Archive for the ‘Tampa Bay Rays’ Category

Rays Offer Tenure, Re-Sign Kyle Farnsworth for One Year

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Tampa Bay Rays, Trades And Signings on Jan 24, 2013


Kyle Farnsworth is a victim. A victim of his own reputation and his own early career foibles. A victim of gentle fun had at his expense, thanks to the brilliant Dugout. In reality, Kyle Farnsworth is a really good pitcher and has been for some time. 2012 saw Kyle Farnsworth post his fourth consecutive FIP under 3.50, though it was an injury-shortened campaign.

The Rays don’t need to spend big to build a strong bullpen, they just need to find buy-low candidates and fix or regress them. Farnsworth’s off year in 2012 made him a buy low guy, even if he was in-house.

An incentive laden contract worth at most $3MM? Even the Rays can afford that. Not a bad piece of business from the team that builds cheap bullpens better than anyone.

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Rays and Royals Complete Blockbuster Trade

Posted by Scott Lewis under James Shields, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Trades And Signings on Dec 09, 2012

After a week of percolating, it appears that the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals are close to a trade involving James Shields and Wil Myers, among others. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times broke the early workings of the trade on Twitter, which was also confirmed by several insiders including Ken Rosenthal.

The Royals made the deal official via their Twitter account, and oh boy… it’s a big one:

 

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Yunel Escobar Joins Rays Shortstop Cartel

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Tampa Bay Rays, Trades And Signings, Yunel Escobar on Dec 04, 2012

It was never meant to be for Yunel Escobar in Miami. The situation was just too perfect – shamed Cuban ex-pat gets a second chance in his adopted home, playing before dozens of indifferent Marlins fans and a few excited Cubanos. Sadly, this dream will never become reality.

With the Marlins planning to use the other Cuban shortstop acquired from Toronto, Adeiny Hechavarria, as their everyday shortstop, Yunel expressed his desire to leave Miami in a Miami Sun-Sentinel report today. The former Brave and Blue Jay believes his skills as a shortstop would be wasted at third base, stating there are enough teams in the league for both Hechavarria and himself to find steady work at short.

Turns out Escobar didn’t have to wait long to his dreams to come true. Just as Rays fans and writers have long wished, the Island of Misfit Toys is about to get another lost soul. Reports suggest the Tampa Bay Rays are close to acquiring Escobar from the Marlins in exchange for Rays shortstop prospect Derek Dietrich, the Rays number 15 prospect in Fangraps preseason rankings coming off a strong season at Double-A. The deal was first reported by The Knobler.

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Brian Wilson Prepares to Meet His Destiny

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays on Nov 27, 2012

When you are a clown in the Auguste “my appearance and behaviour is bizarre and meant for your entertainment” sense, it is difficult to flip switch and be taken seriously as a Professional Baseball Pitcher. When you are coming off a full year away from the game after your second Tommy John surgery and with a minimum guaranteed pay day of $6.8 million coming up, stuff gets serious in a hurry.

Such is the situation of Brian Wilson, annoyer of most and former closer of the San Francisco Giants. Wilson faces an old fashioned non-tendering by the San Francisco Giants as he is indeed owed at least $6.8 million after earning $8.5 million in 2012. Wilson signed a two-year, $15 million deal after the Giants 2010 World Series triumph. The Super Two player still has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, thus the guaranteed figure (the Giants cannot pay by less than 80% of his previous season’s salary as per the CBA).

With large arbitration raises due for fellow Giants Hunter Pence and Santiago Casilla, Wilson figures to be the odd man out. Should the Giants non-tender Wilson, he becomes a free agent. The Giants can then re-sign him unless another team steps to the fore…

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No Small Matter Of Price

Posted by Dustin Parkes under David Price, General, Tampa Bay Rays on Sep 21, 2012

In his Friday morning column, ESPN’s Buster Olney brings up an interesting idea that, unlike the American League MVP debate and the Melky Cabrera batting title doomsday scenario, hasn’t already been discussed to the point of dead horses being beaten: the Tampa Bay Rays trading David Price.

Mr. Olney suggests the following:

The trade value of David Price will never be higher than it will be this winter, and given the Rays’ need to constantly manage payroll, there will financial incentive for Tampa Bay to flip Price for prospects now. Unlike Evan Longoria, James Shields and Matt Moore, Price did not sign a long-term team-friendly deal, and he is about to become a very expensive player.

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Elliot Johnson Plays Catch With Fans

Posted by Darren Kritzer under Elliot Johnson, HardBall Talkin', Tampa Bay Rays on Sep 20, 2012


Tampa Bay Rays infielder Elliot Johnson took time before the game last night to go play catch with some fans who had arrived early. If you’re wondering how they got the player from the clubhouse to the parking lot, well, Twitter, of course!

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Side Session For September 14th: Rays Start Important Series In NY

Posted by Darren Kritzer under Baltimore Orioles, Link Dump, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays on Sep 14, 2012

With two and half weeks to go in the regular season,  the best divisional race in baseball has emerged in the American League East. We might have expected this at the beginning of the year, only we were more likely to have thought the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays would be battling for the title, with little to no mention of the Baltimore Orioles.

Despite our faulty expectations, the Orioles now sit tied with the Yankees atop the AL East, while also leading the Los Angeles Angels by 3.5 games for the final Wild Card spot. October baseball in Baltimore is almost upon us.

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