a busy, busy day planned here at RI, so be sure to check back early and often...

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 10, Reds 9.

The Good: The two players that the Rays will rely on to be power sources in 2008, Jonny Gomes and Carlos Pena, each hit their third home run of the spring...Elliot Johnson continues to secure his spot as the opening day utility player, assuming Ben Zobrist is on the DL, with 2 more hits while playing center. He is now 19-41 (.463) on the spring with a 1.145 OPS...Aki Iwamura started 2 double plays with his new partner-in-crime, Jason Bartlett...Al Reyes struck out all three batters he faced.

The Bad: Matt Garza needed over 90 pitches to get through 5.1 innings walking 2 and hitting 2 more batters...Troy Percival gave up 7 runs in 1 inning of work on 6 hits and a walk.

The Telling: Andy Cannizaro who figures to be the only person that could beat out Elliot Johnson for utility player, saw time at both second and third.


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• It is never a good day when we read the sentence "David Price left a Minor League start Thursday after feeling some discomfort in his left elbow." Andrew Friedman says that it is not serious. We hope World B. Friedman will forgive us if we hold our breath until Price makes another appearance on a mound. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• Tom Singer names the Rays as one of two team in the AL that are "worth watching for early signs of a miracle". [MLB]

In already setting a club record for Grapefruit League wins, Tampa Bay also has lost only twice in 13 games against other AL clubs, is 6-1-1 vs. the AL East and is 5-1 against Detroit and Philadelphia...Yet it's almost as if the Rays are being humored. That could be a mistake, even if the weight of the AL East does have to curb their optimism.

• Bill Chastain notes that several roster decisions are still up in the air and the team met again last night to discuss some of those decisions. According to Chastain Ben Zobrist is likely to start the season on the DL, but will be available as early as April 5...Our best guess is that Elliot Johnson will now join Eric Hinske, Joel Guzman and Shawn Riggans on the bench. Not bad for a guy that had the 5th worst OPS in AAA last year. We are rooting hard for Johnson. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• Joe Smith also looks at the remaining roster questions...On a side note, does anybody else remember a couple of weeks ago when Joe Maddon was talking about how nice it was that most of the roster was already in place. [St. Pete Times]
• Joe Maddon all but confirms that JP Howell will be on the Rays opening day roster as a long reliever by saying that the last bullpen spot will go to either Scott Dohmann, who was better last year and Grant Balfour, who has had the better spring. Both players are out of options. One will make the team. The other must be traded or will need to clear waivers in order to be optioned to the minors. [Tampa Tribune]

"That is a tough one," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Both have really good arms, both are very competitive. They're making it tough. This is going to be quite a discussion in regard to that spot, because I have a lot of respect for both of these young men - they're both great workers, they're great teammates. It's tough."

• It sucks to be a hitter during an intrasquad game when the opposing pitcher is working on pitching inside. Yesterday, Chris Mason hit two batters in one game at minor league camp...Chuck Tiffany who missed all of 2007 also participated. [Riverwalk Talk]
• Delmon Young has a new commercial promoting the 2008 Twins in which he seeks the advice of Twinkies legends. They tell him to "See the ball, hit the ball". Might just be us, but isn't Young's problem that he swings at too many pitches? [Chinese Evil Dead]
• New and Old Rays gear is being spotted with alarming regularity as far north as Tallahassee. [FSView]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (18 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 7, Spankees 6. Andy Sonnanstine got his first start of the spring and looked sharp going 3 scoreless and giving up only 1 hit. He did not walk a batter. Troy Percival pitched another perfect inning in the 5th. Both veteran non-roster invitee catchers saw playing time with Mike DiFelice getting the start. He went 0-2 with a strike out, while Josh Paul had a single in two at bats. The Yankees were 4-4 in steals against Paul. Reid Brignac who now has an outside shot at being on the roster for the first week or two as the Rays backup shortstop played late and went 2-2 with a walk. John Rodriguez played right for a while and went 1-2 with a double and 2 RBI. Jon Weber the other leading candidate for the 4th outfielder spot saw time at all three outfield positions going 1-4 with an RBI. Joe Maddon's decision is likely to be based on who can handle center better, which rules Eric Hinske out. Evan Longoria started at third and had a walk in 3 plate appearances. Hinske relieved Longoria while Willy Aybar received one plate appearance as a first baseman.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Oh It's Those Girls recreated yesterday's brouhaha with the aid of various toys and bobble heads. Excellent work, with our favorite detail being the use of AJ Pierzynski bobble-head to represent Shirley Duncan. [Oh, It's Those Girls]
• You remember Shirley Duncan, don't you? He's is the little bitch that thinks a second baseman keeps his glove near his groin. [The Heater]
  
• Jonny Gomes hopes everything is "under the rug" but doubts it. While Joe Maddon called the play "borderline criminal". [New York Times]
• Marc Lancaster has several quotes from the Rays in regards to the Shirley Duncan slide. BJ Upton called it a "dirty play" and Troy Percival noted that this play was not typical of the way the Yankees play the game, which might be the biggest insult anybody can lob at Shirley. It is one thing to play for the Yankees. It is something else entirely to be a Yankee. [Rays Report]
• Big League Stew says yesterday is "The day the Rays finally became a real MLB franchise". [Big League Stew]
  
• This past weekend we linked to this Yankees blog for their idiotic rant after the home plate collision. Now they are back at it. This time they make fun of Jonny Gomes for being so foolish for attacking somebody as big as Shirley Duncan...I can forgive Yankees fans for not knowing about baseball players that makes less than $12 million a year and isn't a future hall-of-famer (re: future Yankee), but Gomes is not a small man and he did not grow up attending private schools the way Shirley did. We'll take Gomes and we'll take our chances. [Joblog Chamberlain]
• Another Yankees blog blames Yesterday's fracas on Joe Maddon...and goes on a long-winded non-sensical ignorant rant against Maddon citing the incident last year when Joe Torre checked Akinori Iwamura's bat as another example as to why Maddon is "a pompous, sarcastic wise ass" and he should "Lay off the beer for a little while, so you stop bursting blood vessels around your nose and so you can reduce the size of the unsightly gut". [The Analytical Typical Yankees Fan]
• Brian Anderson had to be pulled after facing only three batters after feeling "something strange" in his left elbow. Anderson is attempting a come-back after two Tommy John surgeries. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• Chris Mason was reassigned to minor league camp. [Herald-Tribune]
  
• Would the Dodgers want Joel Guzman back? They are suddenly short on third baseman and if Guzman does not make the 25-man roster, he must be traded or released as he is out of options. [Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness]
• Baseball Happenings has a personal affinity for Rocco Baldelli and they will be rooting hard for him to get back on the baseball field...We will too...We will too. [Baseball Happenings]
• Members of the Columbus Catfish and the Montgomery Biscuits received their championship rings yesterday. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• The Montgomery Biscuits extended their Player Development Contract with the Rays for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  

We call him The Dirtbag because of how he plays and because he played college ball at Long Beach State whose baseball team has the coolest mascot in sports...The Dirtbags.

The biggest question mark for the Tampa Bay Rays in Spring Training is whether or not Evan Longoria will be named the opening day third baseman. Manager Joe Maddon has repeatedly stated that the decision will be based less on his stats, and more on how the 22-year old handles himself on a day-to-day basis and how well The Dirtbag adjusts to everyday life as a major leaguer. From now until the Rays announce a decision on Longoria's fate, we will track The Dirtbag's progress through his numbers, our own observations and quotes from Maddon and Andrew Friedman...

Notes on the Dirtbag-O-Meter...

Yesterday at the plate: DNP. Longoria did not make the trip with the team.

Quotes: None reported.

Summary: Willy Aybar was 2-3 with 2 RBI, but committed the team's first error in only 3 total chances. Longoria has been flawless defensively, errorless in 5 total chances in one fewer innings played...Still, this is not your normal spring position battle. The situation is more pass-fail for Longoria, and so far he is passing with flying colors. Aybar could conceivably 'win' the job with a hige spring which could give the team an excuse to end Longoria back to Durham, but so far that has not happened. Interestingly, Joel Guzman has yet to see any spring action at third base logging all his playing time at first base.

Tampa Bay Rays (33 days until Opening Day)

Even though the MRI results are not due until today, the St. Pete Times this morning is reporting that Scott Kazmir will be sidelined for approximately two weeks.

The news on Rays ace Scott Kazmir's left elbow appeared relatively good Tuesday night - no serious injury, but he's expected to be sidelined about two weeks, which makes it unlikely he'd be ready for the opening day start.

Kazmir, 24, walked off the mound Tuesday after feeling "a little discomfort" while warming up for an intrasquad game and ended up in an MRI machine at Dr. Koco Eaton's office. Kazmir said "it felt like it just jammed a little bit, kind of like a hyperextension."

Of course the immediate concern is the status of Kid K's elbow. In relation to the Rays opening day roster...this set-back for Kazmir may be an opportunity for another starting pitcher.

Joe Maddon has stated the five are fighting for the final two spots in the rotation, with incumbants Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine the early favorites. If Kazmir does indeed miss two or three starts in April, One of Jason Hammel, JP Howell and Jeff Niemann may get a shot to extend their audition into the regular season.

If one of those pitchers is slated to become a long reliever, Maddon may be more inclined to start that pitcher in the role immediately and fill the hole in the rotation with one of the other two. For example, if Hammel is to be the long reliever, he may not be considered to fill Kazmir's spot in the rotation.

This set-back for Kazmir now means that we have a significantly better chance of seeing Niemann on the opening day roster.

Rays concerned for Kazmir [Bradenton Herald]
Kazmir checks out [St. Pete Times]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• If you missed it yesterday, we included a "Webtopia" in the "Happy Hour" segment yesterday afternoon. So you will find a number of links there. This may become more common during Spring Training when the media coverage is at it's highest. [Rays Index]
• The Rays held their first intrasquad game yesterday. Not a lot of action, outside of Jonny Gomes making a falling down diving catch. [Herald-Tribune]
  
• Joel Guzman finally resolved his Visa issues and arrived at camp yesterday. Willy Aybar is expected to arrive today. We finally get to see exactly how good the super-platoon, Jolly Guzbar, can be. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• Stuart Sternberg said he would be open to adding payroll to the team in-season if it meant strengthening the team. [St. Pete Times]

"Obviously our payroll has been at or near the bottom. But it's a big business, and with a business like that you need to have some flexibility," Sternberg said during his first appearance of the spring at training camp..."So we will always be in a position to add. The question is, at what cost and not just at the cost, but how does that affect us 2009, 2010? The money isn't endless. It will just have to come from another year."

• Florida Governor Charlie Crist supports the Rays proposal for a new stadium, stating that he believes the new park and the redevelopment of Tropicana Field would be an economic boost for the city. [Rays Report]
  

The new stadium “means a lot. I want to do everything we can,” Crist said, “That is why I wanted to reinstitute the [Governor’s Baseball Dinner], to show how much Florida appreciates what baseball does for the whole Sunshine State. Anything we can do in order to support baseball – and all sports being in Florida – is important...Annually, sports means $32 billion a year for the Sunshine State. That’s a huge economic driver and makes an enormous impact in the production of jobs...[A new Rays stadium is] not just for owners and players but for an awful lot of people that work at the stadium that park the cars and provide the food. It’s very important for all of us and I want to do whatever I can to help.”

• Fire Jay Mariotti rips apart a piece from The Sporting News that thinks the Rays should sign Barry Bonds. [Fire Jay Mariotti]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (34 days until Opening Day)

For those that do not follow the comments sections, let us clarify our point on Barry Bonds.

There are reasons to sign Bonds and there are reasons not to sign Bonds. We understand both sides of the argument. In fact, we believe the Rays would be a better baseball team with Bonds. And in all probability the Rays would sell more tickets and make more money with Bonds.

However, our argument has never been about "should they" or "shouldn't they". We are just saying the Rays won't. Signing Bonds would go against everything the Rays front office has done in the past two-plus years. They traded last year's headaches, Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young. They dropped the term 'Devil' because some people reacted negatively. Free agent signings have filled needs, not wants.

But most importantly, the Rays like to speak of their new 'brand' (new nickname, logos and colors). The team has gone to great lengths to promote the new brand in a positive light. It doesn't seem very likely that they are going to want America's first experience with that brand to be in the form of Barry Bonds.

The Rays have a plan. The plan is working. Now can we please get back to talking about the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays? Yes? Good.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• If you haven't had a chance to vote in this week's "Rays Confidence Survey", you can do so right HERE. [Rays Index]
• Buster Olney (behind the wall of "ESPN: Insider") believes that Barry Bonds makes sense for the Rays. There are now 6,345,122 new stories on Bonds to the Rays, good or bad? We did not want to link to any of them, but Buster Olney is very well respected. [ESPN]
  
• Of course "the players" would welcome Barry Bonds. That is because nobody thought to ask Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes, two players that would stand to lose consider playing time with the addition of Bonds. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• ESPN takes a satirical look at the Pros and Cons of Barry Bonds playing for each of the 30 teams. [ESPN]
• Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman had their visa issues resolved and will be in camp today and tomorrow. [St. Pete Times]
• The Bradenton Herald interview Evan Longoria on how he is approaching this year's Spring Training. [Bradenton Herald]
• The Tampa Tribune interviews Reid Brignac and he discusses the key step that helped him turn the corner with regard to his defense at shortstop. [Tampa Tribune]

Beginning in spring training last year, the Rays set about to revamp Brignac's throwing motion. A tall, rangy shortstop whose build recalls Cal Ripken Jr., Brignac was in the habit of delivering his throws straight over the top. That's what you want from an outfielder, which Brignac was in high school until his senior season, but not ideal for an infielder.

"You can't teach hands or anything like that, but they did a great job of getting me where I needed to be to be successful," Brignac said. "You can either take that and run with it or you can try and do your own thing, and nine times out of 10, if you listen to the advice that has been given to you and the coaching that has gone on and run with it, you learn a lot. You get better."

Brignac certainly did. He had committed 19 errors, most of them with his arm rather than his glove, in his first 90 games for the Biscuits. He committed only three more miscues in his final 43 games.

• Joe Maddon will wait until after the first two intrasquad games before deciding how much Rocco Baldelli will play in the early portion of the Spring Training schedule. [Herald-Tribune]
• Jason Bartlett and infielder coach Tom Foley think that Akinori Iwamura is making great strides in his adjustment to second base. [Tampa Bay Rays]

"He's going to be fine," said Jason Bartlett, the Rays' new shortstop. "Everybody makes a big deal about it, but he's an athlete. ... I don't think it's going to be a problem at all."

"He's doing great," Foley said. "There are some little things he has to do to help him out, but as far as fundamentals, he's doing great.

"Aki's a great athlete and seems to have a real good grip on second base already," Foley said. "It's just a matter of playing games. When you go from one side of the diamond to the other side, and all of a sudden, you get a ball in the gap: What are your responsibilities? Those things have to be reactionary once the season starts."

• One More Dying Quail compares the 2008 to the 1969 New York Mets. And as Red Sox fans they are scared. [One More Dying Quail]
  
• Joe Maddon has enlisted one player every morning to tell the Joke-of-the-Day prior to workouts. [ESPN]
• Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus attended the Tampa Bay Rays' FanFest. He even took a few pictures. [Baseball Prospectus]
  
• One blogger thinks that a new-and-improved Rays could cause havoc in the AL East, which may lead to the AL Wild Card coming from the AL Central. [The Spot Starters]
  

Tampa Bay Devil Dogs (36 days until opening day)

DRG here again to get you through the weekend...

Rays Anatomy interviewed David Price. It is a solid interview with good questions.

However...And this is not a jab at RA because we have seen plenty of other Q&As with Price...but when the hell is somebody going to ask him if the team is going to give him a start in Spring Training? This is the single most pressing and important question.

Has this question been asked and we have just missed it? I have asked three people and nobody remembers having seen this question asked by anybody, including the Rays beat reporters or columnists.

If the Rays even think it is possible that Price will pitch for the Rays in 2008 then they will want to see him pitch against major league batters in the Spring. And not just a few cursory batters in the 8th inning of a Spring game in which the batters are all wearing numbers north of 70. If Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon think Price is close to being ready they will want him to start at least one Spring game and throw him to the wolves, and see how he handles the pressure. If there are no intentions to have Price in the majors in 2008 then he will most likely be reassigned to minor league camp very early.

Maybe Price won't answer the question. But I would love it if somebody would at least ask. And I don't want anybody to tell me that this decision has yet to be made. This has been discussed.

Rays Anatomy And The MLB Source Interview David Price [Rays Anatomy]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Delmon Young is keeping quiet after the challenge from Carl Crawford. Certainly Twins brass strongly suggested he do so. And certainly, it is killing Young to not be able to say something. It must be eating him alive and I think that is funny. [Tampa Tribune]
• Three players (Willy Aybar, Joel Guzman and Juan Salas) remain stuck in the Dominican Republic without Visas. Joe Maddon spoke to the issue and said that Salas is the one that stands to be hurt the most by his absence as he is fighting for the last spot in the bullpen. [St. Pete Times]

"The longer Salas is out," Maddon said, "the more difficult it's going to be for him."

• Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman are expected in camp on Wednesday. Juan Salas is not. It is believed that his Visa issues are due to his drug suspension last year. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Edwin Jackson will pitch the Grapefruit League opener on Friday. He will be followed by Scott Kazmir on Saturday and James Shields on Sunday. Kid K's start on Saturday would have him on pace to start the season opener in Baltimore. [The Heater]
• Joe Maddon said that the decision to start Edwin Jackson has no bearing on who will make the rotation in the final two spots of the rotation. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Dioner Navarro didn't exactly change his diet. He still loves himself some fried chicken. However, he did change when he eats it (not as late at night), and apparently he looks slimmer this Spring. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• The Bradenton Herald takes a look at the other player in the Delmon Young-Matt Garza swap...Jason Bartlett. [Bradenton Herald]
• Matt Garza almost quit baseball in college. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Am I the only one that is confused by this? Just askin'. [DRays Bay]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (38 days until Opening Day)
These links are starting to get out of hand. Is it just us or does it seem like the amount of Rays coverage has gone through the roof this Spring? We may have to make an executive decision to break up "The Hangover" into two posts. One in the morning and then one in the afternoon. We'll see....

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• David Price faced major league batters for the first time yesterday during batting practice. [St. Pete Times]

Price's command wasn't perfect, but his form - and his fastball, slider and changeup - was good enough to earn plaudits from Rays brass, which suddenly flocked from all corners of the Naimoli complex to gather on Field 2 as the tall left-hander took the mound and claimed he didn't notice the crowd.

"Perfectly fine," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "Very impressive."

"He throws like (Francisco) Liriano up there," Bartlett said. "Obviously he doesn't have the changeup Liriano has just yet and the kid's young, but they've probably got Liriano in the future. The guy has to work hard and he'll be up there for a long time."

• Troy Percival has taken well to his new role of team leader, spending time everyday talking baseball with all his teamates. [Herald-Tribune]

With coffee cup in hand, Percival goes from table to table. It doesn't matter if it's a group of veterans or a bunch of non-roster players who have little to no chance of making the major-league team, Percival stops to chat.

"We talked about the cutter," said left-handed pitcher James Houser, a Sarasota High graduate. "The other day it was about the curveball. With me, it's been all about baseball."

"That's the guy you ask," Rays ace Scott Kazmir said. "Any question. I can't think of anything you wouldn't want to ask him."

• Willy Aybar, Joel Guzman and Juan Salas all remain in the Dominican Republic unable to obtain visas to come to Spring Training. The Rays have asked for assistance from Major League Baseball but are unsure when the situation may be resolved. [Tampa Tribune]
• Many of the Rays players and coaches are getting to know Matt Garza the pitcher for the first time. And Garza appears to be maturing as a pitcher, finally realizing that he does not need to strike out every batter. Something we can only hope that Scott Kazmir learns sooner, rather than later. [Bradenton Herald]

"I was a strikeout pitcher. I was always trying to strike out the side, which wasn't necessary because we had a good defense," Garza said. "But if I pitched to contact, I could pitch six or seven innings. I did that until I got up there, and I changed a little bit. I changed back to a strikeout pitcher."

• Last year BJ Upton spent much of Spring Training having to learn several new positions. This year, Upton is able to concentrate on one position and his hitting. [Tampa Tribune]

"It's definitely night and day from last spring," Upton said. "Back then, I wondered where I was going, but I fought through it."

• Carlos Pena is confident he can become an even more complete hitter, even if he does not hit as many home runs in 2008. [Fox Sports]
• John Romano notes that Jeff Niemann may just be following the same trend of all pitchers of his height (6'9") or taller. That is, late maturation. [St. Pete Times]

Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson did not make it to the big leagues until he was 25. The same is true for San Diego All-Star Chris Young. Niemann? He turns 25 in six days.

Admittedly, the sampling is small. Only eight pitchers as tall as the 6-9 Niemann have ever reached the majors. But among those eight, only one had more than a handful of appearances before age 25. And that one is Andrew Sisco, who turned 25 last month and has a 3-9 career record with a 5.18 ERA.

• Mitch Talbot feels that his emotions may be holding him back. Rays bullpen catcher Bobby Ramos a former major leaguer, has taken John Jaso under his wing. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• How young are the Rays? 18 of the Rays 40-man roster spent time in Durham in 2007. [Our Sports Central]
  
• The St. Pete City Council opened the floor to hear opinions from both sides on the debate for a new stadium for the Rays. Our favorite quote is from Caesar Civitella who waited over 5 hours to be heard. "When the Rays decided to move (their spring training) to Port Charlotte, they turned their back on the city of St. Petersburg,"... Huh, wha?!?! He waited over 5 hours to say that? Apparently 78 home games is not enough. Wow. At least nobody was killed. [Bradenton Herald]
  
• DRays Bay interviews Stuart Sternberg. [DRays Bay]
  
• The Tampa Bay Rays have increased the number of promotional giveaways and special theme nights for third consecutive year. In 2008, over half of the home dates (42) will feature some sort of promotion. [American Patriots]
• In 2007, the Rays lost 568 player-days and $1.9 million in salary to player injuries. Will Carroll also predicts some of the Rays' quotes from the upcoming FanFest. [Baseball Prospectus]
  
• This is a little stale as the ads have been running for a while now, but the the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled their marketing slogan for 2008. "We are one team" [St. Pete Times]
  
• This headline made us do a double-take. Link may be NSFW for some, I don't know. [Queer in the Cincy]