Scott Kazmir IS key to 2009 (and he's improving)

A recent game preview article on MLB.com stated that Scott Kazmir "could be" key to the Rays this year. I am willing to take this one step further and state that he IS ABSOLUTELY key to the Rays success in 2009.

In looking at the Rays rotation, Garza and Shields are legitimate "stoppers" and should continue to be strong starters for the remainder of the year. Niemann has been a very pleasant surprise, but it's not a sure thing that he will remain as consistent as he's been (hey, he's a rookie). Price has been anything but consistent girating from one strong start to the next lousy one. IF the Rays are to make it to the playoffs this year and have any success in the playoffs, they need three solid, consistent starters with intermitant strong performances from their #4 and #5 guys. This is why Kazmir is so important. In addition to the fact that Kazmir is one of the highest paid players on the Rays roster $6 million in 2009), which hamstrings the club's ability to pay up for additional pitching, Kazmir has shown that he can still be a dominant pitcher in this league. We already know that Sonnanstine is far from a sure bet. After a very good 2008 season, he's regressed to the point where we really can't count on him. Other options in Triple-A are also far from a sure thing, although one never knows (Wade Davis and Carlos Hernandez are both pitching VERY well for the Bulls).

So, if Kazmir can become a consistent 4.00 ERA starter (or better) and can pitch into or through the 6th inning on a consistent basis, I really like the Rays chances of making a run at the AL East title given their prolific (at least up until lately) offense and strong defense (at least it should be strong, on paper - I tend to think that the offense will moderate a little bit in the second half, but the defense should also revert back to the mean thereby offsetting each other in large part). But, without Kazmir at or better than this level, it's going to be a much more difficult road to hoe because we've seen how streaky the offense can be.

Getting Ready for 2009 Tampa Bay Rays Baseball: Offseason Recap

After reading through an endless number of articles on Tampa Bay Rays rumors and moves, I thought it might be a helpful primer for Rays fans to have a summary of the most important offseason happenings. So, here goes.

The Rays were very busy this offseason. After an historic run to the World Series in 2008, the Rays set their sites on fielding an even better team in 2009. Going into the offseason, the Rays clearly outlined their primary goals in this article: right field and the bullpen. Additionally, the Rays noted that they had a glut of great pitching, some of which would like need to be moved to make room for other up and comers (especially those like Niemann and Hammels who are out of minor leagues options). With the recent announcement that Chad Bradford needed elbow surgery and will be out 3-4 months as a stark reminder of the realities of MLB, pitching depth is a great asset for the Rays.

So, jumping right in to the offseason summary. First, the Rays allowed several of their 2008 players (allowed because they chose not to resign them) to become free agents including Rocco Baldelli (signed by the Red Sox), Cliff Floyd (signed by the Padres), Eric Hinske (signed by the Pirates), Trevor Miller (signed by the Cardinals) and Johnny Gomes (signed a minor league contract with the Reds). All of these players contributed to the team’s success in 2008, so they will be missed. But, all things considered, the Rays did not lose a single full-time starter in the offseason to free agency! The good news is that all of the above mentioned players were role / platoon players; the bad news is that the Rays were successful last year in large part due to the contributions of its role players. But, I digress.

The biggest news for the Rays came in the signing of Pat Burrell to a 2-year $16 million contract. Burrell, one of the big guns available to the Rays (others included Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Milton Bradley, Ken Griffey, Bobby Abreu, and Jason Giambi, to name a few). Burrell will be the Rays full-time DH and might be able to fill-in in RF from time to time (such as when the Rays play inter-league play or when they return to the World Series…!). Burrell has been a consistent source of power for the Phillies having hit an average of about 30 home runs in each of the last 7 seasons. While I really liked Cliff Floyd, Burrell represents a significant upgrade to the Rays DH position and he is right handed (the Rays lineup is a bit left-lopsided).

There were persistent rumors that the Rays were actively shopping some of their plethora of starting pitching. This manifested itself in the dealing of Edwin Jackson to the Tigers in exchange for hot prospect, Matt Joyce. Joyce is an up and coming left-handed batting right fielder who is now under the Rays’ control for 6 years. Jackson, a 14-game winner in 2008, will be sorely missed. But, the reality of his situation is that he will make $2.2 million in 2009 (he signed a 1-year deal with the Tigers for this amount) and he was likely to be on the outside looking in for the Rays starting rotation (with David Price eventually taking over the #5 slot).

Another great, but less talked about move, was the acquisition of Joe Nelson via free agency. Nelson is a top-shelf relief pitcher who pitched 54 innings for the Marlins in 2008 posting a stellar 2.00 ERA. He is a 34-year old veteran that the Rays agreed to pay $1.3 million in a one-year deal. The interesting tidbit of news on Nelson is that he received interest from 19 MLB teams (19!!!) and he CHOSE to join the Rays. When is the last time you heard of a player choosing to join the Tampa Bay Rays when he had multiple options? It truly IS a NEW DAY IN TAMPA BAY!!

Adding to Burrell, Nelson and Joyce, the Rays also signed veteran right-fielder (and body builder extraordinaire...well, not really) Gabe Kapler to a one-year $1 million deal. Kapler hit .354 with 22 RBIs against left handed pitching in 2008. One of the biggest problems for the Rays last year was hitting left handed pitching (the World Series made this very clear). Shoring up their right handed line-up seems like a pretty good idea since the AL East now includes the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Andy Petite, Jon Lester, etc. With Burrell at DH and Kapler as a platoon option in RF against lefties, I think the Rays did just that. This also gives the Rays another option in center field if BJ Upton needs more time to get ready; Kapler started 25 games in CF last year for the Brewers.

The Rays had a few other items to address and did so over the course of early 2009. Firstly, they lost their lefty specialist (Trevor Miller). Miller was a great asset to the Rays, but it appears as though he may have some injury issues to work through in 2009 and he was expensive. So, the Rays signed side-armed lefty 40-year old veteran Brian Shouse to a two-year deal (have you noticed a trend in the bullpen – veterans?). Shouse was a strong 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 69 games for the Brewers in 2008. Lefties only hit .180 off him, with an on-base percentage of .192. He is the prototypical specialist pitcher. The Rays also signed RHP Lance Cormier to a $675,000 deal to shore things up further. Lance has something to prove as his raw stats are not among the best of the Rays pen, but he's clearly a talented pitcher with good stuff...and the price was right. Between Shouse, Nelson, Bradford (once he gets healthy), Cormier, Howell, Balfour and Wheeler (not to mention Hammels and Niemann), hitters are going to get all kinds of different looks from the Rays bullpen this year.

In another interesting part of the baseball prospect/farm system process, the Rays lost promising pitching prospect, Eddie Morlan, to the Rule 5 draft. Eddie was a solid prospect with some pretty good numbers in the Rays' farm system. The good news is that the Rays were able to pick up a pretty interesting prospect in Derek Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a right-handed relief pitcher, is 25 years old. He posted some very good numbers in 2008, when he was 5-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 49 appearances in double-A and triple-A. He struck out 10 batters per 9 IP and a 2.7 strikeouts-to-walk ratio. He also held opponents to a .191 batting average. The catch is that the Rays must give him back and pay $50,000 if he does not make the 25-man roster in 2009. But, we've seen some pretty good fortune from guys like this (e.g. Balfour), so it's a small price to pay for a very interesting prospect.

Tying up all the other loose ends, the Rays were also busy with a number of their players that were already under Rays control, but needed new contracts. The Rays avoided arbitration by signing Jason Bartlett to a 1-year deal worth about $2 million; signing Gabe Gross to a 1-year deal worth about $1.3 million; and signing Grant Balfour to a 1-year deal worth about $1.4 million (avoiding arbitration). The Rays have also been busily negotiating with Dioner Navarro and Willy Aybar, both of whom are arbitration eligible. The Rays would like to sign Navi to a long-term deal, but that did not happen. The St. Pete Times reported earlier today that the Rays were successful in their arbitration case against Navi. Navi will earn $2.1 million in 2009. Let's hope there are no hard feelings. It is possible that the Rays come to terms with Aybar prior to his arbitration case, but that looks less likely by the day. The Rays victory against Dioner might help things along here.

Well, that's a pretty complete overview of the offseason (except for a few minor league signings). If there is anything that I missed, don't hesitate to comment. Go Rays!

Rays Looking for Right Fielder - Who Fits the Bill?

UPDATE - EVAN LONGORIA WINS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - CONGRATS, LONGO!!!

Arguably the Rays biggest need is an everyday right fielder (the Rays also talked recently about wanting to shore up the bullpen and add a starter - but I think the latter is likely to include David Price). Closer is a spot that has some questiosn marks (for obvious reasons), but the Rays are a bit hamstrung there as they have Percival under contract in 2009 for $4 million and he's shown that he can still pitch effectively when he's healthy. Thus, the Rays seem unlikely to make a big bet on a top shelf closer this offseason.

A much more likely scenario is that the Rays go for a strong right fielder / right handed bat to fill their biggest need. There are a number of potential guys that fit the bill, so here goes:

1) Matt Holliday is one of the biggest names out there that might fit within the Rays organization. He's a very high quality player even though he does have better home numbers (Coors Field effect) than he does road numbers. Even so, his road number are still pretty strong (.891+ OPS vs. .997+ OPS at home) and he is a very good all around player. The Rockies need pitching and the Rays have a ton of it. So, why not trade for him? Well, he only has 1 year left on his contract and he's likely to draw BIG BUCKS in the free agent market after the 2009 season. It's possible the Rays could try to resign him before 2009, but do they really want to make a large bet on a guy who has some risk (being away from Coors Field could make him more average)? Also, what would the Rays have to give up to get him?

2) Manny Ramirez is THE single best OF hitter available. But, I am not going to spend any time on him because he's simply not a fit with the way Joe Maddon and the Rays organization run things.

3) Magglio Ordonez is a relatively new name in the trade talks. He has been a very strong everyday player for the Tigers and is under contract making $18 million in 2009 with options of $15 million for 2010 ($3 million buyout) and $15 million for 2011 (no buyout). (Side note - Ordonez's salary in each of the option years would become guaranteed if he has 135 starts or 540 plate appearances in the previous season or 270 starts or 1,080 plate appearances in the previous two seasons. If his 2010 salary becomes guaranteed under this provision, it would be at $18 million. The 2011 salary would be $15 million). That's a lot of money for the Rays to spend on a right fielder, but Ordonez is the real deal and he has proven that he's healthy and is a premier hitter in MLB. Interestingly, his home/road splits are actally more severe than Holliday's (.771 OPS on the Road vs. .974 at home in 2008).

4) Bobby Abreu is a free agent and can still play a decent right field (very strong arm). But, he's a left handed bat and the Rays would really like to pick up a solid right handed bat in their new right fielder. Abreu also made about $16,000,000 in 2008 and he may draw something close to that number this year given his consistent bat and acceptable RF play. The big upside is that he is a free agent and won't cost the Rays any talent to acquire. The downside is that he's just not as good as the guys mentioned above.

5) Fernando Perez, Rocco Baldelli, Gabe Gross, Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano. The Rays used a platoon in 2008 in RF and they got to the World Series. Would the Rays be better off using their considerable farm talent to fill this hole instead of giving up some of their prized pitching in a trade? For example, the Rays might consider moving Upton to RF and putting Perez in center (his natural position). BJ plays a very good CF and I am not sure it'd be the best thing to move him into yet another position in 2009, but it's certainly an option. Or, they could utilize Rocco as their DH/RF and platoon him with Perez or Zobrist. Ruggiano is another contender although he went ICE COLD at the plate when he had opportunities in 2008. But, he's got some talent, no doubt about it.

So, the Rays have some thinking to do here and there appears to be only upside at the right field position in 2009. The Rays were able to get to the World Series in 2008 largely with the team that's returning in 2009. Any upgrade in the starting pitching rotation (e.g. David Price) is a big bonus as well as any upgrade in RF. Personally, baseball games are won with pitching, so I'd like to see the Rays tread carefully with their very good, young arms (esp. Sonny and Jackson). The Rays were blessed with very few pitching injuries in 2008, but you can't count on that happening every year (just as the Yankees). As for Right Field, I don't expect any sort of blockbuster deal, but I also did not expect to see the Rays ship Delmon Young out last year, so you never know!

Rays Magical Season Comes to an End - No 2nd Guessing Here

Well, the magical 2008 baseball season has come to an end for Rays fans. First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Rays for a great season that exceeded everyone's wildest expectations. The Rays are the 2008 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, for crying out loud (and I am crying inside, cause I selfishly wanted more). 9=8.com is not going to second guess Maddon's decision to let JP Howell hit, nor are we going to ask why Aki wasn't able to make that catch, nor are we going to second guess the saving of David Price until it was too late, nor are we going to second guess BJ Upton for swinging at the first pitch. No, we are not going to do that because that would cast a cloud on this great season.

But, I do expect to think about this loss for more than 30 minutes, sorry, Joe Maddon. There are so many "coulda" "shoulda" "woulda's" from this series that it does make my stomach churn. Not until Game 5 did we see the real Tampa Bay Rays of 2008 and even then, a costly baserunning mistake and a could of "coulda made" defensive plays were the difference in the game. Games 1-4 were full of errors, misplays and slumping hitters (no timely hitting this time around and not a lot of defense, either). Perhaps the boys were a little tight or even running low on gas after a very emotional August and September filled with many big and very tense games. We can learn from this great experience and return in 2009 with a burning hunger to get back to the big dance and win the trophy!

I can't explain what happened as I still believe the Tampa Bay Rays of 2008 had every chance to win the World Series if they'd been able to play their game. It is disappointing, but also inspiring to see this young team accomplish so much, but still fall short of the ultimate goal of every MLB team. That is now history and we must more forward.

Looking forward to 2009, the Rays are going to be a team to contend with for sure. With a starting rotation of James Shields, Scott Kazmir, David Price, Matt Garza and either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson, it's hard not to get excited. Add to that mix a genuine closer through off-season dealing (or through grooming a guy like Edwin Jackson, who has closer-like stuff) and the bullpen is looking pretty stout as well. Can the Rays make a move in the offseason for a big right handed bat? Many think that it's imperative to do so and it's hard to disagree.

So, in closing (and until I have anything else interesting to say about the Rays of 2008), THANK YOU to the Tampa Bay Rays organization for a season baseball will be talking about for decades. This story is only bested by the 1969 Mets or maybe the 1991 Braves. It truly is one of the best stories in baseball in a very long time. A perennial cellar dweller wins its division (by far the hardest one in all of baseball) and goes to the World Series! Additionally, the Rays are doing things the right way. I am VERY excited about the 2009 season and can't wait for things to gear back up. Hey, pitchers and catchers report in a short 3 months, which really doesn't seem like that far away!

Fans, let's support this team. Buy up those season ticket packages (even if it's only a 20-gamer that you have to split with 2-3 friends) and get out to the Trop. Your team needs you!

GO RAYS!!!

9=8.com's Tampa Bay Rays 2008 ALDS Roster Projections

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9=8.com ALDS Roster Projection:

Fielding/Hitting:
C – Navarro/Hernandez
1B – Pena
2B – Iwamura
3B – Longoria
SS – Bartlett
CF – Upton/Perez
LF – Crawford/Hinske
RF – Gross/Baldelli
DH/Utility – Floyd/Aybar/Zobrist

Pitching:
SP1 – Shields
SP2 – Kazmir
SP3 – Garza
SP4 – Sonnanstine

Bullpen:
Howell
Balfour
Wheeler
Bradford
Miller
Price

Items for Debate:
1) If Carl Crawford is healthy (looking more likely), I believe he would likely take Hinske’s or Perez’s place. Hinske clearly has power and has played a solid left field since Carl was hurt. But, Hinske and Gross will not play at the same time, so perhaps the decision becomes Perez + Hinske or Gross? Gross has been the better player down the stretch, but Hinske has also been very good for the Rays (if only he can break out of this lousy slump he's been in). Perez provides depth at CF and LF and is also a big time weapon the bases. I do get pretty excited when I think about how much speed this lineup has if Crawford is healthy along with BJ, Perez and Bartlett (not as fast, but a great baserunner), but that’s more likely a 2009 scenario as Perez is going to come off of the bench. Given how well Aybar has played and his value as a utility guy, he’s most likely in. Zobrist has been red hot lately and is also likely to make the playoff roster based on his utility and hitting. One other possibility is that Rocco misses the roster (pause for dramatic effect). Rocco has been ice cold lately (hitting .167 in his last 10 games) and brings similar defense in RF to Gross. In fact, Perez and Zobrist have both hit with more power than Rocco this year. Can the Rays count on a sudden improvement from Rocco in October? The fans will hate this, but it could happen. If Rocco is not on the ALDS team, Hinske and Perez make the squad. Lots up in the air here.

2) Pitching/Bullpen – For the ALDS, the Rays will carry 4 starters (Shields, Kazmir, Garza and Sonnansine). I’m not entirely sure if they will carry 6 or 7 pitchers in the bullpen. If they only carry 6, then Miller is probably the other one to fall off. If they go with 7, my roster is above. The most notable omission from my list is Percival. While I am a big Percival fan and have tremendous respect for the guy and what he’s done for this team, he is just not healthy enough to be relied upon in the BP. You could slot him in instead of Miller or Jackson (but, Jackson can be very valuable in the long reliever role), so it’s possible Percy gets a spot. The rest of the BP is not all controversial, in my opinion. Price makes the team as he's been very good since joining the team and he brings a lot of versatility to the BP (long middle guy, 1-2 shut down innings, very good vs. lefties, etc.).

That’s it for now. It looks like CC might just be healthy for the ALDS, which would be a huge lift for the Rays. The fill ins have been great, but Carl brings better defense defense and 1 additional out can make or break a game in the playoffs. His speed on the bases is another huge plus (relative to Hinske or Zobrist) and that makes defenses rush throws and do other unnatural things when he’s at the plate. The risk is that it takes him a few games to get back to normal hitting strength. That was not the case with Longo, so let’s hope Carl has similar success out of the gate.

RAYS ARE IN!!! But, thre is still more work to do....

WOW - What a season (so far). This team is only the second team in MLB history to turn in the worst record in all of baseball one season only to follow it up with a playoff birth. I can't say enough about this team and the no quit spirit that it emits. What a tremendous season (so far) and I am so lucky to be a part of it.

Now, on to business. After a hung-over loss on Sunday, that Rays need to bear down and finish this thing off. With a Magic Number of only 6 with 8 games left, the Rays probably need to win 4-5 games to clinch their first ever AL East title (I'm assuming the Red Sox will lose 1-2 games to Cleveland or New York). Come on, Rays, let's not be satisfied with a simple Wild Card birth. I'll be in Baltimore on Tuesday to root you on, so don't let the emerging "Rays Nation" down. With David Price on the mound tonight (is anyone else as excited about Price's first Major League start as I am?) Rays fans can see not only the present but also the future of this great team.

Oh, and THANK YOU for a tremendous regular season at home. My son and I personally saw more walk-offs and amazing wins that we've ever experienced in the past. We are forever grateful for the experience and can't wait to see you in the Playoffs!

Rays Make "First Wave" of Roster Moves: Preparing for Post-season Push!

The Tampa Bay Rays made there first series of roster moves to bolster the team for both the pennant race as well as the possibility of the playoffs. The Rays added a potential base running weapon that could prove valuable in tight games down the road in outfielder Fernando Perez, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Sunday night (this makes him eligible for postseason play). In a move to create further roster flexibility, the Rays sent Juan Salas to Double-A Montgomery and brought up RHP Jae Kuk Ryu from Durham and promptly placed him on the 15-day disabled list. This might seems like a silly thing to do, but it provides the Rays with significant flexibility for the post season as the team is allowed to replace an injured player with any other player on the 40-man roster. Thus, the Rays effectively have 2 open spots on their post-season roster (Ryu and Chad Ovella, who is also on the DL). Thus, the Rays can potentially add David Price and/or one of their other top pitching prospects if needed down the stretch (they will likely bring Salas back for September and could add him to the playoff roster as well). It appears as though the Rays want to get Price some additional work in the Triple-A playoffs (Price was just named the Durham Bulls Game 1 starter) before bringing him up (Durham begins a 5-game playoff series on Wednesday, September 3rd).

The Rays also called up catcher John Jaso, who will join the team as the third catcher. Andrew Friedman indicated that Jaso is unlikely to be utilized for anything more than a pinch runner or hitter. The combination of a third catcher with the addition of Perez will allow Joe Maddon to pinch run for Navarro or Riggans late in a game without having to “go naked” at the catching position. Given Perez’ speed, this could be a big lift in key games (recall the multiple times that Navi has been thrown out at home trying to score from second base on a hit). Perez batted .288 (.301 vs. lefties) with 11 triples and 43 stolen bases (caught stealing 12 times). The Rays also seem to like his defense although we've not been able to locate any reliable information on his defensive capabilities.

John Jaso looks to be a pretty disciplined hitter registering only 47 strikeouts in 2008 vs. 107 hits and 72 walks (OBP of .391 as well) and has shown modest power with a HR every 10 games or so (12 total in 2008). He could be a nice bat off of the bench for the Rays as well.

Rays September 1st Call-ups: What Moves Should the Rays Make?

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Maddon said he has met with his coaches and executive vice president Andrew Friedman about the team's September call-ups, and "we pretty much have an idea of what we'd like to do."

I took this snippet from a St. Pete Times online article and thought it would make for some interesting discussion. So, in short, what would you like to see the Rays do going into September to shore up the team for the pennant race (remember, the roster expands on September 1st)?

Here are a couple of possibilities/likelihoods:

1) Add David Price - starter or bullpen? He has looked very sharp in the minors with his smokin’ 98+ MPH fastball, among other things. He would bring a powerful lefty to the starting rotation or the bullpen (what do you think the right answer is for DP?). Of our 5 starters, 4 of them are right handed. In the bullpen, we only have 2 LHPs. So, our pitching staff is very right heavy and DP could provide a boost in this area (and this will be boosted once rosters expand on September 1st). A second LHP in the 5-man rotation could create a very tough setup for the opposition going forward (especially in the playoffs where you don't really need 5 starters). The difficulty with this decision is that the starting 5 have been SO GOOD this year and are getting better (all 5 starters have 10+ wins except our ace - he will get his today ;) ). Edwin Jackson might have been the odd man out, but he’s really heating up (5-1 in his last 6 starts giving up a total of 11 earned runs over 34 2/3 innings. Sonny is also pitching extremely well in August at 3-0 in 4 starts with an ERA of 2.92 (his no decision was actually his best outing giving up 1 earned run in 7 innings). Slotting David Price in the bullpen might be the answer, although that could disrupt what’s he’s got going on. If Troy Percival can't get healthy in September, perhaps Joe will put Balfour in the closer role and Price can assume the "strikeout" situation role that Balfour now fills (Price averages just over 1 SO per inning pitched).

2) Which other pitchers will contribute? Joe Maddon has shown a propensity to call on a lot of bullpen help in match-up fashion. Once rosters expand, it would not surprise me to see the bullpen swell quite a bit so that Joe can exact his match-up magic. It's possible that we might see some of our better talent join the team including Wade Davis, Jeff Nieman or even Mitch Talbot (who made a very brief appearance on the roster in July 2008). Who do you think deserves a slot on the roster, if anyone, and how can they contribute?

3) How much PT will Jonny Gomes get after roster expansion and will he be back? He’s got real power, but he is an all or nothing bet. Regardless, he might provide an emotional lift for the team down the stretch and could give the team a powerful right handed bat if Rocco struggles with his health. However, after starting hot in his first few games at AAA Durham, he’s only hitting .227 with 2 HR and 20 strikeouts in 16 games (ouch). I really like Jonny (he’s a super guy, the fans love him and he brings A LOT of energy to the clubhouse), but I fear he is going to be the odd man out unless he gets things going. Still, I do expect to see him rejoin the team in September.

4) Who plays right field? The reality is that the Rays are going to have some decisions to make once Carl Crawford rejoins the team. Ben Zobrist can play right field (his .250 BA, .345 OBP while only striking out 2 times is not bad), but he's unlikely to see much time with only 1 slot to fill. Willy Aybar is a utility guy, but won't get any work in Septemeber if no further injuries occur (he's got no PT in OF and the infield is spoken for when Longo gets back - it's too bad since he’s had 2 or more hits in 7 of his last 11 games and is hitting over .300 with 3 HR, 5 doubles and 9 RBIs since replacing Evan Longoria). So, it looks like right field will be split by Rocco against lefties (he’s hitting a solid .300 in August and hit his first HR last night), Hinske against righties and Gross against some righties and in defensive situations (e.g. after 7 innings if the Rays have the lead). The reality is, barring further injury, the Rays are going to have to make some decisions when Carl gets healthy, but Joe has a lot to choose from. I suspect we'll see a lot of "match-up" baseball down the stretch with the right field position.

The good news is that these are “high class” problems. The Rays have proven to have exceptional depth at pitching (with a huge potential “wild card” in David Price) and in the field/batters box. All of this depth is underscored by a team that has tremendous chemistry and strong leadership. I like where we stand and trust that Joe, Andrew and company will make the right decisions as tough as they may be.

So, tell me what you think?