Tampa Bay Rays Have to Trade James Shields
The Tampa Bay Rays and James Shields have been around together for quite some time. At one time, you could have made the argument that James Shields was the ace of the staff. However, over the last couple years and the emergence of David Price, James Shields hasn’t exactly been ace like material. Now- let’s face it. This Tampa Bay Rays team isn’t going to win in 2011. Which means…it’s time to start planning for 2012 and beyond. What kind of return could the Rays get on Shields? Probably a decent one when teams are in desperate need for pitching down the stretch. They could easily pick up a couple nice prospects for this guy- and that’s what they should do. It’s time to blow this team up and continue building the system for another Rays run. Throw in a couple big free agent signs, and the Rays could be back in action sooner rather than later.
The first team I would look at in terms of trade partners….the New York Yankees. It’s no secret they’re going to need pitching down the stretch, so what if someone like Fausto Carmona get’s dealt somewhere else? Could James Shields be a possible replacement for the bronx bombers? What if New York was desperate enough to trade uber prospect Jesus Montero? If I were the Yankees, I wouldn’t touch that deal…but since I’m not Brian Cashmen…you never know. The Yankees are the only team that could trade their best prospect every year and be just as fine…so why not? If you’re a Rays fan…let’s hope the Yankees are as desperate for pitching as I think they’ll be.
The Rays Need Prince Fielder
The Tampa Bay Rays are supposed to be moving into a new stadium here soon. That stadium is supposed to be generating more revenue to the team, but I think people forget that in Tampa- the team has to win…and even then fans don’t show up consistently enough. So what would it take to get fans in the stands? As it stands right now, the Rays lost their home grown hero Carl Crawford due to money, and this year are struggling mightily with the bats because frankly…there isn’t any firepower. What better way to get fans to the stands, and increasing the chances of competing again in the AL East then biting the bullet, and opening the wallet for Prince Fielder.
What would Prince Fielder bring to the Tampa Bay Rays? How about protection for Evan Longoria? Right now, Longoria is sitting with an injury, but when he comes back…who in the heck is going to pitch to him? He has no protection, and the starting rotation has some outstanding arms already- with more coming. There is no pitching shortage in this organization, but the bats? A different story. Prince Fielder would MASH in Tampa, and they could absolutely form a nasty 3-4 combo in the middle. If a team wins- that teams fans should come.
And Frankly- what better way to bring Rays fans to a new gorgeous stadium than the big man who hits 500 foot bombs? The question is….are the Rays going to continue to be one of the most cheapest franchises in baseball? Or are they finally going to make a splash on one of the big free agents to be? We’ll find out…but the Rays need to do something….and fast if they wanna get themselves back to the elite of the American League.
Joe Madden Says Tampa Bay Rays Can Still Win AL East: Is He Right?
Just the other day, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays Joe Madden boldly proclaimed that he expects the Rays to fight for the AL East title again this year- even though the team has started off….painfully slow. Was this just a manager trying to light a fire under his team, or does he actually believe his team can compete? I would imagine he really does believe his team can win because what can of manager would he be if he didn’t trust in his club? However- I’m going to take the following stance. The Tampa Bay Rays do NOT have a chance at winning the AL East this year.
Reason 1- No firepower. With Manny Ramirez retired, Carlos Pena gone, Carl Crawford gone, Evan Longoria is the only main power threat in this lineup. Which means he probably won’t see much to hit because frankly- why would you want to pitch to Longoria if you can pitch to Dan Johnson…Kelly Shoppach? I mean let’s get real for a minute. BJ Upton isn’t a star, Johnny Damon might show flashes of the old Johnny Damon but he’s a whisker away from 40 and can’t really be expected to hit 320 this year in 600 AB’s. This surely is going to hurt the Rays because they’ll be going up against the likes of Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, and Nick Swisher of the Yankees….Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox…and Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, and Adam Lind of the Blue Jays…not to mention the improvement of the Baltimore Orioles. Truth be told…I expect Tampa to have the worst run output in the entire division…and one of the worst in the American League.
Reason 2- Not enough horses in the bullpen. The Rays have had to completely revamp their bullpen. It’s always a problem when Juan Cruz has to be one of the key set up guys- and Kyle Farnsworth is closing games right now. Sure they have some young arms coming, and even one there now- but the lack of offense is going to mean no run support for a better than average starting rotation which is going to put a ton of stress on the bullpen. I don’t believe the arms are going to handle the heat this year which means Tampa is going to lose a lot of games from that part of the team.
Reason 3- No Money. Let’s say the Rays make me look stupid and are still in the race come July. What are the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, White Sox, Twins, Tigers, and Rangers going to do? They’re going to add on to their team via trades. Are the Rays going to give up prospects in a year where they won’t win? They shouldn’t. Can they afford to trade for a big named player and take on a large salary, or trade for a big named player and watch him walk at the end of the year? No, they can’t. Which means even if they’re in it- they won’t have the opportunity to get better like their rivals.
Reason 1 + reason 2 + reason 3= a really long year for the Rays faithful.
Breaking News: Tampa Bay Rays Slugger Manny Ramirez Retiring from Baseball
As if their 0-6 start wasn’t bad enough for the Tampa Bay Rays, MLB.com reported on Friday that Manny Ramirez is retiring from baseball–which is ironic since he was just recently notified by the league about an issue regarding the policy on their drug prevention & treatment program.
From the official MLB.com Twitter account:
BREAKING: Manny Ramirez informs MLB he is retiring. MLB recently notified Manny of an issue under MLB’s drug prevention & treatment program.
The 39-year old Ramirez–who spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodger and Chicago White Sox–signed with the Rays back in January along with his former Boston Red Sox teammate Johnny Damon. Tampa Bay fans have to be excited that Ramirez lasted just one week into the regular season and only managed to record one hit.
It’s Time for the Rays to Dump BJ Upton
BJ Upton has been in the Tampa Bay Rays organization since he was drafted 2nd overall (as a shortstop) in 2002, and for the last several years, we’ve heard all about the “potential” BJ Upton has. Ohhhh BJ Upton can steal bases, ohhhhhh BJ Upton can hit bombs, ohhhhh Bj Upton is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Well- I hate to tell ya, but BJ Upton isn’t going to be a cornerstone of the organization and he’s on the verge of getting himself a multi year deal. The question I have is simply….is BJ Upton worth the money he’s going to command? In a simple word…no.
BJ Upton won’t ever be a lead off hitter due to his inability to work counts, walk, and hit consistently enough to command the lead off spot. He’s a pretty solid defender, but his attitude is frankly too much to take. I’m tired of watching him loaf around the field like he owns it, and act like everyone should bow to his existence. It’s simply time to get some value for him from a team that buys into his “potential.” I mean, the Rays are clearly looking to rebuild (again) through the system, which is still one of the better systems in baseball, but it can still get better. Is Tampa really going to build around Upton and Longoria? I really hope not. What is Upton going to teach Desmond Jennings? How to not run out a ground ball and get benched (more than once)? How to waste away because he seems to be a money first athlete? I’m tired of watching the Rays put this guy on the field and not get the 100% effort back in return. It’s time to move on- and continue building the system…and get ready for another Rays run in the AL East in 2 years.
