[Update 4:24 PM] Marc Lancaster is reporting that Calvin Medlock has been designated for assignment to clear room for Johnson on the 40-man roster. However, there is still no word on who is being dropped from the 25-man roster although Justin Ruggiano seems like the obvious choice. Lancaster also notes that Carlos Pena will not be going on the DL. Medlock came from the Reds in the Jorge Cantu trade.

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Tampa Bay Rays have claimed Dan Johnson off of waivers from the Oakland A's.

Johnson, a first baseman and DH, hit .236/.349/.418 with 18 home runs in 117 games last season.

With Carlos Pena nursing a sore hamstring, he could get the start at first base for the next few days and afterwards he will likely DH against right handed pitchers.

This is a very interesting move for the Rays and more evidence that the team has switched gears towards a win-now philosophy. With Eric Hinske, Cliff Floyd, Willy Aybar and Pena already providing left-handed bats for first base and DH, this signing appears to just be a short-term fix until Floyd and Aybar return from the DL. Afterwards it is hard to imagine that there will be room on the roster for Johnson.

No word yet on who will be removed from the 25-man roster to make room for Johnson.

Tampa Bay Claims Johnson [San Francisco Chronicle]
Dan Johnson claimed by the Rays [Rays Report]

We are going to keep doing this until we run out of ideas so bear with us. This week we are going old school...

Former Devil Ray Jorge Cantu and....................Luke Skywalker

Tampa Bay Rays (23 days until pitchers and catchers report)
We have other things to write about later today, so we won't waste an entire post on Marc Topkin's latest piece. Rather we will just bitch about it here. In the piece,"Rays paying it forward", Topkin suggests that the recent contracts signed by Carlos Pena and Scott Kazmir are an indication that the Rays front office is committed to spending money and retaining the team's talent. The contracts therefore are indications of the team's commitment to winning.

By giving more than $24-million over three years to Carlos Pena and going up to nearly $4-million for a one-year, arbitration-avoiding deal with Scott Kazmir, the Rays on Friday put two of their best players under contract for the upcoming season.

And they may have put to rest questions about their commitment to assemble, and retain, a competitive team.

There is only one problem with this thinking. In the two contracts combined, the Tampa Bay Rays gained ONE extra season out of the two stars. The Rays have now "retained" the services of Pena and Kazmir for ONE additional season.

The Rays and Scott Kazmir agreed to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. And where would Kazmir be playing in 2008 if he had not signed the contract? THE TAMPA BAY FRIGGIN' RAYS. Kazmir is arbitration-eligible. NOT a free agent. Unless the Rays decide to trade Kazmir, he will be playing for the Rays for the next three years. He does not have a choice. And avoiding arbitration probably saved the Rays a little money. Topkin does not seem to comprehend this. The Rays avoided arbitration with Kazmir. They have done nothing yet to retain his services beyond what he is already committed.

In the case of Carlos Pena, the Rays reached an agreement on a three-year contract. That deal does keep Pena in a Rays uniform for the first of what would have been his free agency years. Not three free agency years. Not five. Not seven. Pena is now locked into playing for the Rays for one more season than he would have been otherwise.

This is not a knock on the Tampa Bay Rays. They have shown this off-season that they are willing to spend money and that they will retain their young talent, IF THEY CAN DO SO FOR LESS THAN MARKET-VALUE. That is a commitment to the bottom-line. Not to the talent. Not to the team and not to the fans.

If Topkin wants to make this point, he can tell us about the Pena deal. It is not a huge commitment as it is just for one additional year. However, it is something. Topkin can also tell us about the Troy Percival deal and the Cliff Floyd deal. But please...please...don't use the Kazmir-deal as an example of the team's commitment to retaining talent and their commitment to winning. The deal has ZERO bearing on the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, 2009 or 2010. It does however have a bearing on the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays in that as of now, the chances of Kazmir playing for the Rays beyond 2010 are now a little less.

Here is a suggestion. If and when the Rays reach an agreement with James Shields on a long-term contract, that goes into his free agency years...we want Marc Topkin to erase Kazmir's name everywhere it appears in the article and replace it with the name "Shields". Then he should resubmit the article to his editors, because only then will the article make any sense.

Rays paying it forward [St. Pete Times]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Gerry Hunsicker appeared on XM radio's The Show. Among the topics covered were the recent signing of Carlos Pena to a three year contract and whether 2007 was a surprising performance. "I got to think in Carlos Pena’s case it wasn’t that he never showed the talent because that’s not true, we were the beneficiary’s of Carlos Pena coming to Tampa Bay where there is a little less pressure, the expectations for him might not have been as high and he felt very comfortable. He was given the opportunity to play through the ups and the downs and had a manager that had the confidence in him to put him in the lineup everyday". Hmmm? A manager that had the confidence to put him in the lineup every day? Let's see...He only made the roster out of Spring Training because Greg Norton was injured in the last week before the regular season. The Greg Norton. And Pena did not become the everyday first baseman until the second week of May because Joe Maddon was giving starts at first base to Ty Wigginton and Jorge Cantu. Yes folks. Papa Joe had so much confidence in Pena that he benched him in favor of Jorge freakin' Cantu. [MLB on XM]
• Rays Anatomy offers two points-of-view on what to expect from Carlos Pena in 2008. [Rays Anatomy]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (66-96)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Here is an interesting mathematical projection of the Rays 2008 season. Just based on the upgrade in the rotation with the addition of Matt Garza and the upgrade in defense with the addition of Jason Bartlett, the Rays will give up 121 fewer runs in 2008. That translates to 12 more wins (78-84). [Yahoo! Sports]
• Today is the Rule 5 draft, and it looks like the Rays will sell their #1 pick to the Padres. [Baseball America]
• It comes as no surprise...Scott Boras does not see Carlos Pena signing a long-term deal this off-season. Most likely the two sides will submit arbitration numbers, and settle on a 1-year deal somewhere in between. In our 40-man roster and payroll projections, we predict that number to be close to $5 million. [TBO]
• The New York Daily News is reporting that the Rays are looking at Cliff Floyd to be the part-time right fielder and left handed bat that they are seeking. [New York Daily News]
  
• The Rays were named "Topps Organization of the Year". The award is based on a point system in which the organization earns points anytime a minor leaguer or rookie receives an a Topps Award during the season (ie. Named to the Topps Rookie team, Player of the Month, etc.) [The Biz of Baseball]

The Rays’ individual winners were: John Jaso (August Player of the Month / Class AA All-Star – Southern Lg.); Desmond Jennings (June POM - South Atlantic Lg.); Evan Longoria (May POM / Class AA All-Star – Southern Lg.); Maiko Loyola (Class A Rookie All Star – NY/Penn Lg.); Chris Mason (Class AA All Star – Southern Lg.); Mike McCormick (Class A Rookie All-Star – NY/Penn Lg.); Fernando Perez (Class AA All-Star – Southern Lg.); Jason Ragan (Class A Rookie All-Star – NY/Penn Lg.); Justin Ruggiano (August POM / Class AAA All-Star – International Lg.); Emeel Salem (Class A Rookie All-Star – NY/Penn Lg.); Jae Seo (July POM – International Lg.); Dale Thayer (Class AA All-Star – Southern Lg.) and Delmon Young (Rookie All-Star – MLB).

• Jorge Cantu has been released by the Cincinnati Reds. [Hot Foot]
• Scott Kazmir and Rocco Baldelli traded to the Mets? Fear not, this website is a fake. [FAKE MLB]
• The Tampa Bay Rays and Montgomery Biscuits will begin discussions to extend their relationship past the 2008 season. [Talk Alabama]
  

Devil Rays @ Detroit Tigers
A 3-game set...Tampa Bay is 42-68, 25.5 games back in the AL East...Detroit is 61-49, a half game back in the AL Central...The Rays are 16-35 on the road...Justin Verlander pitches for Detroit tonight. He is 11-4 with a 3.49 ERA...Edwin Jackson takes the mound for the Rays. He is 2-11 with a 6.56 ERA.

(a conversation between Joe Maddon and Jim Leyland in Leyland's office before tonight's game)
Papa Joe: What are the chances that my team can beat you guys tonight Jim?
Papa Jim: (taking a long slow drag on a cigarette) Well, that's pretty difficult to say.
Papa Joe: (sporting a giddy school girl smile) Hit me with it! I've come a long way to see you, Jim. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Papa Jim: (lighting another cigarette) Not good.
Papa Joe: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Papa Jim: (lighting up his third cigarette since the conversation started) I'd say more like one out of a million.
Papa Joe: (looking confused, and then breaking out in a big smile) So you're telling me there's a chance.
(Joe Maddon turns and skips his way out of Leyland's office)
Papa Jim: (blowing smoke rings) There is no way this ends well.
(Jim Leyland shakes head and pulls out another cigarette)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• After Joe Maddon's latest comments on BJ Upton we have to wonder if Rocco Baldelli has a future with the Devil Rays. Maddon expressed that Upton is clearly a better hitter and a more confident player while playing the outfield. [Devil Rays]

Because Upton looks so athletic in center field, Maddon was asked if Upton is wasted when he plays second base..."Not so much wasted, he's looking very natural out there," Maddon said. "I think from what I'm seeing, he will always hit better because that's a mentally easier position for him to play."

• We applaud Carl Crawford's latest comments in which he expressed his frustration with this season. While some take the comments to mean that CC wants out, we see a young player that is growing into a team leader and letting it be known that the status quo is unacceptable. [tampabay.com]

"This year hasn't went as planned, so I don't know anymore," Crawford said. "I'm just trying to wait and see what happens toward the end. Every year is a new year now...This year has been a setback, and I'm not used to setbacks. I'm frustrated with this season. It ain't been a good year."

• Jason Hammel threw a bullpen session on Saturday and he believes he will be able to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday. Joe Maddon is waiting to see how the shoulder feels today and tomorrow before making a decision. [Herald-Tribune]
• We may have been a little quick on the trigger earlier this season when we anointed James Shields as the Rays' ace. [The Ledger]
• Jonny Gomes has done what Jorge Cantu could not. When benched, he kept his mouth shut and performed when given the opportunity and worked his way back into the everyday lineup with strong numbers. [tampabay.com]
  
• Don't look for Akinori Iwamura to make any appearances at second base this season. Joe Maddon believes that is a move better suited for Spring Training. [TBO]
  
• BJ Upton's younger brother Justin, made his major league debut for the D-Backs, 4 days younger than BJ made his debut. [TBO]
• The Devil Rays are expected to announce their new name and colors on Nov. 11. [tampabay.com]
• Former Devil Ray Jason Tyner finally hit his first major league home run after 1,220 at bats. [SFGate]
  

We are still not back from our self-imposed exile in the sunshine state, so the regular posts will not return until tomorrow, but in the meantime, we heard some rumors that Andrew Friedman may have made a move or two this weekend to improve the Rays relief corps. We have reviewed the wires and consulted our abacus, and this was the final count...

Ty Wigginton traded to Astros for Dan Wheeler [Devil Rays]
In the biggest move from the weekend, Ty Wigginton was sent to the Astros for reliever Dan Wheeler, who will begin his second stint with the Rays after being a Rays a draft pick in 1996. Wheeler has struggled this year with a 5.07 ERA, but being reunited with his former pitching coach Jim Hickey may reignite the pitcher that posted strong numbers as a setup man the past two seasons.

If the Rays decide to move Al Reyes, Wheeler would conceivably step into the closers role and could fill the same capacity in 2008. The one drawback to the trade is that Wheeler is a free agent after the 2008 season. However, seeing the current value of relief pitchers in the trade deadline market, Andrew Friedman may already be looking at Wheeler as a commodity that would be sought after in July of next year. If Wheeler can rebound in the next 12 months and flourish in either a setup or a closer's role, he could demand additional pieces that are missing from the Rays puzzle.

Seth McClung traded to the Brewers [Devil Rays]
Has anybody else noticed the irony the in the Devil Rays acquiring a relief pitcher with the name "Bal-four"? Seriously, there is no way this can end well. The enigma enema that is Seth McClung, the big red-headed right hander with a power fastball and an inability to throw it anywhere near the strikezone in crucial situations was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for relief pitcher Grant Balfour.

Balfour, an Australian (we thought they only played Australian rules football?), played parts of three seasons with the Minnesota Twins, before getting a cup-of-coffee this year with the Brewers. He is mostly a journeyman right-hander that may eat innings in middle relief. He posted impressive numbers at AAA this season with 47 strikeouts and only 11 walks and 17 hits in 32 innings. He had a 1.69 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. At 29, we will have to wait and see if the AAA numbers were an anomaly and he is just a AAAA pitcher or if he has turned the corner can can be an effective big league reliever.

The Brewers were forced to part with Balfour, who was out of Minor League options, because they needed roster space Friday for reliever Scott Linebrink, whom they acquired in a trade with San Diego on Wednesday..."He was a guy I was thinking about counting on for next year," said Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. "You look at other teams' bullpens, and that's the kind of arm that teams get and, all of a sudden, they find it. It clicks."

Jorge Cantu traded to the Reds [Devil Rays]
And in a move that only surprised us because a team actually gave up a little value, Jorge Cantu was shipped to the Reds for two pitchers and a player-to-be-named-later. Calvin Medlock is a minor league pitcher who dominated at AA but who has struggled in first 13 appearances at AAA. Brian Shackleford has spent parts of each of the last two seasons with the Reds, but is best known for THIS. Maybe the Rays picked him up to mentor Elijah Dukes. The Rays also sent minor leaguer Shaun Cumberland to the Reds to complete the trade. Cumberland is an outfielder with speed, who has struggled this season in his first year above A-ball.

Cantu was not happy being with the Devil Rays any longer, and with limited defensive skills (re: cement feet), and questionable offensive skills (.544 OPS in 2006, .484 OPS in 2007), he no longer had a future with the Rays. The Reds will ship Cantu to AAA and hope they catch lightning in a bottle. In return the Rays received yet another upgrade

Shawn Bleepin' Camp demoted to the minors [Devil Rays]
This move was so obvious that we were actually surprised when we heard that Shawn Bleepin' Camp was sent to Durham. We do wonder though who Andrew Friedman has been watching the first 3 months of the season.

Camp is a guy who’s obviously been struggling some recently. When his sinker’s really working, he can help out a major-league bullpen by getting groundballs and he’s extremely effective against right-handed hitters. He’s been in a little bit of a rut lately and we’re hoping that by sending him down and giving him a chance to pitch in Durham that he’ll start pitching a little bit more consistently.[TBO]

Recently? The guy has a 7.20 ERA. He has allowed 6,324 inherited runners to score. HE HAS STRUGGLED ALL FREACKIN' SEASON. And he is 31, so he is not going to get much better.

Josh Paul activated from DL [Devil Rays]
Josh Paul as on the DL since May 20. Paul replaces Raul Casanova who was designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster. The team has 10 days to trade, release or ask waivers for Casanova. Most likely Casanova will not be traded and he will clear waivers and be optioned back to AAA Durham. Joe Maddon stated that Paul will see increased playing time with starting catcher Dioner Navarro continuing to struggle at the plate.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has noted time and again that he thought Paul was playing at a high level when he got injured, and he now plans to play him three to four times a week rather than the normal one or two times a week reserved for most backup catchers.

In additional catcher news, Shawn Riggans had surgery on his elbow. The surgery is likely to be season-ending.

Indianapolis 7, Durham 4. Mitch Talbot took the loss allowing 4 runs in 4 innings to drop to 7-8. Jeremy Owens was 3-4 with 3 doubles. Elliot Johnson and Ben Zobrist each hit solo home runs for the Bulls. Jorge Cantu did report to Durham and made his first start at first base going 0-4.

Mobile 7, Montgomery 3. Wade Davis struck out 7 in 6 innings and left with a 2-1 lead, but the bullpen allowed 6 runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Davis had allowed only 1 hit in the first 5 innings before being touched for his only run in the sixth. Tim Corcoran allowed 3 runs in the 7th inning in his first rehab appearance. Evan Longoria was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Reid Brignac was 1-4 with an RBI.

Jupitor 4, Vero Beach 3. Doug Waechter dropped to 0-3 in three single-A rehab starts. On Monday he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. He stuck out 1 and walked none. Sergio Pedroza had 2 of the Rays 5 hits including a solo home run in the 5th inning.

Kannapolis 10, Columbus 9. Woods Fines allowed 6 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 2. Desmond Jennings was 4-5 with 2 doubles to raise his average to .327. Matt Fields was 2-4 with 4 RBI including his 20th double and his 14th home run.

Burlington 6, Princeton 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Uh Oh. Jae Seo was named IL pitcher of the week for the second time in three weeks. He has allowed a total of 2 runs in his last 5 starts. [Durham Bulls]
  
• Joel Guzman keeps tantalizing people with his potential but has yet to show any consistency. He started the season very slow but did hit .327 for the month of June. However, since the all-star break he is only 5-35 and is at .249 on the season. [The News & Observer]
  

"He's still a kid (22 years old)," said Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo. "He's one of those guys that gets to Triple-A real quick. That's what you have to remember when you see a kid like that struggle. Just be patient and he's going to do it.

• Yesterday we mentioned that Jon Weber was a recent acquisition by the Rays and playing for the Durham Bulls. We failed to mention how and when he was acquired. Weber is a 29-year old journeyman minor league outfielder that was most recently in the Rangers system after beginning the season in the D-backs system. We originally thought Weber was signed as a free agent, but rather it appears as though his contract was purchased from the Rangers. [In Forum Sports]
  

We are now only a little over two months from the trading deadline, but it is never too early to speculate on who the Devil Rays will move before July 31st. This past off-season, the Rays were expected to big players in the trade market with several of their young players rumored to be on the move to any of a number of different teams. When the dust settled, Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Elijah Dukes were all still members of the team and only two minor trades for Brendan Harris and Jae Kuk Ryu were made (Brendan Harris was considered a minor acquisition at the time).

The hesitancy this past winter should not carry over to this season. Expect the Rays to be very active in the next two months and this upcoming off-season. And unlike seasons past, any trades made this season will not involve dumping free agents-to-be for minor league prospects that are 2-3 years away. Without any veterans with expiring contracts, there are a handful of veterans they may choose to move, but all are signed for 2008 or have team options at relatively cheap prices. In addition, the team will be looking for major league talent or players that are very close to being ready for the big leagues.

While the focus will undoubtedly be on acquiring major league-ready pitching, the team will be more willing to accept hitting talent this season. With a number of top hitting prospects already playing at the Trop, the pendulum of talent has shifted to the pitching side as the farm system is heavy with major league pitching prospects.

So today let's speculate on who could be moved and why. We are laying odds on which Devil Rays are most likely to be moved before July 31...

Elijah Dukes 1:1
Before this week teams may have been holding tight and hoping the Rays would just release Elijah Dukes. That move appears to be dead and any team that is interested in Dukes will now have to reconsider what they would be willing to part with for the 5-tool talent and potential future all-star. Dukes can be had for cheap, but he won't be free. If the Rays trade Dukes now, they will be lucky to get a decent relief pitcher for him which about the same as trading in a brand new BMW with a 2 flat tires for a used Taurus with a clean bill of health. But in the end it is our feeling that the Rays front office has had enough and there seems to be just enough interest out there from other teams that somebody may up the ante just enough to tempt the Rays and take a chance on either the next Lawrence Phillips or the next Gary Sheffield.

Al Reyes 3:2
The Rays have an option year on Reyes for 2008 at $1 million but can be as high as $2.5 million with incentives. For a top-tier closer that is a bargain. But Reyes will be highly sought after this July by contenders that are all looking for bullpen help. How far are the Rays willing to push a relief pitcher with two Tommy John surgeries and who will be 38 in 2008? Chances are not very far. His value will never be higher and while the thought of a bullpen without Reyes in August and September is scary, look for Reyes to bring the Rays back a solid young pitching prospect.

Casey Fossum 2:1
The Rays also have an option on Fossum for 2008 at a relatively cheap price of $3 million. However, there doesn't appear to be a spot for Fossum on the 20o8 roster and while $3 million is cheap for a lefty starter, it is not what the Rays want to pay a lefty specialist out of the 'pen. Fossum's demotion to the bullpen most likely increased his value to the Rays. If he can show in the next two months that he can consistently get out lefties, some team will roll the dice and toss the Rays a AAA pitcher for a lefty that can work as a specialist out of the 'pen and can also fill in as an emergency starter down the stretch.

Ty Wigginton 3:1
Wiggy is an interesting case. He has now proven that 2006 was not a fluke. He is a consistent bat that has proven to be a clutch hitter when it matters most. He also has exceptional positional flexibility and has started games this season at first, third and second. Arbitration eligible, Wiggy makes $2.7 million this season and will likely command $3-3.5 million in 2008. With the emergence of Carlos Pena, Wiggy is now expendable and would make a perfect fit for the Twins who are looking for an upgrade for Nick Punto at third. Wiggy would also free up a roster spot for the Twins as they are a rare team that carries three catchers and Wiggy could serve as the emergency third string catcher. He is also the type of player that the Twins love. A team player that will do whatever he is asked to do to help the club win. The Twins appear to have their collective sights on Mike Lowell of the Red Sox at this moment, but if that falls through they are likely to re-address Wigginton. The Yankees could also be an option, but if George Steinbrenner is involved it might not happen as King George would never take a chance on helping the Rays.

Carlos Pena 5:1
The odds are about 3:2 that the Rays would move Pena or Wigginton. It is just a matter of which one at this point. The Rays control Pena for two more seasons, but his arbitration case this off-season will give him a large raise in pay. Finally emerging as the great hitter that many had projected, the Rays will be willing to pay a higher salary for the next two seasons if they believe that this recent surge is not a fluke. If they think he is peaking, they may decide to sell high and a team like the Yankees that is looking for an upgrade at first base have some solid pitching prospects.

Jorge Cantu 10:1
Cantu...Cantu...Cantu...This is a player the Rays would love to move but it doesn't look like they will find any buyers. It is not a good sign when BJ Upton goes on the DL and the team does not even have enough confidence in Cantu's defensive or offensive abilities to give him any starts at second base in Upton's absence. So right now he is a first baseman with no experience at first base, that may or may not be able to hit major league pitching. If Cantu is moved, he won't bring much back in return.

Rocco Baldelli 30:1
Despite his continued struggles with hamstring injuries, teams are likely to approach the Rays and see how much it will cost to acquire the center fielder. Hamstring injuries are something that a player is capable of over-coming and Rocco showed in the second half of 2006 that he is still a formidable force when he is healthy. If Rocco was healthy and if Elijah Dukes wasn't such a mischievous badger, this number would be much lower. But if we know one thing about the Rays front office, it is that they are smart businessmen and trading Rocco now is not a smart business move. His value could not be any lower unless he decides to send Joe Maddon a picture of a gun and/or impregnates Carl Crawford. The Rays are more likely to work with Baldelli to change his running style and improve his hamstrings and wait for him to once again be the great center fielder everybody knows he can be. Then again, the Red Sox are probably secretly drooling over the New England native with the light complexion and good looks, that would be an instant star in Beantown. If the Red Sox do try to acquire Rocco, it is more likely to happen in the off-season, rather than risk inserting an injury-prone player into the middle of a world series run.

Devil Rays 6, Tigers 5.
If someone would have approached us and said "would you sign for being tied with the Yankees after 49 games?" We would have been idiots to say 'no', yet somehow being tied with the Yankees and 13.5 games behind the Pink Hats is not so fulfilling right now. Still, considering the Rays only have 2 starting pitchers. Not at all terrible.

Last night Edwin Jackson once again teased us into thinking that the Rays may already have a 3rd pitcher at the major league level. There is no doubt that Jackson has an incredible arm and we have to keep reminding ourselves that he is still only 23. But we can't ignore a 7.12 ERA and only 43 innings in 9 starts (4.2 innings per start). So he remains a bit of an enigma. A project that could be great once molded or he may never "get it".

One only need to look at last night's second inning to summarize Jackson's entire career. The inning started with 3 straight singles to load the bases. Jackson then gave up a fourth straight hit, that drives in 2. On the play, an errant throw from Carl Crawford to home, somehow missed Jackson's glove as he backed up the play, and struck him in the face. After that play, Jackson settled down and struck out the next three hitters, the last two on 6 pitches. So, in the span of one inning, Jackson struck out 3 batters, failed to catch a throw from Crawford and got struck in the cheek, allowed 4 hits and 2 runs. He looked great. He looked awful. He looked stupid. All in the span of one half inning. Folks...We introduce you to, Edwin Jackson.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Finally, the Rays may be ready to shake up the rotation, although nothing is official yet. Jae Seo was moved to the bullpen so that Edwin Jackson could pitch for the first time in 10 days last night. The Rays will not need a 5th starter until next Tuesday and the Joe Maddon made it clear that Seo is not guaranteed to make that start. Andy Sonnanstine will be on regular rest for that Tuesday game, although with a weeks notice, it shouldn't be too difficult to shuffle the Durham rotation for Jeff Niemann to make the start.
  
• Well, we thought that Jorge Cantu would be the first player sent down when Akinori Iwamura was activated and that Jonny Gomes would be demoted upon Rocco Baldelli's return. Looks like we got the order wrong as Gomes was sent down yesterday. Both players have struggled offensively, so Cantu's defensive flexibility (and we use that term very loosely) gave him the edge over Gomes.
• Jorge Cantu made it clear that another demotion would lead to another trade demand.
  
• How does Jorge Cantu not make the list of least attractive baseball players?
• Stuart Sternberg made indicated that Elijah Dukes could still be released. That is about as likely to happen as the Rays winning the division this season. Read: Not very likely.
• Gary Sheffield has a close connection to Elijah Dukes that extends beyond Hillsborough High. Sheff believes he can help Dukes, but he is not reaching out to him at this time.
  
• Scott Kazmir moved from one side of the rubber to the other and results on Sunday were impressive. After throwing 15 of his first 30 pitches out of the strike zone, he settled down and 52 of the next 77 were strikes.
  
• The Devil Rays slip a spot in SI.com's latest power rankings. They are now #25.
• Awww, how cute. A list of the "cutest" first names in baseball. Which one would make the best baby name? Here is your chance to vote for Ty Wigginton.
• Carl Crawford is 4 hits shy of tying Aubrey Huff for the most hits in team history (870).
  

Yesterday our performance was about as effective as Seth McClung in pretty much any role above AAA. We speculated that the Rays would have to soon decide between keeping Carlos Pena or Greg Norton on the major league roster. We did not consider that Greg Norton cannot be sent down to Durham without clearing waivers. We also completely forgot about Jonny Gomes (considering the amount of playing time he receives, can you blame us?). Now it seems fairly obvious that when Iwamura returns, Gomes will be the one headed to Durham. We don't call this "The Hangover" for no reason.

This does not mean that Norton is completely off the hook in this situation. So far during Norton's rehab assignment at AA Montgomery, the Biscuits have played 10 games. During that period Norton has missed 3 games and was the DH in 5 others. He has only been able to play first base 2 times as he is still experiencing soreness in his knee. Despite being eligible to come off the DL, it will be at least a few more days until he rejoins the team. Of course, with the emergence of Pena, there is no need to rush Norton and if his knee is not 100%, it would not surprise us if Norton is placed back remains on the DL for two more weeks, and has his rehab assignment cut short.

Tonight the Devil Rays open a series against the Rangers in Orlando at the Disney World complex. We are not really sure what to think about it. We understand the reasoning behind it, as the organization hopes to expose the Rays to new fans in central Florida. A Rays home game outside will be a nice change but we are sorry if the idea does not excite us. We have been to a few spring training games in Orlando and it is a nice park, but we have a feeling that tonight's game is going to look and feel like a spring training game.

Now there is talk about making this an annual event. However, the players and coaches would prefer that it not happen at all.

It's a couple more nights in a hotel for most of the team, with the exception of area residents like first baseman Carlos Pena and pitching coach Jim Hickey; and getting used to a new infield, outfield and pitcher's mound. It's a remarkable amount of work for the support staff, from Chris Westmoreland and his clubhouse crew attempting to create a major-league environment in a spring training stadium to head trainer Ron Porterfield arranging for all the various medical services to be in place, including having ambulances on hand and a hospital designated just in case anyone needs to be rushed to emergency surgery.

Given a choice, just about everyone involved on the logistical side probably would rather play at Tropicana Field...

But hey...Goofy couldn't be any worse than half of the team's bullpen.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Despite his recent struggles, Rocco Baldelli will continue to lead off for the Rays.
• The use of Disney's Wide World of Sports baseball field (capacity 9,500) will be the smallest ballpark to host a regular season game since the A's were forced to start the 1996 season with six games in Las Vegas (capacity 9,000) due to renovations at their home park.
  

Angels 9, Devil Rays 1.
Don't blame us. We said we wouldn't be surprised if the Rays lost 10-1....We are never apologists for starting pitchers. We hate it when somebody says a pitcher threw a great game but just "made a couple of mistakes." It is the biggest gop-out in baseball. Winning pitchers don't make mistakes when the game is on the line. That being said, last night was the second time in the past week that a Devil Rays pitcher deserved a better fate. Edwin Jackson didn't have his best stuff, but he battled all night and was betrayed by sloppy defense. He did give up 8 hits in 6+ innings, but he only gave up 1 walk. The Rays committed three errors, including BJ Upton's 6th. With 2 outs in the 5th inning, two runners on in a scoreless game, Upton made a great stop of a groundball up the middle but threw wide to first. By the time the inning was over, the Rays had committed 2 errors and were down 3-0 and the game was over.

• Why was the second Rays-Yankees game a night game, on get-away day, before a west coast trip? We understand trying to maximize the attendance, but it was the Yankees and it would have still been a good crowd. So for an extra 5,000 fannies in the seats on Tuesday, the front office may have sacrificed a game on wednesday.
  
• Jorge Cantu is just as comfortable at first as he is at second base (uh oh) and he says it is because, they are the same side of the infield. Pure genius.
• Jorge Cantu was not called up to play everyday and will have to make the most of the little playing time he receives if he has any hopes of being traded.
  
• The upcoming series with the Rangers in Orlando may not sellout.
  
• Ty Wigginton on the other hand is a chameleon when it comes to infield positions and should make a smooth and quick transition to being the most-days third baseman.
• Brendan Harris now appears to be the starting shortstop. We thought this could happen, but didn't think it would happen so quickly.
• Has BJ Upton done enough to reestablish himself as one of the games up and coming stars? Too early to tell, but he is off to a good start.
• Tonight's starter Jae Seo has given up more runs than any other pitcher in baseball (24).
  

Devil Rays 6, Yankees 4.
Show of hands...how many of you thought the inning was over when the Yankees brought in a side-arming lefty to face Carl Crawford with the bases loaded and 2 outs? Be honest. If you don't have your hand raised you are lying to yourself and to us and now you have to carry a Hello Kitty back pack and bring us candy every day. Now...how many of you saw Shawn Camp enter the game with a runner on and no outs in the 8th with the Rays up 6-3, with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi due up, and tasted vomit in your mouth? Get your hands up. Be honest...This team has something. We can't quite put our finger on it yet, but boy can they look good some nights. We shouldn't say this out loud but the Rays really are just two pitchers (1 starter and 1 reliever) away from...Nevermind. So, what is more likely? The Rays now head to Anaheim and Oakland for 5 games and come home for 6 games against the Twinkies and Oakland. Not an easy stretch at all. Do the Rays build on the momentum of their first series win of the season and the knowledge that they have taken 3 of 4 from the Evil Empire and club LA in the series opener? Or do they throw out a stinker tomorrow against the Angels and lose a 10-1 ballgame? Honestly, we have no clue at this point. But neither would surprise us.

• Preliminary reports are that Akinori Iwamura will be out 4-6 weeks.
• Shawn Camp has been a completely different pitcher his last 4 appearances. By different, we mean not the worst pitcher in baseball. Does this mean we have to stop making fun of him?
• Jorge Cantu has embraced a move to first base. That is all fine and dandy, but if he wants to be an everyday major league first baseman, his 2005 numbers are a minimum. He is better off fixing his defensive short-comings at second.
  
• Not sure how we missed this. We hope you will forgive us. The Dugout did a Devil Rays preview that is a tad dated but still worth the visit. There has been more than one occasion when we wished Casey Fossum was GettinADelmon.
• Not to start everybody off in a depressed mood today, but has anybody noticed that Josh Hamilton is 5th in the NL in home runs with 5. Wish we hadn't noticed.
  

Jorge Cantu is back. Akinori Iwamura was placed on the DL today with a strained oblique muscle and Cantu was recalled from Durham to take his place.

Honestly we are a bit surprised that Cantu was the choice, although there really isn't a lot of offensive talent at Durham right now. Cantu's demotion at the end of spring training was not received very well by the second baseman and he subsequently demanded a trade. It is not clear if the Rays have entered into anything other than preliminary discussions with other teams about moving Cantu. There just does not seem to be much of a market for a second baseman with limited defensive abilities and a bat in decline.

Iwamura to the DL is a big blow to the this team. He was the one player on the team that would actually work a pitcher. He is 4th in the AL in walks on a team that has always struggled with getting on base. And is it us or is the oblique muscle a recent discovery to science? Up to 5 years ago, we never heard of a player missing time with an injured oblique. Now it happens all the time. Apparently the injury occurred earlier in the week. The big worry is how serious the injury is. Obliques can be a finicky muscle and if not careful, this could turn into a season-long nagging injury.

As for the Rays lineup, look for Cantu to receive at bats, but not regular playing time. BJ Upton is still the second baseman. Ty Wigginton will likely slide over to third base with Brendan Harris also receiving some starts. On days that Wiggy is at third, Carlos Pena will start at first base. Cantu is most likely to receive one or two starts a week at DH.

Orioles 6, Devil Rays 4.
He is only 23...he is only 23...he is only 23...102 pitches in 4 innings. 6 hits, 4 walks. Scott Kazmir actually threw 60 strikes, which is not terrible, so it is not just his lack of control. He just throws too many pitches. Some how he needs to learn to hit the bats more often. Wednesday's loss starts and stops with Kid K, but there were plenty of other problems in between. Ben Zobrist, who was only starting because Aki Iwamura was sick with the flu, committed another error, because he was lazy on a routine ground ball. Instead of getting in front of it, he tried to back hand the grounder...Josh Paul became just the latest Devil Ray that failed to get a bunt a down. And once again Joe Maddon will stick with the call even with two strikes, as if he may be sending a message to the players "I will not let you swing away if you can't lat down a simple sacrifice." ...And finally Elijah Dukes played a flyball to center into a game of twister and eventually a double...But ultimately, none of that matters if Kazmir can keep his pitch totals down and work deeper into games. He just needs to trust his stuff. You could see it on radar gun where his fastball was rarely touching 90 and never higher than 91. That is a classic sign of a pitcher that is aiming and not throwing. He was slowing everything down, hoping to find the strikezone. When a pitcher does that he loses his mechanics. He is only 23...he is only 23...he is only 23.

• Akinori Iwamura was out of the lineup with flu-like symptoms which are apparently running through the clubhouse.
• Scott Kazmir was not one of those affected despite his performance.
• The Orioles spent a lot of money on their bullpen this off-season and as soon as Scott Kazmir was pulled from the game, everybody knew the game was over. The O's pen is just better than the Rays right now.
  
• Elijah Dukes is trying to bust out of his slump and he is smart enough o know that it was not the 2-3 performance yesterday but rather the walk in the 6th inning that could have done it.
• Joe Maddon needs more help at the back end of the bullpen (duh). Brian Stokes is on pace for 93 appearances.
  
• Uh oh. Jenn Sterger is not happy with people knocking the Devil Rays. And if Jenn is not happy, nobody is happy. Then again, we have no doubt that there are plenty of people (us included) that would be more than happy to cheer her up.
• The Colorado Rockies have asked the Devil Rays about Jorge Cantu.
• It is time to start stuffing those virtual all-star ballot boxes with the names Aki Iwamura, Delmon Young and Carl Crawford.
  

Jae Seo was awful last night. Yes, the defense was atrocious with 3 errors in the Rays 12-9 loss to the Rangers, their 4th straight. Still, Seo gave up 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, 1 wild pitch and 10 runs (5 earned) in 3 innings. The Rangers have now scored more runs in their two games against the Rays (20) than they did in their first six games combined (19). And the "Shake your head" stat of the night...Carl Crawford was caught stealing twice last night by the Rangers Gerald Laird. We think that qualifies as an anomaly.

• Elijah Dukes is now the most-days DH. In the spring we predicted that Jonny Gomes would only receive 300 at bats in 2007. Now it looks like he will struggle to get 200.
  
• Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman aren't ready to shake up the roster, but they will look at different pitchers in more crucial bullpen roles late in games.
• Andrew Friedman made it clear that the team is not happy with the performance of the bullpen and they will continue to talk trades with other teams in search of relief relief.
• Another look at the Rays bullpen struggles, via The Rays Review.
• The Rays could be interested in the Astros' former All-Star closer Brad Lidge. Lidge hasn't been the same pitcher since he surrendered a game-winning home run to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS. Whether it is confidence or mechanics or health, we don't know. But in the past year, he hasn't looked much better than Shawn Camp.
  
• Baseball Analysts take an in depth look at Elijah Dukes minor league career and the first 5 games of his major league career. Two aspects stick out. First is that Dukes has actually improved at every level. The second is his patience at the plate, which is very uncharacteristic for such a young player. A point that hopefully will rub off on some of his teammates.
• Jorge Cantu will see time at third base and first base with Durham.Whether he will see time at those positions in Tampa or it is just an audition for other teams is left to be seen.
  
• After last night, the Rays have been outscored 22-9 in the 8th and 9th innings.
• The most wins ever by a pitcher drafted by the Devil Rays is 8. In 2002, Joe Kennedy went 8-11 for the Rays.
  
• Who's got Aki-Fever!?!
  

• The Rays fell behind big in the first two innings and eventually lost to the Jays 8-5. The big blow in the boxscore was a grand slam by the big hurt. However, Rays starter Casey Fossum never gave his teammates a chance. He gaveup 8 hits and a walk in 3+ innings. He also hit 2 batters. Overall the Rays pitchers walked 7, and threw a wild pitch, in addition to the two hit batters. We can take solace in the fact that Fossum will end up on the DL sooner or later.
  
• Rocco Baldelli played centerfield for the first time this season. Joe Maddon is not going to have Rocco in the field everyday. He wil be back at DH this afternoon and in center tomorrow against the Rangers.
  
• After an opening day sellout, the crowd was a respectable 18,495.
• Yesterday's game marked the 30th anniversary of the Blue Jay's first game.
  
• The new FieldTurf2 does look to be playing slower than the previous incarnation. This was most evident when Akinori Iwamura laid down a bunt for a basehit before coming around to score the winning run in the 9th on Friday night. Once the ball hit the Turf, it just died. Last year, that ball would have gotten to the third baseman a lot quicker and Muu-Rah may have been thrown out.
  
• Stuart Sternberg has believes that the first 12 games will set the tone for the rest of the season.
  
• Joe Maddon is trying to preach patience to the young Rays hitters. His goal is to force opposing pitchers to throw 145 pitches a game. So far, the Rays have come up short.
  
• MLB Trade Rumors looks at some potential trade partners for the Rays if they decide to move Jorge Cantu. They lean towards the Mets as the best fit, but admit there really aren't any great match-ups.
• Thanks to the guys at FireJoeMorgan, we learn that Joe Morgan doesn't think that Josh Hamilton deserves to be in the majors and that it sends the wrong message to minor leaguers. We have to agree with Ken Tremendous on his criticism of Morgan's statement. The players with the best skills should be in the majors...Josh is 0-2 in 2 pitch hitting appearances.
  

• Game 2 of the 2007 season was rained out yesterday. No makeup date has been scheduled.
• If the game had been played, Jonny Damon would not have been in the lineup. He is suffering from a sore calf, which caused him to be removed from Monday's opener. In fact, now it looks like he is headed for the DL.
• Four of the Rays minor league affiliates will start today. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be: Jason Hammel (Durham), Chris Seddon (Montgomery), Jake McGee (Vero Beach), Wade Townsend (Columbus). Hammel will be followed at Durham by JP Howell, Jeff Niemann, Andy Sonnanstine and Mitch Talbot.
  
• The rain-out pushes the rotation back a day which is already on an extra day of rest due to the off-day Tuesday. To compensate, Scott Kazmir will pitch ahead of Edwin Jackson on Sunday, with Jackson going Monday against the Rangers.
  
• Jorge Cantu's agent reiterated that the former team MVP has not changed his position and he still wants to be traded.
  
• Expect the Rays to be even more aggressive on the base paths this season, with as many as four players swiping 25 or more bases. The Rays had three on opening day.
  
• According to Buster Olney, manager Joe Maddon is giving a Bob Gibson tape to Edwin Jackson, hoping that it will light a competitive fire in the young prospect.
• The state house might have just helped the Rays sign a new middle reliever, by granting the team a $2 million per year tax break.
• Here is your chance to vote for Devil Rays to make it to Cooperstown. Might be their only chance.
  

• It is cold and rainy here in New York. We will see if we get this game off in time.
  
• It is still to be determined if Jorge Cantu will ever play for the Rays again, but we can be fairly certain that he will never play second base for the Rays again. When Cantu reports to Durham, he is expected to primarily play DH. Also, Cantu was scheduled to be arbitration eligible at the end of the season. Depending on how long he is in the minors this season, he may lose that eligibility until after the 2008 season.
• It's not a good sign when the team's just hopes the #2 starter will keep them in games. A good team would only say that about their #5 and possibly #4 starters.
  
• Apparently the Tampa Bay Business Journal decided they needed a poll to show that Devil Rays attendance will increase if the team wins more games. TBBJ calls it the "Business Pulse Survey". We call it the "No Shit Sherlock Survey". That was money and time well spent.
• Brendan Roberts of the Sporting News is a closet Devil Rays fan.
  
• The Hardball Times looks at Scott Kazmir and other good young lefties.
  
• There was more than one April Fool's Day posts involving the Devil Rays, including one that said Carl Crawford was traded to the Braves, and had us do a double-take in our half asleep hangover state. However, that was not as entertaining as THIS one. We laugh because it is funny...we laugh because it is true.
• 2004 18th round pick Jimmy Scholzen, a short stop, has reported to his first minor league camp 2 years after signing a contract with the Devil Rays. The Rays allowed Scholzen to complete his two year Mormon mission despite signing a professional contract.
  

• The Rays fell to the Yankees on opening day 9-5. The loss reminded us an awful lot of 2006. Scott Kazmir looked good at times, but threw way too many pitches and couldn't get an out in 6th inning, forcing Joe Maddon to turn to his bullpen much earlier than he would have liked. And the bullpen was, well, they were the Rays bullpen. Three of the four relievers used by Papa Joe surrendered at least one run. Also, can somebody explain to us why Rocco Baldelli is stealing bases when he is not healthy enough to play the field. BJ Upton looked good, picking up two hits.
  
• Akinori Iwamura struggled out of the gate in the spring, but did not let that happen in the regular season, picking up his first big league hit on opening day.
  
• Elijah Dukes was the one player we were most excited to see play yesterday and he did not disappoint with a big day.
  
• Jorge Cantu will report to the Durham Bulls after all. We mentioned this during our live blog yesterday, but we will say it again. If Cantu is not a minor league player, then shut up, go down there and prove it.
• Josh Hamilton made his major league debut for the Cincinnati Reds yesterday afternoon. He lined out to left field as a pinch hitter in the 8th, but received a 5 minute standing ovation from the fans. Welcome to the show Josh. It's good to see you.
  
• Surprise, surprise, the Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball and the Rays have the lowest. The Red Sox have closed the gap with the Yankees and that does not include the posting fee for Dice-K. I guess we will start calling them Evil Empire, Jr.

• It's Opening Day!
• The Rays will field the youngest 25-man roster in baseball. Today, will mark Rocco Baldelli's first opening day assignment since 2004. The Rays are actually 5-4 on opening day.
  
• The Rays and the Yankees have markedly different expectations entering opening day.
  
• Manny Stiles has posted his Devil Rays preview. He hasn't been on board long, but he has done his homework.
• The Rays defense should be much improved in 2007.
• Jorge Cantu is threatening to not report to Durham.
• Seth McClung blames his agent, Scott Boras for not informing McClung of the Rays unusual fourth option. The extra option allowed the Rays to demote McClung to Durham.
• No surprise here, but it is now official, Josh Hamilton has made the Reds opening day roster. He still needs to remain on the active roster all season but that will not be a problem for Josh or the Reds.
  
• Don't forget to stop by later today for the first ever Devil Rays live game blog. We are now in the heart of the Belly of the Beast. We are in New York City, a stone's throw from Yankee Stadium. We will be "broadcasting" from the comfort of a couch, a computer, a big TV, and a fridge stocked with beer. We really have no idea what we are doing, but we will give it a shot. We are still trying to figure out this world wide web thing. So whether you are stuck at work or at home, don't forget to stop by as we will get started around 12:45, and follow along as the Devil Rays take their first step towards .500 and the 2010 World Series! We will also keep an eye on the Reds-Cubs game as Josh Hamilton will be making his major league debut.