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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

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

Game 3: Durham 3, Lousiville 2 (Bulls lead 2-1). Jeff Niemann saved possibly his best performance as a pro for when the Bulls needed it most. Niemann took a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and finished with 11 strikeouts to only 3 walks in 8 innings of work, allowing 1 run on 2 hits. Despite giving up 1 run late, Niemann appeared to get stronger as the game moved along. He struck out 7 in his final 3 innings of work...Jonny Gomes provided all of the offense with a 2-run home run in the 1st and adding an RBI single in the 5th.

Game 4: Durham 9, Louisville 1 (Bulls win series 3-1). Wade Davis struck out 7 in 6 innings, giving up only 1 run on 4 hits and 3 hits...Dale Thayer and Heath Phillips threw the final 3 innings, striking out 5 and not allowing a run...Jonny Gomes homered for the second straight game, a solo shot. He also started the scoring with an RBI single in the first...But the offensive star was Matt Spring, playing in just his second triple-A game, his first start. Spring finished 3-4 with a double, a home run and 6 RBI. His bases-clearing double in the 4th broke a 1-1 tie and his 3-run home run in the 6th put the game out of reach.

Staten Island @ Hudson Valley (canceled, rain). The Renegades concluded their season 40-35 in 3rd place, 9 games back...Tim Beckham played in only 2 games for Hudson Valley and sat out the final 4. He finished his debut season hitting .246/.309/.350 with 2 home runs, 14 RBI and 6-7 in steals.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• This will be the Bulls' 6th appearance in the Governors Cup Finals in the last 11 seasons. They will face the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees. Game 1 will be tomorrow in Scranton as will Game 2. Games 3, 4 and 5 will be in Durham. [Durham Bulls]
  
• The Rays have signed an extension with the Hudson Valley Renegades for two more seasons. [Poughkeepsie Journal]
  

Durham 3, Indianapolis 2. Dan Johnson broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 8th with a solo home run and the Durham Bulls clinched the Southern Division title...Wade Davis started and gave up only one hit, a single to the second batter of the game. He struck out 8 and walked 2 in 6 innings. He retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced...Jeremy Cummings made his first appearance since winning a bronze medal with Team USA in the Olympics. He picked up the win after blowing a 2-0 lead...Mike DiFelice got the scoring started with a bases loaded single in the 4th that netted 2 runs...It is the Bulls 7th division title in 11 years.

Montgomery 10, West Tenn 2 (gm 1). Jeremy Hellickson struck out 9 in only 5 innings, but did give up 6 hits and walks leading to 1 run...Erold Andrus went 3-4 with 2 doubles...Gaby Martinez was 1-3 with a double and an RBI.

Montgomery 3, West Tenn 0 (gm 2). James Houser started and went 3 innings and 4 pitchers combined on a 3-hit shutout...Eddie Morlan pitched 2 perfect innings of relief, striking out 3.

Daytona 8, Vero Beach 1. Wade Townsend took the loss, giving up 6 runs and being pulled in the 4th inning.

Rome @ Columbus (DH; ppd. wet grounds)

Vermont 7, Hudson Valley 5.

Princeton @ Elizabethton (canc. rain). The D-Rays have concluded their season finishing 24-38, 13.5 games out of first place in their division. Lefty Matt Moore was the Rays top pitcher finishing 3rd in the league with 77 strikeouts, going 2-2 with a 1.66 ERA in 12 starts covering 54.1 innings...Second baseman Elias Otero finished 3rd in hitting with a .337 average, 6th with a .398 OBP and 4th with a .932 OPS...Burt Reynolds was the Rays top home run hitter with 6.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• With Princeton's season ending yesterday, Tim Beckham will now join Hudson Valley for their final 11 games. For those of you in the NYC area, four of those games will be in either Brooklyn or Staten Island. [Poughkeepsie Journal]
• Reid Brignac was named to the IL's postseason all-star team. [Durham Bulls]
• Reid Brignac was also named best defensive shortstop of the IL by Baseball America. (password required) [Baseball America]
• Chris Mason and Mike Wlodarczyk are the Rays' 6th and 7th players named to participate in the Arizona Fall League. [Biscuits' Batter]
  
• Here is a link to a video showing the Durham Bulls celebrating their Southern division title. [Yahoo! Video]
  

Durham 6, Indianapolis 5. Nathan Haynes singled home the tying run in the top of the 9th and then scored the go-ahead run on a sac fly by Jon Weber...Jeff Niemann struck out 6 and walked 6 in 4.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and 5 runs. He also hit a batter. The big blow was a bases loaded double in the second inning after Niemann had walked the bases loaded. Niemann has now walked 16 batters in his last 20.2 innings pitched...Chris Richard was 2-5 with a double and a home run. He drove in 3...John Jaso added his 3rd home run since being promoted from Montgomery...Fernando Perez stole his 39th base. He is 4th in the IL in steals...Dan Johnson was 2-5 and leads the IL with a .969 OPS and .422 OBP.

Jacksonville 7, Montgomery 3. James Houser made his first start in a month and was limited to 1.1 innings, walking 3 and giving up 1 hit and a run...Ryan Reid pitched 2 perfect innings of relief with 2 Ks...JT Hall hit a solo home run.

Jupiter 7, Vero Beach 5. Brandon Mann struck out 8 in 5 innings, but allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. He gave up 3 home runs...Hector Gimenez hit a 2-run home run for the D-Rays.

Columbus 3, Hagerstown 2 (13). Jesse Darcy struck out 5 and walked none in 6 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned). He is 12th in the SAL in ERA (3.12)...Henry Wrigley was 4-5 with 2 doubles and a walk, while Maiko Loyola finished 1-5 with a double, walk and his 41st stolen base. He is now 4th in the SAL in steals.

Hudson Valley 7, Oneonta 2.

Bristol 6, Princeton 1 (gm 1). Tim Beckham went 0-3 with a strikeout.

Bristol 15, Princeton 2 (gm 2). Tim Beckham went 0-3 with a walk.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• James Houser who missed the last month with minor knee surgery has been activated. [Biscuits' Batter]
  
• The Pirates were able to sign Pedro Alvarez to a minor league deal afterall, with a $6 million signing bonus, just short of Tim Beckham's deal for $6.15 million. [USA Today]
• Buster Posey, another player the Rays apparently considered with the top pick signed for $6.2 million. His deal was also a minor league deal...We could be wrong but the only draftee that we know of that received a major league deal was LHP Brian Matusz with the Orioles #4 pick. [San Francisco Chronicle]
  

THE GOOD: Cliff Floyd's knees. Somehow Floyd's legs were still intact after the game, despite having to run the bases a whopping 5 times. Twice Floyd had to score all the way from first base on extra-base hits by Willy Aybar. Floyd scored 4 runs in total.

THE BAD: James Shields. Shields walked a season-high 5 batters in only 5 innings...The Bullpen. No they were actually pretty good yesterday. Even though Grant Balfour blew the save after relieving the injured Troy Percival, as a group they only allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings. However, Joe Maddon had to use his entire bullpen, all 7 relief pitchers, to get through the extra-inning affair. And while they performed well, some will be tired tonight in Texas and some may be unavailable. That puts a lot of pressure on Matt Garza tonight to work deep into the game...BJ Upton's absolute lack of any baseball instincts on the basepaths. In the first inning, with Upton on first, Carlos Pena flied out to deep right-center. Upton thought the ball would drop and took off, rounding second on his way to third. When he realized the ball was caught, he ran straight back to first base without even pretending to touch second base on the way. Upton was doubled-up on the appeal.

THE TELLING: Paul Byrd will make his Red Sox debut tonight. They might score 19 runs and win, but it won't be because of Byrd.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Troy Percival was once again injured during a play. This time he fielded a sac bunt and rather than flip it first base for the out, he instead chased the runner into foul territory, spraining his knee. Marc Topkin reported Percival was on crutches last night and is likely headed to the DL after further evaluation today. [The Heater]
• Carl Crawford had sugery on his injured finger yesterday and it "went well". [MLB]
  
• MLBTradeRumors takes a look at some of the waiver-wire possibilities for the Rays. Does Rich Aurelia get anybody excited? [MLBTradeRumors]
• Looks like the Pirates might not be able to sign Pedro Alvarez prior to Friday's deadline. If that happens, there won't be any second-guessing on the Rays' selection of Tim Beckham. The sticking point appears to be a spot on the 40-man roster, which of course would move Alvarez closer to the majors and free agency. [MLBTradeRumors]
  
• This should about seal the Mets fate...And by fate we of course mean death. [MetsBlog]
• Bob Nightengale agrees with us that the Yankees are roadkill...OK. Not the word he used, but close enough. [USA Today]
  

Durham (off-day)

Montgomery 9, Jacksonville 6. Jason Cromer allowed only 2 unearned runs in 6 innings...Rhyne Hughes (12), Gaby Martinez (19) and Rashad Eldridge (4) homered for the Biscuits.

Brevard Co. 6, Vero Beach 3 (13). Wade Townsend turned in maybe his best performance of the season, allowing only 1 run in 6 innings on 4 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 2 and threw a wild pitch...Ryan Owen allowed a 3-run, walk-off home run in the 13th...Ryan Royster was 0-5.

Columbus v Lake County (ppd wet field)

Hudson Valley 5, Jamestown 2.

Princeton 3, Burlington 0. Tim Beckham was 2-4 with his first professional home run, a solo shot in the first inning off of a hanging curveball. He also stole his 4th base...Wait? Burt Reynolds is from the Domincan Republic? We did not see that one coming.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Ben Badler spoke to Tim Beckham about his first professional home run. [Baseball America]

"It felt great to get that first one off my chest," Beckham said. "Finally. I mean, it took forever [34 games]. I was just worrying about squaring it up, making solid contact and hopefully it would fall somewhere, and it did."

• Ben Badler also spoke with Princeton manager Joe Szekely about Tim Beckham...Interesting note abot Szekely: He was a coach for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a professional baseball team comprised of women in the late 90s. If we remember correctly some of the pitchers threw overhand and some threw underhand. [Baseball America]

First of all, he has all the tools: he can run, he's got a good arm, he's got good hands, he can hit, he can hit for power. He possesses all the tools that you need and then he's got that desire, that want-to. He's coachable, and that's the biggest thing—he wants to learn. He asks questions all the time; he's constantly wanting to get better and get better now. He wants to get everything now, and he realizes after he's been here a while how much he's learned in the short time he's been here and how much more he needs to learn. It's good because he didn't come in here thinking that he had all the answers. He came in knowing that he had to learn and get better and iron things out, and he's doing a great job. He's made tremendous strides from the first day we saw him to now.

• Carlos Hernandez was named the FSL pitcher of the week. [MiLB]
  

Richmond 4, Durham 2. Ben Hendrickson allowed only 2 runs in 6 innings...Fernando Perez hit his 4th home run.

Montgomery (off-day)

Vero Beach 6, Brevard Co. 0. Wilton Noel allowed only 1 hit in 6 shutout innings. He struck out 5 and walked 3. Noel had a no-hitter through 6 innings, but was pulled after the leadoff hitter in the 7th singled...Ryan Royster was 2-5 and Nevin Ashley drove in a pair.

Lake Co. 11, Columbus 8. Alex Cobb struggled with his control, walking 5 and hitting another batter, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 4...Maiko Loyola and Greg Sexton were each 3-6. Sexton hit his 6th home run and drove in 3...Chase Fontaine was 2-3 with a double and 2 walks. He added his 2nd stolen base.

Hudson Valley 14, Lowell 10 (10).

Burlington 5, Princeton 2. Tim Beckham went 1-4 with a single and a walk. He struck out twice...We usually only comment on Beckham's performance at Princeton, but we couldn't pass up a chance to point out that Burt Reynolds committed his 26th error. That is in 44 games. Yikes. On the positive side, the third baseman is hitting .295/.355/.460.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• David Price was promoted to triple-A Durham, and is scheduled to make his first start for the Bulls on Wednesday. [Tennessean]

“I guess I’m a little anxious (about reaching the Major Leagues),” Price said Monday. “It’s like a kid getting ready for Christmas and you count down to Christmas Day. The anticipation is building up, but I’m enjoying myself...I haven’t talked to anyone from the (Rays’) front office all year,” Price said. “ ... I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. My last start wasn’t as good as I would have liked, but the two before that I threw really well.”

• Chris Nowak and David Price were named the Rays' minor league player and pitcher of the month. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Austin Hinkle of Columbus was named the SAL pitcher of the week. [MiLB]
  
• Despite only being 5-11, Heath Rollins and his 3.30 ERA were promoted to double-A Montgomery to take David Price's vacant spot.
  
• Jeremy Beckham recently got to play in Fenway Park and spoke to Mark Remme about being able to pave the way for his younger brother, Tim Beckham. [MiLB]

THE GOOD: The future of the Rays remains intact. Despite reports that the Rays were offering the Pirates both Jeff Niemann and Reid Brignac, that now appears to be false. And if that is the case, it is pretty clear that the Rays had little or no intention of tinkering with what has become the foundation of the organization, the farm system. Depth in the farm system is a beautiful thing and it does serve a more important purpose than just being able to trade the pieces away. And with the recent loss of Jake McGee to Tommy John surgery, that depth had already taken a huge hit. Add to that the slowed development of a few prospects (ie. Heath Rollins, Glenn Gibson) and we see how important it is to have depth in the system...Winning the division just got a little easier. RAYSHEADS have to be ecstatic that Manny Ramirez is out of the division and out of the AL. Jason Bay is a decent replacement, but he is no Manny and David Ortiz is suddenly going to start seeing much fewer good pitches. Teams were afraid to pitch to Manny. That won't be the case with Bay.

THE BAD: We have to admit, that for about 20 minutes yesterday (as this site turned into a Live Blog-A-Baloo for the trade deadline), when we heard that the deal to send Jason Bay to the Rays was going to happen, we got a little excited. The package seemed fair, and maybe even a bit of a steal, and we started envisioning a lineup in which Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are forced to hit 5th and 6th in the order. We were down-right giddy...The future of Jeff Niemann and Reid Brignac. Both could have gone to the Pirates and had a chance to be regulars on that ballclub. Now they are still stuck in triple-A.

THE TELLING: Several outlets are already declaring the Rays "losers" at the trade deadline. On the one hand we understand the perception that the Rays missed an opportunity to improve the club. Of course, these are the same people that still feel the Rays are behind the Sox and Yankees in the standings. We could understand saying the Rays were "losers" if they had turned down an offer. But seeing the package the Pirates received for Jason Bay, it is clear that the Rays would have never been able to match that deal. And remember the Rays are still going to be adding pieces to the mix. It is just those pieces will come from the farm system.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• We missed this in the minor league feature earlier today, but a source with the Princeton Rays tells us the reason Tim Beckham missed 3 straight games this week, was due to a death in his family.
• Marc Lancaster is reporting that it is believed that the Pirates and Rays never discussed a deal that included both Jeff Niemann and Reid Brignac. And apparently the Pirates coveted Jeremy Hellickson and not Wade Davis as several media outlets were reporting yesterday. [Tampa Tribune]
• Andrew Friedman said there is very little chance of the Rays making any deals in August in which players must first clear waivers. [St. Pete Times]
  
• The Trop comes in tied for #10 in PETA's annual list of the "Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks". [PETA]
  
• We are not sure we agree with Bugs and Cranks who still has the Rays on top of their power rankings. We gotta go with the Angels, especially after trading for Mark Teixeira. [Bugs and Cranks]
• And the latest installment of Bugs and Cranks comparison of wins #63 from each of the Rays' first ten seasons. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

Buffalo 12, Durham 2. Heath Phillips made his first start since being signed by the Rays. He was pulled after 2.2 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks...Chris Richard was 2-3 with a double and his 20th home run.

Montgomery 9, Huntsville 8. Mike Prochaska gave up 7 runs in 6.2 innings, but only 2 were earned...Rashad Eldridge finished 3-4 with a double, a walk and 2 RBI. He raised his average to .306.

Daytona 7, Vero Beach 2. Ryan Royster drove in 2 with a triple.

Columbus 6, Augusta 5 (11). After giving up 4 runs in the top of the 11th, the Catfish rallied for 5 runs in the bottom half of the inning. The last 3 runs came off a walk-off home run from Greg Sexton. Mike McCormick also homered in the 11th to lead off the inning...Alex Cobb started and struck out 9 in 5.2 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 run...

Tri-City 17, Hudson Valley 9.

Princeton 10, Johnson City 6. Tim Beckham played for the first time in 4 games and had the best game of his young career going 4-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. He did commit his 7th error on a throw, but did contribute to 2 double-plays.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Mike DiFelice, a modern-day Crash Davis? We don't see it...Yes, DiFelice is an old catcher playing for the Durham Bulls, but he has plenty of big-league experience and these Bulls are a triple-A ballclub, not single-A as they were when Bull Durham was filmed. [Deadspin]
• MiLB interviews the Durham Bulls' director of media relations about the Bulls franchise. [MiLB]
  

Lehigh Valley 4, Durham 2. Jeremy Cummings fell to 7-3 after giving up 4 runs (3 earned) in 6 innings. He struck out 5 and walked none...Calvin Medlock pitched 2 perfect innings of relief...Fernando Perez was 2-4 with 2 strikeouts and stole his 31st and 32nd bases...Justin Ruggiano struck out 3 times finishing 1-4 but added his 19th steal...John Jaso was 3-4 and is now 7-16 (.438) in 4 games since being promoted...Reid Brignac was 0-4 with 2 Ks.

Montgomery (off-day)

Lakeland 13, Vero Beach 5. Heath Rollins dropped to 5-8, one year after setting the Rays organizatonal record for wins by a pitcher. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings...Nevin Ashley drove in 2 with a triple...Ryan Royster was 2-5 with an RBI. He is hitting .260 on the year.

Lexington 7, Columbus 4. Brian Flores gave up 2 runs in 5 innings and left with the lead, but the bullpen gave up 5 runs over the next 2 innings...Mike McCormick hit his 7th home run, a 2-run shot in the 2nd inning...Maiko Loyola was 2-4 with a double.

Hudson Valley 7, Aberdeen 5. Jeff Carroll hit his first 2 home runs of the season, a 3-run shot in the 2nd and a solo home run in the 8th.

Princeton 6, Greeneville 4. Tim Beckham DH'd for Princeton and went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• The New York Daily News did an in-depth interview with Reid Brignac. Pretty boring kid, outside of his goal for 3,000 hits. [Daily News]
  
• Matt Walker was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for Amphetamines. Walker, the Rays 10th round pick in 2004, was 4-7 for Vero Beach. [Rays Report]
  
• Minor League Ball takes a look at their preseason list of the Rays' top 20 prospects and how each is performing so far this season. [Minor League Ball]
• TopProspectAlert.com updates the Rays Top 10 prospects, with David Price topping the list and Tim Beckham coming in at #2. [TopProspectAlert]
  
• Drays Bay takes a look at the Rays' 2008 draftees. [DRays Bay]
  

PCL 6, IL 5 (AAA All-Star game). Chris Richard started for the IL at first base and went 0-2 with a strike out...Dale Thayer pitched the 5th inning, allowing no runs on 1 hit and Jeremy Cummings got the call in the 7th inning, also holding the PCL scoreless while striking out 2.

Durham (all-star break)

Montgomery 7, Birmingham 5. Jino Gonzalez got the start in the first game after the SL All-Star break. He gave up 3 runs in 5 innings, including 2 home runs...Rashad Eldridge was 2-5 with a double, 2 RBI and 3 Ks...Rocco Baldelli batted 3rd and DH'd, going 1-3 with a single, a walk and a strike out...JT Hall was 2-3 with his 2nd home run since being promoted to double-A...David Price is expected to start today with Jeremy Hellickson taking the mound tomorrow. In his last outing, Price pitched a shortened 7 inning complete game to improve to 4-0 with Montgomery and 8-0 overall.

Dunedin 1, Vero Beach 0. Heath Rollins didn't give up a run, but did walk 4 in 6 innings. He struck out 3.

West Virginia 14, Columbus 4. Brian Flores started and Glenn Gibson relieved. Together they gave up 10 runs (7 earned) in 5.2 innings...Mike McCormick drove in 1 run with a single in 3 at bats.

Auburn 12, Hudson Valley 7.

Burlington 7, Princeton 0. Tim Beckham played short and went 1-4. He did start a double-play in his only fielding chance.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Eddie Morlan pitched one inning for the World Team in MLB's Future's Game during all-star weekend. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  
• Wade Davis and John Jaso have been promoted to triple-A Durham, with the Southern League all-star game being their final appearances in double-A. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Wade Davis and John Jaso have to purchase some new clothes for their new team, and the two have very different tastes when it comes to shopping. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  
• David Price has moved up to #2 as Baseball America has updated their list of baseball's top 10 prospects. [Baseball America via The League]
• Rocco Baldelli began his second rehab stint last night for double-A Montgomery. Andrew Friedman said that he is optimistic that Rocco will play for the Rays at some point this season. [Biscuits' Batter]
• Nathan Rode of Baseball America made a trip to watch Tim Beckham play. Maybe he should go more often as Beckham collected his first extra-base hit as a pro. [Baseball America]
  

Durham 6, Norfolk 3. Mitch Talbot improved to 7-6 after holding Norfolk to 1 run in 6.2 innings. He struck out 4 and walked none...Chris Richard (15) and Joel Guzman (15) homered for the Bulls. Guzman finished 3-4 with 3 RBI. Fernando Perez was 2-5 and Justin Ruggiano added 2 hits in 4 at bats...Reid Brignac did not play.

Mobile 5, Montgomery 3. Jino Gonzalez started but was pulled after 2 innings. He had not allowed a run...John Jaso went 2-4 with a walk. He is hitting .254.

Sarasota 6, Vero Beach 0. Brandon Mann dropped to 3-9 after giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 11 hits in 5 innings...The D-Rays managed only 4 hits.

Columbus 5, Rome 4. Alex Cobb gave up 3 runs in 6.1 innings, all on solo home runs...Greg Sexton was 3-5 with 2 RBI, including the walk-off single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Hudson Valley 3, Staten Island 1.

Princeton 8, Burlington 7 (11). Tim Beckham went 1-4 with 2 walks and 2 strike outs. He played shortstop for the first time and did make a throwing error on his first fielding chance. He later handle two ground balls, a pop up and a line drive. In 3 games he is 2-11 (both singles).

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Josh Kalk of The Hardball Times was in attendance for Tim Beckham's debut and gives us his impressions. [The Hardball Times]

While he only went one for four with an infield hit Tim Beckham showed some of the tools that made him the first overall pick in the draft. By signing early he is only helping himself getting a jump on other high draft picks that have yet to sign. I would be very surprised if rookie ball gave Beckham much of a challenge and it wouldn't surprise me if he was promoted to Single-A ball late in the year. The Rays could also leave him partnered with his brother Jeremy in rookie ball all year to aid his comfort level. I'll be checking in with the Beckhams throughout the year so look for more updates as the season goes on.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on Cal Ripken's XM Radio show, Ripken Baseball. Epstein was asked about the sudden surge of the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Obviously they’ve been picking at the top part of the draft for the better part of a decade now and they haven’t missed with those picks. When you draft number one overall, you have to get a franchise-type player and they have. They’ve got plenty of them and they’ve done a great job drafting lower down as well and developing their players..."

There is only one small problem with that assessment:

Number of "number one overall" players on the Rays' roster: 0

Prior to David Price, last season and Tim Beckham this season, the Rays have only drafted #1 two times, one of which was Josh Hamilton in 1999, whom the Rays lost in the Rule 5 draft.

Certainly one can say that the other top pick (Delmon Young in 2003) helped shape this roster as Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett were acquired in an off-season trade for Young. But that is still only one "number one overall" player that has led to the Rays success this season and Andrew Friedman and Co. deserve a little more credit for that trade than just "they have sucked for 10 years."

Also, the Rays are far from the only team that has consistently drafted near the top of the draft for the last 10 years (Pirates, Royals, etc.) and yet the Rays are the only team that consistently drafts and develops top-rate players.

And while the Red Sox may not draft near the top, they have become experts in the art form of hording compensation picks for lost free agents. In the last four drafts alone, the Red Sox have selected 13 players before the second round.

Let's reword Epstein's statement to reflect why the Red Sox have been so successful...

“Obviously they’ve been picking tons of players in the first round of the draft for the better part of a decade now and they haven’t missed with those picks. When you draft 13 first round players in four years, a team is bound to hit the bullseye a couple of times even if their eyes are shut. They’ve got plenty of them and they’ve done a great job hording compensation picks as well as copying the organizational philosophy of the Evil Empire by throwing $100 million at a pitcher that might win 16 games..."

Theo Epstein on the Rays [MLB ON XM]

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]
  

THE GOOD: Getting on base in the bottom of the 7th inning. The inning started with 2 walks and a hit-by-pitch. Another HBP with Aki Iwamura at the plate drove in a run. That was followed by Carl Crawford's second career grand slam, making it 6-3 and effectively killing the rally. Stupid home runs. That is, except it didn't. These are the Rays and they are magilicious. BJ Upton followed with a triple and then an Eric Hinske double scored another run. Hinske stole third and scored on an Evan Longoria sac fly to make it 7 runs in the 7th...The bullpen got the last 8 outs of the game without allowing a run and without the availablity of Troy Percival and JP Howell, the Rays two most important relief pitchers.

THE BAD: Carl Crawford was thrown out trying to steal by 10 feet to end the 1st inning. This seems to be happening a lot with CC and BJ Upton...The Rays had first and third with only 1 out in the 5th and were unable to score...James Shields uncharacteristically broke down in the 7th inning after cruising for the first 6 innings. Shields does not usually give up leads late in the game. But 2 doubles and a walk led to 3 runs scoring in the inning and the Rays falling behind 3-1...Will somebody please tell Joe Magrane to stick to baseball and leave the jokes and the math AND especially the jokes about math to others. When talking about Hall of Fame pitcher Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Magrane "joked" that by reason, Antonio Alfonseca (who has 6 fingers on his pitching hand) should be "50% better" than Brown. Of course, 6 is 100% more than 3, not 50%. You could just feel Dwayne Staats tense up in awkwardness.

THE TELLING: Evan Longoria got his first career start at shortstop after Jason Bartlett fouled a ball off his foot in batting practice and had to be scratched from the lineup...The Rays lead in the wild card is now 3.5 games. Unfortunately, it is no longer the A's that the Rays are looking down at. It is the Yankees. Look for this to be the race for the rest of the year. Three team for two spots...This was the 9th straight home series win for the Rays after starting 1-3. On the road they are 4-4-3...The attendance last night was 34,441 and they averaged 32,515 for the 3-game set. We will let somebody else do the legwork, but we are going to assume that this is a record for a non-Yankees, non-Red Sox 3-game series...

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• Didn't mention this earlier in the first post of the day, but Tim Beckham's signing bonus is a record for a drafted player. [The Heater]
  
• Matt Garza met with a well-known baseball psychologist at the request of Joe Maddon. [Tampa Tribune]
• Outs Per Swing has visual evidence that the Rays have been squeezed in the strike zone on several occasions. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• In this breakdown of the Rays-Cubs matchup, Baseball Prospectus shows that defensively Evan Longoria has already been worth one win over a replacement-level player, while Dioner Navarro's defensive have improved drastically into one of the better defensive catchers in the game. Also, Jason Bartlett actually has a below average range factor this season. Certainly his throwing problems early in the season plays a factor, but reader Scott brings up a good point. Might a gold glove-caliber third baseman and/or second baseman lower the range factor of a shortstop by getting to balls that Bartlett would have otherwise reached? We have to wonder if that would be particularly meaningful on balls hit in the hole betwen second and third where the third baseman kinda has "first dibs" being closer to the plate. [Baseball Prospectus]
  
• John Romano breaks down why the Rays can no longer be considered a fluke. [St. Pete Times]
  
• One blog breaks down the 3-team race in the AL East by looking a little closer at each of the contenders. [No Regard]
• Bugs and Cranks is not at all pleased with Edwin Jackson's taste in...movies? [Bugs and Cranks]
• The above link is in reference to an SI.com piece in which baseball players are quized on pop culture. [SI]
• Bud Selig did not dance around his feelings about the Trop and the Rays need for a new stadium. [Ballpark Frankness]
• Ken Rosenthal says that the Rays are one of several teams to express interest in Freddy Garcia who is a free agent and recovering from shoulder surgery...We have no doubt that the Rays are interested, but if a "bidding war" begins, as Rosenthal predicts, that is when their interest will cease. [Fox Sports]
  

Norfolk 8, Durham 6. Jeremy Cummings had his second poor outing in his last 3 starts. He was touched for 8 runs (7 earned) in 4.1 innings...Reid Brignac was 1-3 with 2 walks. He now has 6 walks (to 7 strikeouts) in his last 10 games. He only had 13 walks (to 48 Ks) in his first 55 games...Chris Richard hit his 14th home run a 3-run shot.

Montgomery 6, Mississippi 3. James Houser improved to 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA after striking out 7 in 5 innings. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks...Ryan Reid picked up his 3rd save with 2 strikeouts in a scoreless 9th inning...Rhyne Hughes drove in 4 with a double and a home run in 3 at bats. The home run was his 6th.

St. Lucie 5, Vero Beach 2. Heath Rollins dropped to 3-6 after giving up 5 runs on 10 hits and 4 walks in 4 innings...Desmond Jennings and Matt Fields provided all the offense with solo home runs.

Columbus 5, Charleston 3. Jeremy Hall started and pitched 5 scoreless innings for his first win...Reid Fronk was 3-4 with 3 RBI including his 7th home run...Maiko Loyola was 1-3 with his 25th steal.

Hudson Valley 10, Aberdeen 5.

Pulaski 2, Princeton 1.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• The Rays signed the #1 overall pick, Tim Beckham to a minor league deal with a $6.15 million signing bonus. He will begin his pro career at rookie league affiliate Princeton where he will be paired with his older brother, Jeremy Beckham. The signing bunus exceeds the $5.6 million bonus David Price received a year ago. However, Price's major league deal is worth at least $8.5 million. Beckham is not expected to make his debut until next week. [Fox Sports]
• The Columbus Catfish move to Bowling Green, Kentucky has been approved. [Ledger-Enquirer]
  

Durham 6, Buffalo 3. [completion of game from previous day] Jeff Niemann pitched the first 2.1 innings 2 days ago...Juan Salas was on the mound when the game resumed yesterday. He struck out 3 in 1.2 innings...Joel Guzman added a 2-run double to the 2-run home run he hit the day before.

Buffalo 8, Durham 1 (7). Mitch Talbot gave up 7 runs (6 earned) in 4.1 innings...The Bulls managed only 3 singles in the 7-inning contest.

Mississippi 7, Montgomery 2. Ryan Reid came into the game in the 8th inning with the score tied 2-2. After a perfect 8th that included a strikeout, the floor collapsed in the 9th. A home run, a single, 2 walks, a dropped third strike and 3 stolen bases later, Reid had given up 5 runs (1 earned)...Jake McGee got the start and allowed 2 runs in 5.2 innings with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks...Gabby Martinez drove in both of Montgomery's runs with his 11th home run.

Vero Beach v Brevard Co. (ppd).

Columbus (all-star break)

Aberdeen 13, Hudson Valley 7. Tyree Hayes, son of Charlie Hayes gave up 9 runs (3 earned) and was pulled with only 2 outs in the first inning.

Pulaski 6, Princeton 5 (13). Matt Moore, an 8th round pick last year started and was pulled after 3.1 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. But of the 10 outs he recorded, 9 were by strikeout...Burt Reynolds had a solid debut, picking up 3 hits and an RBI in 6 at bats.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• We missed this yesterday...although he lists no reasons for this thought, Bill Whitehead speculates that David Price will be promoted to double-A Montgomery before his next start. [Tampa Tribune]

The game also marked the fifth and perhaps final FSL start for pitcher David Price. The prized left-hander could be sent to Double-A Montgomery of the Southern League later in the week.

When asked about his future pitching plans after his five-inning, one-run outing, though, Price said, "I have no idea. No one's said a thing."

• The Rays top pick Tim Beckham will be in St. Pete this weekend with his family and his father believes that a deal will be done before the weekend is over. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays 5th round pick was injured before he ever played a game for the Rays organization. Scheduled to start for Hudson Valley, Michael Sheridan, a first baseman, was hit in the head prior to the 'Gades opening night contest. [Renegades Rumblings]
  

Durham 3, Charlotte 2. The Bulls scored once in the 8th to tie and once in the 9th for the win. Jon Weber's sac fly in the 8th tied it and Nathan Haynes' walk-off single in the 9th with 2 outs was the game-winner...Ben Hendrickson gave up 2 runs in 5 innings...Juan Salas picked up the win with a perfect 8th and 9th innings with 4 strike outs. Not including his first appearance of the season when he allowed 5 runs, Salas has allowed only 1 run in 16 innings of work with 8 hits, 4 walks and 17 strike outs...Reid Brignac and Joel Guzman were each 1-4. Brignac had his 24th double.

Montgomery 6, Birmingham 2. James Houser entered this game with an ERA below 2.50 but had yet to earn a win in 11 starts. That changed yesterday with 5.1 shutout innings. He gave up only 2 hits, but did walk 4, hit a batter and throw a wild pitch. He did not allow a hit until 2 outs in the 5th inning...Chris Nowak provided all the offense, driving in 5 with 3 hits including a 3-run home run to break a scoreless tie in the 6th.

Vero Beach 6, Sarasota 0. Heath Rollins had his best start of the season, pitching a 3-hit shutout, striking out 10 and walking none. He did hit a batter, but only one runner reached second base...Desmond Jennings was 2-3 with 2 walks. In his first week of action, Jennings hit .421/.607/.632. So much for the possibility of being rusty...John Matulia was 1-2 with 2 walks. The outfielder now has an OBP of .456...JT Hall had 3 hits in 5 at bats with 2 RBI.

Columbus 5, Rome 2. The Catfish scored once in the 8th inning to tie and 3 in the top of the 9th for the win...Jeremy Hall worked 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and a walk. He struck out 3...Glenn Gibson, worked 2 scoreless innings after being demoted to the bullpen. He struck out 2 and walked none...Chase Fontaine, making just his 3rd start since being demoted from Vero Beach, was 2-5 with 2 RBI....Maiko Loyola added 3 hits in 4 at bats with his 9th double.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Well, at least one writer was happy to see Tim Beckham wearing the Rays old cap after being drafted...Any guesses? [Bugs and Cranks]
  

THE GOOD: Willy Aybar saves the day. The Rays loaded the bases with 1 out in the 8th and Evan Longoria struck out on a hanging 3-2 pitch. Now with 2 outs, Aybar doubled to right and drove in 2 to break a 2-2 tie...Jason Bartlett was even more day-savingish. With us panicking and begging for an insurance run, Bartlett singled with one out. He then stole second and third (with 2 outs) and then scored on a wild pitch. That would prove to be the game-winner...Shawn Riggans saved a run in the 9th inning blocking a pitch in the dirt well to his right with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. If the run scores there, Joe Maddon would have needed to then bring the infield in and the chances of the Rangers scoring a second run go way up...Dan Wheeler's glove. Normally you don't want a pitcher to deflect a ball. It almost always leads to an infield hit. However, with 2 outs in the 9th, the tying run on third and the red-hot Milton Bradley up, Wheeler deflects a would-be ground ball single up the middle straight to Aki Iwamura for the final out. Just your typical 1-4-3 to end the game. Lucky? Yep. But when you are good, you are more likely to create a situation in which luck has a chance to help.

THE BAD: Andy Sonnanstine's beard...We have spent plenty of time on this site criticizing Carl Crawford and his throws from left field, but once again last night in the 3rd inning, CC missed the cut-off on a throw to the plate allowing the hitter to advace to second base...Mrs. Professor says that Chris Shelton has a HUGE ass. Like a "chick that just gave birth". We didn't notice.

THE TELLING: Andy Sonnanstine was pulled after 5 innings with only 86 pitches...We will give Joe Maddon a pass for his decision to let Trever Miller face Milton Bradley in the 8th inning. Yes, we know that Miller struggles against righties, but a lefty led off the inning (ground out) and a lefty was following the switch-hitting Bradley. You want Miller to face both lefties and the worst that could happen is the lead is cut in half. The lead was not in danger. If the first batter gets on base then you can say that Miller should have come out. Yes the worst-case scenario happened, but that would not happen everytime.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• Jonny Gomes dropped his appeal of his 5-game suspension and began serving it last night. He is only expected to miss one start in that 5-game stretch...Also, the Rays have already begun contract negotiations with Tim Beckham but as usual, the Rays are quite mum on the subject. [St. Pete Times]
• Jonny Gomes will have a new job title during his suspension...Maybe he will get more "playing time" with this new role. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Jonny Gomes makes an appearance in the chatroom at The Dugout, as "JonPuffyGomes". [The Dugout]
  
• It is expected that Carl Crawford will begin serving his suspension when Jonny Gomes concludes his suspension. The timing of the suspension could help Crawford. With 2 off-days, CC will actually have a chance to rest his sore knee for 7 days. [MLB]
• One blogger is already wondering aloud if Joe Maddon should win the AL Manager of the Year. [Ryan Goes To ASU]
  

THE GOOD: The consensus seem to be that the Rays took the player with the best chance to be a superstar in the big leagues, in Tim Beckham.

THE BAD: Can somebody please explain to us why Tim Beckham was wearing an old Devil Rays' cap after he was drafted? And apparently Mr. Beckham needs to work on his telephone interview skills.

THE TELLING: While people differ on what kind of bat Tim Beckham has, most seem to agree that he is already at or near major league caliber defensively.

The question then becomes: How does this selection affect the future of Reid Brignac? There were already questions over his future with the gold clove-caliber defense of Jason Bartlett now manning the shortstop position for the Rays at the big league level. Bartlett, who will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this off-season, is still under the Rays control for the next three seasons. While Brignac certainly is better offensively, there are concerns over inserting him next season considering much of the Rays emergence is due to the improved defense and the chemistry between Bartlett and Aki Iwamura.

Beckham is expected to move quickly through the minors, even as a high school draftee. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that he will be ready for the big leagues by the end of 2010. It seems more than likely that the Rays will stick with Bartlett for the next 2+ seasons until Beckham is ready to make the jump.

So then the next question is: What happens to Reid Brignac? Brignac who is now considered an above-average defensive shortstop may have to move to a new position (right field?) if he is to make his break with the Rays. Otherwise, Brignac's future may lie with another organization.

DRAFT WEBTOPIA...

• Baseball America says that when push came to shove, the Rays drafted the player with the best ability. [Baseball America]
• Minor League Ball says that the Rays 5th round pick, Jason Christian Michael Sheriden, a college first baseman, could be a sleeper. [Minor League Ball]
  
• Andrew Friedman commented on reports that the Rays steered away from Buster Posey because of his pre-draft demands for a $12 million guaranteed contract. [Rays Report]
  

“That had zero factor in our decision,” he said. “We’re confident that whoever we would have taken, with the size of the check we were going to go to the table with that we’d be able to sign whoever we took. Look, everyone makes different demands leading up to the draft – even second-rounders, third-rounders. We trust our process and our ability to get players signed and the relationships that our area [scouts] have made with the players. It had zero factor for us.”

• The Rays hope to sign Beckham quickly. Marc Lancaster speculates it will take longer than the agreement reached with Evan Longoria but shouldn't take nearly as long as the deal with David Price which went right down to the August 15th deadline. Lancaster notes that the Rays will move more quickly with Beckham not being a pitcher as innings thrown is not a concern. Last year, the Rays did not want to add any more innings to Price's arm after his college season. [Rays Report]
• Marc Topkin has reactions from the Rays and from Tim Beckham. [St. Pete Times]
• Today the Rays drafted Tim Beckham's older brother, Jeremy Beckham, a second baseman from Georgia Southern University. [Rays Report]