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.










