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This will be my final post on RaysCentral.com and all of my Tampa Bay Rays coverage will be moving to RantSports.com.
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The Rays are Reeling…
The Tampa Bay Rays have quickly fallen out of the playoff race and amazingly a little less than 2 weeks ago all you heard from Rays fans is who can Tampa get at the deadline for this team to make a run at another AL East title or at the very least the wild card. Well, didn’t that change fast. The Rays were 49-41 at the All Star break and are now 53-50 and are losing 5-0 in the 1st inning at Oakland this afternoon. Where to start with this???
If the Rays do not come back and win this game over the A’s today – it will be the first time the Rays have been swept in a 4 game series in Oakland. The Rays have been outscored 26-10 in the 1st 3 games of the series and this Athletics team has the 2nd lowest OPS in the American League. If this afternoon’s score holds…the Rays will go to 4-10, but more importantly in those 14 games (and don’t forget they are just finishing up the 1st inning as I type this) the Rays have allowed 74 runs in those 13 games plus an inning. 74! The strength of this team is starting pitching, but unfortunately for them – those starters have no room for error. During that same stretch – the Rays offense has only produced 41 runs. It has almost gotten so bad that the starting pitchers body language can be read on the mound…and they know if they allow 1 run (especially the 1st one) the game is over and they will get the loss.
I was at the New York Yankees game back on July 20th when the Yankees won 4-0. David Price started the game and went 7+ strong innings, but he gave up a leadoff single to start the game to Derek Jeter and then Curtis Granderson followed with a bomb to right…2-0 Yanks. And you just got the feeling the game was over right there (I in fact turned to my wife and brother and told them – this game’s over) and unfortunately – I wasn’t kidding. But you just see it in the players body language.
I am still surprised that Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth & Casey Kotchman are still playing for the Rays. Farnsworth & Damon should be gone for sure within the next 48 hours. Why didn’t I mention BJ Upton? Oh, he’s going – there is no doubt in my mind…in fact, everyone I talked to – it’s almost 75/25 that BJ gets traded – it’s not even 50/50 anymore. I am still betting on the Washington Nationals stepping up and sending SS Ian Desmond and C Wilson Ramos for BJ Upton and if the Nats do that – the Rays have to say yes!
I’m hoping the Rays do not trade James Shields because that gives Tampa the best starting staff in the AL East going into the 2012 season with David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and I would assume Matt Moore. But the Rays MUST go out and make a big splash via the free agent market (Jose Reyes or Prince Fielder) or via trade this upcoming off season, because if they don’t – this frustrating 2011 season will be Deja Vu in 2012.
Let us know what you think of these moves in the comment section of this post!
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Rays turned down Rasmus
The Tampa Bay Rays and GM Andrew Friedman turned down a chance to acquire Colby Rasmus this morning before the St. Louis Cardinals made one of their biggest trade blunders in years (you can read my take on the Rasmus trade here).
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals proposed a deal that would have sent Colby Rasmus for Jeremy Hellickson or Rasmus and a couple prospects for James Shields. The Rays countered with Jeff Niemann, JP Howell and a prospect for Rasmus. Considering how insane Cardinals Manager Tony Larussa is – JP Howell is Larussa’s kind of pitcher. A lefthanded reliever that can’t get anyone out has been Tony’s “secret weapon” for years now in St. Louis. Howell and Larussa are made for each other…and with Howell not being a young guy – it makes that marriage even more perfect. But the Cardinals said no and went on to make an even worse trade with the Blue Jays.
If Friedman pulled this deal off…I would have said he was wanted for highway robbery in St. Louis…but now I have went on to say it about the Toronto organization!
Let us know what you think of these moves in the comment section of this post!
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Did the Rays wait too long to bring up Jennings?
The Tampa Bay Rays have FINALLY started the Desmond Jennings era. I think most of us Rays fans thought it started the day Carl Crawford signed that mega contract with Tampa’s division rival Boston Red Sox. But unfortunately for us fans, and especially for Desmond, the Rays decided to sign Johnny Damon, a 37 year old DH/OF who hasn’t been a quality top of the order hitter since 2009 for the New York Yankees. And Sam Fuld got hot for a month to month and a half and that kept Jennings down at AAA Durham as well, but at least Fuld fits in with this team, Damon, not so much.
Plus, the Rays allowed 31 year old 1B/DH Dan Johnson to play 25 games and get 78 at bats to start the season. Well, it was understandable, Johnson is a .235 lifetime hitter, has only hit above .236 in a season once (back in 2005) and hit a career high 18 homeruns back in 2007. Oooooooooh, now I understand why Johnson was able to stay in the lineup all of April…NOT!!! Well, after Johnson finally got the hook…it definitely makes since for Jennings to come up. Of course not.
Seriously Rays fans, think about how bad Tampa has not wanted to call Jennings up. They didn’t call him up when Manny Ramirez was busted again for performance enhancing drugs and was forced to retire. It would have made since right there to bring Jennings up, but Fuld got hot. But Sam is not the future and cannot be the dynamic leadoff hitter that Desmond can be.
But hey, better late than never. Well, not really. The Rays called the kid up too late. Why not see if he could have sparked this team’s offense in late May to early June AT THE LATEST! Now, the Rays are out of both the AL East race, as well as the wildcard. But at least the Rays gave Dan Johnson a chance to spark this team throughout April. Johnson was 9 for 78 with a double and a homerun during that stretch and his batting average was a torrid, batting champ like .115.
Want to hear the funny thing…in the 3 games Desmond Jennings has played since being called up, DJ is hitting .545 with 3 stolen bases. Yes, it’s a very small sample size…but I will say this – in just the 3 games DJ has played – he already has twice as many extra base hits as Dan Johnson on the 2011 season.
Let us know what you think of these moves in the comment section of this post!
Follow me on Twitter @Stelzy! Also, ‘Like’ RaysCentral.com on Facebook and please send any questions or comments you might have via Twitter or FB – I will respond to all!
Funniest Thing Ever???
MLBTradeRumors.com is reporting that the Nationals, Braves, Pirates, Reds and Cardinals are all interested in Tampa Bay Rays Centerfielder BJ Upton. But the FUNNIEST thing I have read in a long time is from Joel Sherman of the New York Post and I quote
“The Royals have interest in Upton with an eye on contending next year.” it’s not that Sherman wrote it…it’s that the Royals think they can compete next year. Now that’s hilarious!
Let us know what you think of these moves in the comment section of this post!
Follow me on Twitter @Stelzy! Also, ‘Like’ RaysCentral.com on Facebook and please send any questions or comments you might have via Twitter or FB – I will respond to all!
