It has been very quiet recently

[chiefpaddy]

After the new ownership group took over, there seemed to be a lot going on. The winters meetings were supposed to bring a lot of changes, nothing happened. It's been very quiet, whats going on?

[Eddiey]

After the new ownership group took over, there seemed to be a lot going on. The winters meetings were supposed to bring a lot of changes, nothing happened. It's been very quiet, whats going on?

I think the Rays management expected more activity also. The problem as
I see it is that the Rays want pitching and so does everyone else.

[raysnbran]

Getting antsy

I hope Friedman and Hunsicker are not playing hard to get, like Lamar did, and try and rip other teams off and play hardball with every potential deal. There are deals to be made out there, mainly with Gathright and Lugo. We can't go into the season with the same SPs as 2005, that would be disasterous. Every team in the division is spending money and improving. It's time to do something, ANYTHING. Josh Paul and Sean Burroughs are not enough to get this team to .500

[brooklynboy]

D'Rays Off Season

Well, promises made..Gifts exchanged....At least we won't lose 100 games as
our esteemed neighbors to the south will prolly do...

[chiefpaddy]

With talk of a possible four team trade, with the Rays, Mets, Red Sox and Orioles involved maybe something big is about to happen.

[raysnbran]

Lugo et al

I'm starting to believe it's not that the Rays are afraid to pull the trigger, it's that the Red Sox, Orioles and Mets need to make their decisions (on Manny, Tejada etc). If they do the deals, the domino effect will have the Rays making many deals, with Lugo, Baez and Huff probably going elsewhere.

[brooklynboy]

Big Trade

That trade story has been circulating around the NY papers for awhile....Supposedly Aaron Heilman and one other player (insert players name here, several have been mentioned) will go to the D'Rays...We in turn will wind up with Manny and the RS will get Tejada...Don't hold your breath just yet..

[brooklynboy]

I'm a little confused about the Rays definition of rebuilding...Huff I might see but why Lugo and Baez?? Just who replaces them?/ The usual hot prospects??? For once, I would like to see the so called foundations of the future..

As Frank Zappa once sed.."We're Only in it for the Money"

[chiefpaddy]

I'm a little confused about the Rays definition of rebuilding...Huff I might see but why Lugo and Baez?? Just who replaces them?/ The usual hot prospects??? For once, I would like to see the so called foundations of the future..

As Frank Zappa once sed.."We're Only in it for the Money"

Well, Lugo would eventually be replaced by Upton. The Rays feel they have dome young pitchers who can fill Baez's closer role. The new manager may not be the type that uses a closer, one person who comes in when the team is leading in the ninth inning. I agree with you, lets keep Lugo, Huff and Baez and add a couple of players and see what happens. The feeling of ownership is the team is still a couple of years away. This way Crawford, Baldelli and Gomes will be joined by Upton and Delmon Young. If they can add a couple of top prospects thay will be ready to challenge in a couple of years.

[brooklynboy]

Well, Lugo would eventually be replaced by Upton. The Rays feel they have dome young pitchers who can fill Baez's closer role. The new manager may not be the type that uses a closer, one person who comes in when the team is leading in the ninth inning. I agree with you, lets keep Lugo, Huff and Baez and add a couple of players and see what happens. The feeling of ownership is the team is still a couple of years away. This way Crawford, Baldelli and Gomes will be joined by Upton and Delmon Young. If they can add a couple of top prospects thay will be ready to challenge in a couple of years.

I agree with you on the couple of years away....Maybe I'm just being being too
aggressive looking for a winning season...Sometimes I think we have the "Let's Shoot For 70 Wins this season and Call it a Success" syndrome....I would still like to see some kind of "Commitment Statement" from ownership...Sometimes you get tired always looking up at the division..This comes from a Mets fan who's spent 14 years looking up at the Braves..lol

[raysnbran]

Closer

Baez said in yesterdays paper he doesn't want to be a setup man for Wagner in NYC, and can't wait for his FA after the '06 season. If he goes, I think either Orvella or Colome would be the closer. Orvella closed in the minors, Colome has closers stuff, but has had arm trouble and inconsistency. He tries to hit 100 on the scoreboard gun every pitch instead of mixing in a slider once in a while. Huff is a good hitter but just an adequate fielder. He's been tried at 3B, 1B and RF and doesn't excel at any. With loads of OF prospects, I'd rather trade him now for an SP that can help us for a few years. Upton will start the season at Durham, he's still not ML ready defensively (and might not ever be, then they will have to make a decision on him).

[brooklynboy]

Baez said in yesterdays paper he doesn't want to be a setup man for Wagner in NYC, and can't wait for his FA after the '06 season. If he goes, I think either Orvella or Colome would be the closer. Orvella closed in the minors, Colome has closers stuff, but has had arm trouble and inconsistency. He tries to hit 100 on the scoreboard gun every pitch instead of mixing in a slider once in a while. Huff is a good hitter but just an adequate fielder. He's been tried at 3B, 1B and RF and doesn't excel at any. With loads of OF prospects, I'd rather trade him now for an SP that can help us for a few years. Upton will start the season at Durham, he's still not ML ready defensively (and might not ever be, then they will have to make a decision on him).

In other words, D'Rays won't pay resign him as a free agent with a higher salary......In one sense, I can see that, in another, if he can close why not sign him??? Huff is a commodity which can return the so called hot prospects...
If we can get a decent SP for him, I say take it...

[raysnbran]

Closer $

Top closers are a luxury a perennial cellar dweller can't afford. Baez is still priced reasonable for the Rays, and he's a bargain for damn near every other team. When this team is ready to compete, I expect them to invest in a closer like they will at other positions. But, as of today, Baez is more valuable as trade bait than to get us 35 saves out of our 65 wins...

[brooklynboy]

Top closers are a luxury a perennial cellar dweller can't afford. Baez is still priced reasonable for the Rays, and he's a bargain for damn near every other team. When this team is ready to compete, I expect them to invest in a closer like they will at other positions. But, as of today, Baez is more valuable as trade bait than to get us 35 saves out of our 65 wins...

That's a point well taken and true.....My problem is how long do we keep getting hot prospects for a given commodity???? I still haven't seen any firm committment from management other than talk...

[raysnbran]

I still haven't seen any firm committment from management other than talk...

I'm just glad Vince is outta here.

I thought these new guys would make at least some sort of splash. Right now free parking at the Trop is not making me run out to buy season tickets.