“I don’t know if you’d call this a setback.  We’re looking at this thing from a broad spectrum. I plateaued out.  We’re taking a step back and making sure we’re moving in the right direction from a conditioning and longevity standpoint.”

ESPN’s Rob Neyer had this to say:

Blalock’s cheaper, though, and his career numbers against right-handed pitchers, while far from brilliant, are better than Burrell’s. A few decades from now, if somebody’s studying the 2010 season he probably won’t pay much attention to Blalock or Branyan, let alone the relationship between the two. But this summer I’ll be watching them.

Who knows?  The way Blalock’s contract in written, if he’s not in line for an opening day spot on the Rays’ roster, he could end up in Cleveland replacing Branyan.

***

Depending how the battle for the fifth starting spot ends, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo thinks the Rays will begin shopping Andy Sonnanstine:

He is beginning to creep up the list for teams needing an end-of-rotation starter. He pitched four strong innings Thursday in a 4-1 win over Toronto, but he doesn’t seem to fit in the Tampa (Bay) rotation. Look for the Rays to entertain offers for him.

If the Rays can get something worthwhile, I’m all for it.  While I’m pretty sure Andy’s not the kind of player who will sulk if things don’t turn out to his liking, it would be nice to see him get an opportunity elsewhere.  Heck, put him in the National League and watch him hit every fifth day.

***

I hope this deal is cheap.  I’m just not sure how much Hank Blalock adds to the Rays.  Sure, he’s nice insurance if Pena or Longoria goes down.  But, is he appreciably different than Dan Johnson? 

***

Matt Lutovsky wrote a piece in The Sporting News with this as the first sentence.

We’ve introduced you to Sean Rodriguez before, but that was when he was a 2B prospect with the Angels. Now, he’s an OF prospect with the Rays.

It’s great to watch the national spin on what’s happening here in Tampa Bay.  I’m not sure Sean Rodriguez really fits into the outfield mix.  But, I’m sure Joe Maddon’s looking at his versatility.  And, I’m confident that if he fits in on a consistent basis, it will be at second base.

***

This from the Globe’s Nick Cafardo:

Privately, some Rays personnel hope he (BJ Upton) becomes like his little brother, Justin Upton, who signed a $51.25 million, six-year deal with Arizona last week.

What does that mean?  Privately?  Some?  Wouldn’t everyone in the organization want BJ to have a season like little brother Justin had last year and be willing to talk openly about it?  Yes, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that everyone associated with the Rays are hoping BJ hits .300 with 26 home runs, 86 RBI and 20 SB. 

Cafardo does a thing called “Updates on nine” every week.  This was #9.  It’s almost like he got through eight and didn’t know what else to write.

Nick Cafardo has a long preview of the 2010 Rays in the Boston Globe.  If he spent much time in the Rays camp, he didn’t come up with too much new stuff.  Of course, it mentions the pending free agency of Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. 

He mentions that the Rays have Desmond Jennings waiting in the wings for an outfield spot, but settles for Ben Zobrist as Pena’s possible replacement.  Personally, I don’t see taking a versatile fielder like Zobrist and planting him at first.  Perhaps that’s just me. 

***

On a side note, the Globe’s Christopher L. Gasper takes a light-hearted look at the phenomenon of the UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating).     In talking with  a few Red Sox players, he discovered this:

“I don’t even know what it is.  Hopefully, my UZR is sick.” — Kevin Youkilis

“Whatever it is. I know I had a pretty good one. It’s got to be pretty good.”  — Mike Cameron

“I still don’t really know what it is.” – Jacoby Ellsbury

***

USA Today’s Fred Goodall talks about the upcoming season of DH Pat Burrell.   There are a lot of reasons that can explain the poor season Burrell had last year.  Injuries, new experiences in the American League and at DH are a few of them.  But, by most accounts, Pat the Bat has arrived in camp optimistic of a turnaround.

“You can’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about the past…You want to put it behind you, but you also want to be able to build from it.  I’ve had bad seasons before, and it is extra motivation for you to come in and give it that much more focus and determination to turn things around.”

Some players have bad weeks.  They go into slumps.  I’m not sure it’s comforting for Burrell to admit this wasn’t his first “bad season”.  Not when you’re being paid $16 million over two seasons to have something better than bad.

Desmond Jennings has a profile on raysbaseball.com.  He sure is drawing a lot of interest as the 2010 season draws near.  And, for good reason.  Carl Crawford will be a headline-maker for many reasons throughout the upcoming season for many reasons.  Ultimately, Desmond Jennings enters into most of those conversations. 

He enters the season as one of baseball’s top prospects.  For me, an outfield of Crawford, Upton, and Jennings would be a dream.  But, that’s unlikely.  Still, as noted within the piece by Bill Chastain, Jennings wants to give the Rays something to think about.

“I’m going to Spring Training to compete for a job. They may think different, that I need more time, but I’m going to let them make that decision. I’m just going to go out there and play as hard as I can and push everybody, so when they do have to make a decision about me, it’s a hard one to make.”

***

The Boston Globe has a post asking 20 questions of their beloved Red Sox fans to predict what will happen in 2010.  Most of the questions predict individual player performances.  For grins, one of the questions asks which low-cost reliever will have the most impact in their bullpen.  Brian Shouse and Jorge Sosa are two of the four player options.  What, Joe Nelson gets no love? 

But, here’s the link to the AL East winner predicition page.  I’m a homer, but I’m going with the Rays.  For what it’s worth, as I write this, after 24,000 votes, the Rays are picked by 0.6% of the Globe’s readers.   No respect.

***

The Nashville Scene posted a profile of their former Vanderbilt star, David Price.  There’s not a lot about his time with the Rays.  But, making mention of his foundation, Project 14, is worth noting.

***  

We are a matter of days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Port Charlotte.  And, things are quiet.  Among the most notable articles found about the Rays is about radio guy Andy Freed.  Daniel Feingold of The Minaret Online has the profile. 

For what it’s worth, Freed offers his prediction for the 2010 season:

“I expect big things.  I think we absolutely, without a doubt, have the tools to win the division and win the World Series.”

To open, here’s this from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo:

“The feeling is that if the Rays’ financial picture gets any gloomier, (Carl) Crawford will be trade bait by the trading deadline or even earlier. In fact, both he and Carlos Pena could have new addresses at some point in the season.”

This isn’t news.  Cafardo must have needed to fill space.  Although, I’m still not certain trading either one of those guys would indicate financial doom and gloom.  At least in the case of CC, many would agree that he might be the most pursued free agent next off-season. 

For argument sake, let’s just say Desmond Jennings has a similar start at Durham as he had last season.  Wouldn’t it make good baseball sense to entertain replacing CC with DJ and collecting whatever Crawford would bring in a trade? 

***

Hal Bodley has a nice piece on Don Zimmer for MLB.com.  When spring training opens, it will mark his 62nd straight year pulling on a baseball jersey.  So, what keeps him going?

“You’ve got to have special people that keep bringing me back. And that’s what I have with the Rays.”

***

Rays prospect Andrew Bellati was seriously injured in a two-car accident near San Diego.  The crash, which appears to place Bellati at fault, killed the driver of the other vehichle and seriously injured one passenger in each car.  According to California Highway Patrol, the speedometer on Bellati’s 2007 Mustang was stuck on 80 mph.

Words I never thought I’d read.  Anywhere.

The loss of the Gabe (Gross, that is) has dimished (sic) the Rays’ depth greatly.

Well, that’s the opinion of Robert Cox on Fanhuddle.com.   At that level of importance, it’s hard to believe that the other Gabe hasn’t been snatched up by any of the other 29 teams in baseball as we move closer to the beginning of spring training.

Yet, as I read the post, there’s no mention of Matt Joyce.  Not one.  I guess it’s apparent that this writer discounts the value of the guy the Rays got for Edwin Jackson.  But, at the very least, doesn’t he at least deserve consideration for matching the numbers produced by Gross?

***

Anyone think Miguel Tejada could play second base?  Here’s what the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo had to say about the yet unsigned free agent:

Someone is going to get a .300 hitter who can drive the ball into the gaps, play every day, and be a good clubhouse presence. And they’re going to get him for a year or two at little money.

***

And finally, we were willing to overlook Rocco Baldelli in a Red Sox uniform to continue to applaud his time in Tampa Bay.  Will Rays fans be as forgiving if he trades in the Sox jersey for the pinstripes of the Yankees?  Talk about taking a tour of Rays rivals.

David Price has another award to add to his mantle.  A poll in The Tennessean has named him “Middle Tennessee’s male prep athlete of the decade”.  He beat out the likes of Notre Dame WR Golden Tate and Golden State Warriors forward Brandan Wright. 

Quotable, from Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin:

“His greatest attribute as an athlete, without any question at all, is he’s a quick-recovery athlete. If he fails at something, he learns from it, uses it, applies it and gets better. But he’s not derailed by it. That’s what mental toughness is all about. You just can’t knock him down. He always comes back.”

The Rays should witness that first-hand this season.  While the 2009 season definitely wasn’t a “failure”, it wasn’t the knockout season many expected.  The 2010 season just might be that year.

***

Joe Smith writes in today’s St. Petersburg Times that Matt Joyce is ready to make another run at right field for the Rays.  And, he has the backing of Durham Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo:

“I didn’t know he was that fast.  I knew the kid had power, and he could hit for average, but I didn’t know he could run. … He’s a complete player. All it’s going to take for him is to be consistent, and he’ll be a very good player for the Rays for a long time.”

***

Finally, isn’t it nice how quiet things are right now with the Rays?  We have the Laird brothers fighting at an NBA game.  We have Edwin Encarnacion blowing up his face on New Year’s Eve.  Wouldn’t it be great if the Rays stayed out of the news until, say, February 18?

Erie Times-News writer Tony Battaglia has an idea of who the Cleveland Indians will be receiving in exchange for Kelly Shoppach from the Rays:

There is speculation that the Indians will get Mitch Talbot or Joseph Cruz — both right-handed starters — from the Tampa Bay Rays as the player to be named later in the Kelly Shoppach trade.

Seems reasonable.  Talbot could potentially compete for a big league spot now with the Indians.  He’s out of options so the Indians would have to be convinced he brings at least a little value.  Joseph Cruz would be more of a potential thing, as he’s only 21-years-old and played at Bowling Green last year, amassing a  5-8 record and 4.08 ERA.

***

The Boston Globe’s Christopher L. Gasper spent an entire column discussing whether the Red Sox have done enough to overtake the Yankees. 

Do you feel the Red Sox today are better equipped to beat the baseball club in the Bronx than they were last season? Isn’t that really what this offseason is all about, whether the Sox can bridge — there is that word again –  the gap that opened up last season between them and the World Series champion Yankees?

An entire column of drivel, and not one utterance of the Tampa Bay Rays.  Not a single one.  Fresh off 2009’s third place season, the Rays seem to be out of sight, out of mind.  Isn’t that really best?

***

Finally, with Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggesting that the Seattle Mariners are looking to deal for a hitter, and specifically a first baseman, don’t the Rays at least have to entertain the thought of dealing Carlos Pena?   He suggests Brandon Morrow is the carrot being used to lure the bat.

***

Things will probably be quiet on the baseball front for the next couple of weeks.  Happy Holidays!

Bill Madden of the New York Daily News echoes what many others have been saying about the Rays’ willingness to spend $7 million on Rafael Soriano.  He says that it’s a clear sign that they’re in it to win it in 2010.  But, he feels a trade was the only way the Rays were going to do it.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ acquisition of closer Rafael Soriano after he accepted arbitration from the Atlanta Braves is their declaration that they’re going for it next year. They’d have never signed Soriano as a free agent and sacrificed a draft pick, but they’re willing to pay him $7 million-plus and boost the payroll. They’re also looking past the fact the Braves didn’t think he had a closer’s mentality.

Ouch.  The New Yorkers are already knocking the Rays’ closer.

***

ESPN’s Tristan Cockroft put his fantasy spin on the trade and had mostly glowing comments for the Rays’ new closer, with his reservations based on his health:

Soriano’s talent shouldn’t be questioned; he has a 2.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings the past four years combined. If those don’t sound like closer’s numbers, what does? Any questions about the right-hander are health-related; he has made seven trips to the disabled list in his career, five for elbow issues and two for shoulder problems, plus he had Tommy John surgery in August 2004.

***

Finally, judging by the over 200 comments posted on Jeff Schultz’s column on the Atlanta Journal Constitution website, Braves fans aren’t all that excited about  the Rafael Soriano deal.