[HAPPY HOUR HANGOVER] Nationals Land Lastings Milledge, May Still Seek Elijah Dukes

Tampa Bay Rays (66-96)
What is the best cure for The Hangover? Happy Hour!

There was just too much going on in the Raysiverse that we couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning when nobody turns on their computers. Without further ado…

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The Nationals traded Ryan Church to the Mets for Lastings Milledge. This move does not necessarily mean that the Nationals are no longer interested in Elijah Dukes. The Nationals would want Dukes to play center field. Church logged considerable time in center last season and Milledge is primarily a left fielder although he can play center. Washington may still be in the market for a center fielder. [Newsday]
• Marc Lancaster also thinks the the Nationals may still try to acquire Elijah Dukes because Washington’s GM Jim Bowden is quite fond of “toolsy outfielders”. [TBO]
• The Troy Percival deal has now been officially announced. The only difference from previous reports is that incentives could reach $4 million over the two years based on games played and games finished. [tampabay.com]
• Larry Brown Sports is surprised that a player would turn down more money from the Yankees to sign with the Rays. If everything else was equal, we would be surprised also, but the Rays undoubtedly promised Troy Percival that he would be the closer, as opposed to a set-up man in New York. [Larry Brown Sports]
• This morning we wondered aloud whether Evan Longoria would be MiLB’s top prospect. He is not. He comes in at #2. [MiLB]

With fewer than 200 professional games under his belt, Longoria appears ready for the big leagues. He made it to Triple-A in his first full season and has shown the ability to hit for average and power in his brief pro career. Defensively, he’s got good hands and a strong arm at third base.

Players who come out of Long Beach State seem to have pretty good heads on their shoulders and know how to play the game the right way (see Tulowitzki, Troy). Longoria definitely fits that mold and his makeup and work ethic are off the charts. That should enable him to get to the big leagues, and stay there, in short order. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t make the 2008 big-league roster as the Opening Day third baseman, pushing Akinori Iwamura to second base.

• Saturday is the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to eligible players. While Scott Kazmir, Carlos Pena, Jonny Gomes and Dan Wheeler are no-brainers…Gary Glover and Grant Balfour are not, especially with the signing of Troy Percival and the acquisition of Matt Garza which presumably bumps Jason Hammel to the bullpen. [Devil Rays]
• WOOHOO! The acquisition of Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett leaves at least one blogger believing that the Rays are now better than the Royals. [Royals Review]
• Based on “Mariginal Revenue Products” estimates, whatever those are…Carlos Pena was the 5th most valuable American Leaguer. [Sabernomics]

[THE HANGOVER] Four Rays Prospects Make Top 20

Tampa Bay Rays (66-96)
It takes three things to win in baseball: Pitching, Pitching and Pitching.

On Wednesday, the Rays added Matt Garza to a rotation that already features two of the best young pitchers in baseball, in Scott Kazmir and James Shields. Garza, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, was ranked #21 in Baseball America’s list of “2007 Top 100 Prospects”.

Earlier this week we mentioned that MiLB was unveiling their top 50 prospects and shortstop Reid Brignac was the first Rays farmhand to make the list at #32. Well, considerably more of the list has been revealed and three more Rays prospects have made the list, all starting pitchers.

11. David Price – He’s got tremendous stuff, with a plus fastball, slider and above-average changeup, excellent command of his pitches and the kind of leadership on the mound that screams “future ace.” Price has great makeup and is extremely competitive. Add in the fact that this enticing package all comes in a left-hander and it’s no wonder he nearly hit the top 10.

12. Wade Davis – Davis and McGee. McGee and Davis. It doesn’t matter in which order you put them (though on this list, Davis is ranked higher); both will reach Tampa in short order and help support its quickly improving young offense. Davis got the bump up to Double-A in 2007 earlier than McGee and thus might be a touch closer to joining Scott Kazmir in the Rays’ rotation.

20. Jake McGee – If the Rays are known mostly for their young offensive talent, McGee is a big reason why they’ll soon be known for pitching as well…Another year in the Minors wouldn’t be a bad thing, but he could be ready by late 2008 should the need arise.

With the top 10 yet to be revealed, we don’t know yet whether Evan Longoria will come in at #1, but he will be on the list, which gives the Rays five players in the top 32 and four in the top 20, including three starting pitchers, two of whom are left handed.

One can never assume that prospects will be productive major leaguers, much less develop into a perennial all-star. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that all three of these starting pitchers develop into mid-rotation major league starting pitchers, with one of them blossoming into an ace. If the Rays struggle to sign Soctt Kazmir to a long-term contract, there is a very good chance he will be traded following the 2009 season. Until then? Let’s enjoy the show.

2007 Top 100 Prospects [Baseball America]
Promotions lead to changing of the guard in 2007 [MiLB]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Troy Percival passed his physical yesterday and will be introduced today as the Rays new closer. The deal is 2 years for $8 million, with up to $2 million in incentives. [tampabay.com]
• ESPN is reporting that the Rays have talked to Geoff Jenkins agent for the purpose of playing right field for the Rays in 2008. We understand that it is the Rays responsibility to explore all options, but Jenkins is a player the Rays DO NOT want. He hit a combined 38 home runs the past two seasons and hit .255 last year. He just completed a long-term deal with the Brewers that paid him over $7 million each of the last 4 seasons. What is he commanding on the open market? We have no idea. But if it is more than the league minimum it is too much. A combination of Justin Ruggiano and Jonny Gomes can produce the .255-21-64 line Jenkins produced last year and play defense just as well, if not better. [ESPN]
• Baseball America has the best breakdown yet of all six players involved in the Delmon Young-for-Matt Garza trade. [Baseball America]
• Marc Lancaster has quotes from a conference call with Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. [TBO]

Garza seems to be a live wire, certainly not lacking in confidence, who already has studied up on the Rays and is definitely excited to be coming to Tampa Bay. Bartlett was a bit more reserved and was surprised by the trade, but that fits his businesslike reputation.

• Beyond the Boxscore examines the numbers posted by the six players involved in the trade. [Beyond the Boxscore]
• One Twins blogger thinks the Twins finally got the “uncontrollable hotheaded immature player” that they needed, demonstrating Delmon Young’s effect on the Minnesota clubhouse with…Legos [MN Gameday]
• Yahoo! Sports takes a look at the Rays off-season needs and 2008 projections. We lost them when they referred to Scott Kazmir and James Shields as “a reasonable one-two”. [Yahoo! Sports]
• A lighter take on the Delmon Young-for-Matt Garza trade. [Fox Sports]
• One blogger thought it was important enough to take time from his busy life to let everybody know that the Delmon Young-for-Matt Garza trade was not a “blockbuster” as many people have referred to it…Apparently trading a #1 overall pick that hit .290 and drove in 90 and has one of the best arms in baseball, AT AGE 21…for one of the top 20 prospects in baseball does not qualify for “blockbuster” status. We all owe Blogging Baseball an apology. [Blogging Baseball]
• A collection of YouTube clips featuring the three players acquired from the Twins. [DRaysBay]

[DELMON YOUNG TRADE] What The Delmon Young Trade Means For The Rays 25-Man Roster

This trade was not Delmon Young-for-Matt Garza.

This trade was not a 3-for-3 deal.

Make no mistake this was a 3-for-1 deal and one could make a very strong argument that this was a 5-for-1 deal (we will get back to that in a moment).

Both Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie were expendable, leaving Young as the only piece of significance given up by the Rays. Harris proved in the first half of 2007 that he could hit a baseball. Unfortunately, Harris proved all season that he is not a major league shortstop, often playing the position as if he had his feet stuck in cement. Pridie is a talented young outfielder, but there was clearly no future for him in a Rays uniform, with the team’s depth of outfield talent at all levels.

On the other hand the Rays pick up one of the top young pitchers in baseball (Garza), who is still two seasons from arbitration, a starting shortstop for 2008 and maybe beyond (Jason Bartlett), and one of the top closer prospects in baseball (Eduardo Morlan). Originally the deal was to include Juan Rincon, but concerns over his elbow lead the Rays to insist on the inclusion
of Morlan. Rincon would have added depth to the Rays 2008 bullpen, but Morlan could end up being a more valuable acquisition.

In addition to the three pieces from the Twins, the Rays also indirectly acquired a AAA all-star outfielder and long reliever/spot starter to give the bullpen added depth.

Justin Ruggiano: Moving Delmon Young opens up a spot in right field. With both Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes on the roster, Ruggiano would most likely have started the season in Durham. With Young gone, the star for Team USA in the World Cup is now the leading candidate to be the fourth outfielder and the team will likely employ a rotation with Rocco, Gomes and Ruggiano sharing time in right field and DH.

Jason Hammel: Hammel was originally slotted as the fifth starter and with the acquisition of Garza, he is the odd man out. Hammel, who is out of options will now most likely be moved to the bullpen where he worked last season before entering the rotation. Hammel is an immediate upgrade over another pitcher currently in the organization that could have filled the role of long reliever/spot starter.

Most reactions to the trade, whether they be Twins, Rays or Neutral fans, suggest that Young-for-Garza is either a push or a slight edge for the Twins, citing Young’s enormous upside. Those same reactions also unanimously agree that the other four players included in the deal, make the Rays the winners of the deal. Now add Ruggiano and Hammel to the deal and consider that Pridie and Harris were expendable and the 5-for-1 deal in which the Rays receive five important pieces for a 5-tool player that has never shown three of those tools (power, speed, glove) at any level and the Rays are a significantly better team this week than they were last week.

When the tree stops shaking, let’s now take a look at what the 25-man roster could look like on opening day 2008. (notes on this projection can be found below)

• INFIELD: We still feel that Akinori Iwamura will be at second base, no matter what the team decides to do with Evan Longoria. If the Dirtbag is not ready, they will most likely use a stopgap such as Joel Guzman, who has proved to be more than adequate with the glove. Aki just does not have the arm to be a major league third baseman and there is no sense moving him mid-season.
• OUTFIELD: Without Delmon Young, there is now a big question mark in right field. Without any further trades (Jonny Gomes?) the Rays will most likely go with a 3-man platoon in right with Gomes, Ruggiano and Rocco with one of the odd-men out playing DH every night. With Rocco’s legs and Gomes questionable glove, Ruggiano could be the most-days right fielder. The biggest problem with this scenario is that all three swing from the right side. If Gomes is moved, look for a left-handed bat to come back to the Ray in the deal.
• BENCH: Several question marks here. Will the team sign a veteran free agent catcher? Will they find a left-handed bat to come off the bench/is the switch-hitting Zobrist sufficient? Does that give Zobrist an edge over Josh Wilson to be the utility infielder?
• ROTATION: The Rays just went from “Kaz, Shields and pray for a power outage” to looking like they have a very formidable rotation. Before the trade, there were questions if the Rays even had a pitcher ready to fill the fifth spot. Now Jackson and Sonnanstine slide down to #4 and #5 and both look a lot better in those spots. The odd-man out on the surface is Jason Hammel, but Jeff Niemann could have been hurt the worst. Niemann could have competed in spring training with Hammel. He will have a much more difficult time trying to push aside Sonnanstine and is now more likely to begin season at AAA.
• BULLPEN: One of the worst in the history of baseball in 2007, the bullpen is suddenly looking like it could be a strength. Percival is the closer. He had a strong 2007 after coming out of retirement, but he will be 38 on opening day. The new 8th inning guy is Al Reyes and he will be 37 with a history that includes two Tommy John surgeries. If those two can stay healthy and effective, the rest of the bullpen slots very nicely, especially with the addition of Hammel. Five of the spots look to be spoken for, which leaves two open for competition in Spring Training. Birkins gets an edge being left handed. In 2006 and 2007, the Rays were not trying to compete so it was easier for Joe Maddon to leave spring training without a lefty in the pen. We can’t see him doing that in 2008. Dohmann was strong in the second half of 2007 and is out of options, but so are Gary Glover and Grant Balfour.

[TROY PERCIVAL] Rays Agree To Contract With Free Agent Troy Percival

Buster Olney is reporting this morning that the Tampa Bay Rays and free agent Troy Percival have agreed on a two-year contract which will be announced once Percival passes a physical.

The odds of the Tampa Bay Rays winning the AL pennant are 75-1, and their six-player trade with Minnesota and impending two-year signing of Troy Percival — the latter deal will be announced once he passes a physical — probably won’t alter how Las Vegas views Joe Maddon’s team.

Despite the success of Al Reyes in 2007, Troy Percival will be the team’s primary closer in 2008. Percival, missed all of 2006 due to injury, and retired at the beginning of the 2007 campaign. He changed his mind and signed mid-season with the Cardinals and appeared in 34 games, posting a 1.80 ERA allowing only 24 hits and 10 walks in 40 innings with 36 strike outs.

Rays look like future force [ESPN]

[TRADE HANGOVER] What They Are Saying In The Blogosphere About Young-For-Garza

What the bloggers are saying about the trade between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays, in which the Twins received Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie for Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and Eduardo Morlan….

Breaking Down The Blockbuster: [GM Bill] Smith’s first risk is a doozy. Originally the trade had Garza, Bartlett, and Juan Rincon heading to Tampa Bay, but concerns over the status of Rincon’s balky elbow caused the Twins to inexplicably substitute Morlan while keeping the remainder of the deal intact. While it’ll no doubt be a glossed-over aspect of a blockbuster trade, the difference between Rincon and Morlan is substantial and increases the already strong chance that the deal will be unkind to the Twins over the long haul…once you get past the Garza-for-Young portion of the swap it tilts pretty heavily in the Devil Rays’ favor both short and long term…The package that the Twins received in return for Garza, Morlan, and Bartlett essentially means that Young must become a superstar for the trade to be successful. [AaronGleeman.com]

Trade Bay: Friedman opens the vault: So, the Rays probably did think of this scenario for a long while. They knew they had to reshape the roster to make this team competitive in the AL East. The Rays for years have not been able to find anyone to help them out in free agency that would help them significantly upgrade their starting pitching. Also, Rocco Baldelli’s value was not going to bring them a pitcher in the quality of Matt Garza. They swapped for a pitcher that similar cost control over the next several seasons, for a player who has gone on the record before saying he would never sign with Rays once he reached free agency…After thinking about it the past 24 hours, I think this trade will help the Rays more than it will hurt them with the loss of Delmon. With Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jake McGee on the not too far horizon, the Rays might be defined by their starting pitching. [DRays Bay]

Sorting Through The Rays Trade: Garza-for-Young is clearly the meat of this deal, and I like that part, but there were a lot of other players moved in this swap as well, which is where things start to get a little less rosy…Rays had concerns over the medical reports on Rincon’s elbow, and Smith ended up subbing in Morlan, who is by far the best relief prospect in the Twins system. Many had Morlan pegged to replace Joe Nathan as closer in 2009. Losing him is a huge hit, and with him in the deal, I feel like the Twins gave up way too much value in this trade.[Nick & Nick’s Twins Blog]

The Magic 8-Ball Answers: The Tampa Bay Trade: Q: Should I be excited about this trade? A: Without a doubt. And that’s true whether you’re a Twins fan or a Rays fan. If you’re a Twins fan, you came out with the best player in the trade…(what) the Rays receive fit their puzzle better than that Twins.[Twins Geek]

A Look At The Young For Garza Trade: If the old adage is true that pitching wins championships, the Rays moved in the right direction on Wednesday…It’s always difficult to have to part with a player that posesses the potential that Delmon Young does, but the opportunity to upgrade the team in three different areas was too much to pass up. [The Stat Pack]

Twins Get Slugger, Shortstop: [Ed. note: A Slugger?] [Let Freedom Ring]

Is Steve Phillips Running The Twins?: [Ed. note: HAHAHAHAHA!] Once you get past the Garza-for-Young portion of the swap it tilts pretty heavily in the Devil Rays’ favor both short and long term. [Roto Blog]

[THE HANGOVER] The Rays Officially Unveil Plans For New Stadium On St. Pete Waterfront

Devil Rays (66-96)
The Rays officially unveiled the plans for a new stadium on the St. Petersburg waterfront as well as the reconstruction of the Tropicana Field site. The St. Pete Times has an image gallery of what can be expected.

Most of the details have already been released, but some of the biggest remaining questions, concerning financing of the new ballpark, were addressed by Stuart Sternberg. While the plan does call for $60 million in revenue from the state as a result of the redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site, Sternberg emphasized that there would be no new taxes and any costs that are accrued over the $450 million proposal would be paid for by the team.

Rays unveil dramatic ballpark vision [tampabay.com]
Vision of a new ballpark [St. Pete Times]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Four our take on the Delmon Young for Matt Garza trade, CLICK HERE.
• Next November, St. Pete residents may be asked to vote on a referendum to help fund a new stadium for the Rays. How the Rays perform on the field in 2008 could go a long way to determining the result of that vote. Therefore, expect the Rays to be more aggressive this off-season, than they have been the past couple of years. [TBO]

“In baseball operations, we’re trying very hard to insulate ourselves from [the Stadium referendum] ,” Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Tuesday. “They’re very independent events, and it’s premature to factor that in at all into our line of thinking. Obviously if it gets approved it will at some point start to factor into our thought process, but how so and how much is yet to be determined. We feel a tremendous amount of pressure to improve this team independent of any outside factors, so that’s what we’re focused on doing.”

• The St. Pete Times has a FAQ regarding the new stadium proposal. [tampabay.com]
• A baseball website cannot have a regular feature called “Great Moments in Fleece History” and not include the Scott Kazmir trade from the Mets. And by the way, we are glad to see that the Kazmir trade helped the 2008 Mets win the World Series this season as so many Mets kept reminding us during the regular season. [MLB Fleece Factor]
• With the Baseball Winter Meetings just around the corner, Bill Chastain gives us a rundown of the Rays needs and wants. [Devil Rays]
• Brian Stokes tenure with the Rays is now officially over. Stokes was Designated For Assignment last week when the Rays tweaked the 40-man roster. Yesterday he was acquired by the Mets for cash. [Yahoo! Sports]

[DELMON YOUNG] Rays Trade Delmon Young And Two Others To The Twins For Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett And A Minor Leaguer

ESPN.com is reporting that the deal to send Delmon Young to the Twins has been finalized. The Tampa Bay Rays will send Young, along with Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie to the Minnesota Twins for Matt Garza, shortstop Jason Bartlett and minor league pitcher Eduardo Morlan. The deal does not include relief pitcher Juan Rincon, as had previously been mentioned.

The big piece in the deal is Garza, which gives the Rays a legitimate #3 starter in the rotation. The acquisition pushes Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine down to the #4 and #5 slots. Adding a starter to the rotation should strengthen the bullpen as Jason Hammel will now most likely be the Rays long reliever and spot starter. Jeff Niemann, the Rays top pick in 2005, will now have to compete with Sonnanstine for the final spot in the rotation and is more likely to begin the season at AAA Durham.

The acquisition of Jason Bartlett gives the Rays an above average defensive shortstop and a strong upgrade defensively. Bartlett, made 26 errors in 2007, but has consistently been above the league average in range factor.

Both Harris and Pridie wee expendable pieces for the Rays. Harris would most likely have been the team’s utility infielder, a position that Ben Zobrist or Josh Wilson can fill adequately. Pridie, who was recently added to the 40-man roster, spent the 2006 Spring Training with the Twins after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Pridie posted strong numbers this past season at AA Montgomery and AAA Durham, but stood no chance of being added to the 25-man roster.

Moving Young, leaves an opening in right field for the Rays, and opens a roster spot and playing time for Justin Ruggiano. Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon are most likely hoping that some combination of Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes and Ruggiano can fill the roles of right fielder and DH, with all three likely to see significant playing time.

Morlan was a third round pick by the Twins in 2004. He was being groomed as a future closer and split time this past season between A and AA, posting 18 saves and 99 strike outs in 69.2 innings with only 20 walks.

We will have more on this trade tomorrow.

Rays, Twins finish 6-player deal including Young, Garza [ESPN]

[RAYS MEDIA] Why The Devil Rays Columnists Suck: Marc Topkin

Yesterday RJ Anderson of DRays Bay reported that a source informed him of a trade that would send Boof Bonser to the Rays was close to being made.

I have from a reliable source that Boof Bonser has told people close to him that a deal with him heading to Tampa is imminent.

Later in the day, Marc Topkin dismissed the report as just another internet rumor.

One [trade possibility] that made its way into Internet rumors that [the Tampa Bay Rays] are not discussing involves Minnesota pitcher Boof Bonser, a Gibbs High product.

There is only one small problem…Anderson’s source? It was Boof Bonser.

Boof Bonser is in the area for a golf tournament and while speaking to a group of people, he mentioned that the Twins were close to completing a deal that would have him pitching for the Rays in 2008. Among the group of people that Bonser was speaking with, was JP Peterson of WFLA. Somebody from Peterson’s radio show contacted Anderson to relay the quotes from Bonser. The potential trade was then reported on DRays Bay and also apparently on the radio show Hot Lunch with JP Peterson (we heard about the latter from more than one of our own sources, but have yet to actually hear a tape of the show).

We assume that Topkin then contacted his sources within the Rays organization to verify or refute the trade talks. We are forced to assume this because Topkin does not tell us why he believes the trade rumor is not true. His source is most likely from within the organization and may in fact have been Andrew Friedman, as Topkin’s claim comes at the end of an article with several quotes from Friedman.

It is not surprising that a major league general manager would deny the veracity of a trade rumor. It is surprising that an experienced journalist, or anybody with a heartbeat, would assume that the general manager was telling him/her the truth. Marc Topkin took what the Rays said as being truthful and then smugly dismissed Anderson’s report as just another internet rumor, as if he just pulled it out of his own ass.

Trade rumors are a common topic among baseball blogs. Most often it is simply relaying something that was reported elsewhere and sometimes a blogger will speculate on trade matchups. Is it possible that RJ Anderson or his source made up the quotes attributed to Bonser? We have no reason to think he would make them up. No more reason than we ever think that Marc Topkin makes up his reports.

At least Anderson reported that he had a source. Topkin dismissed the rumor without even telling us if he had a source or if it was own speculation. And in doing so, came off as an elitist that thinks bloggers just sit around in their parents basements making shit up. We have read a lot of these so-called “internet rumors”. 90% are probably not true. 99.9% of those rumors were started by professional reporters like Marc Topkin.

Does anybody have the phone number for Marc Topkin’s parents basement? We have a rumor for him.

[Ed. note: Marc Lancaster of TBO is also reporting that it is his “understanding that there’s nothing to” the Bonser trade rumor. Like Topkin, Lancaster does not tell us if he checked with his sources or if he is just speculating. At least he did not dismiss it as just another rumor that is floating around the internet.]

Boof coming to Tampa? [Drays Bay]
Friedman: The time is now [tampabay.com]

[THE HANGOVER] Rays Pitchers Are Allergic To Strikes

Devil Rays (66-96)
Recondite Baseball recently did a little research on a simple pitching statistic and unwittingly may have stumbled upon one of the main reasons that the Rays pitching has been so awful and in turn, why the Devil Rays have been so bad.

Since the year 2000 (encompassing all but two of the seasons in which the Devil Rays have been in existence), there have been 347 pitchers that are still active and have thrown 200+ innings. Of these pitchers, 39 have thrown less than 60.0% strikes for their career.

The amazing part? Six (6!) of these pitchers (15.4%) currently pitch, or have pitched*, for the Devil Rays.

2. Victor Zambrano – 57.4%
7. Seth McClung – 58.6%
26. Jesus Colome – 59.6%
27. Dewon Brazelton – 59.6%
36. Jay Witasick – 59.8%
37. Edwin Jackson – 59.9%

If Penn State is “Linebacker U.”, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are “Pitchers that can’t throw strikes U.” Just remember…It is not the home run that kills the ball club. It is the walk given up to the batter before the home run. Or in the case of most of these pitchers, the walksss.

Seeing these numbers, it is easy to understand why so many Rays fans have taken to Andy Sonnanstine so strongly. The Duke is not going to blow any batters away, but at least he is going to make the hitter beat him. At the other end of the spectrum for the Rays is Edwin Jackson. Nobody denies that Nuke has a major league fastball, but questions still remain if he can develop a second (and third) pitch and if he will ever be able to consistently pound the strike zone. When a pitcher throws 97-98, he does not need to have the ball on the black with every pitch, but he does need to be close. If not, enough batters will wait him out and take the walk, and more often than not, when Jackson does throw a strike, it will be of the 400-foot variety.

Pitchers and quarterbacks have many things in common, but the most important thing is that the most difficult thing to teach them is accuracy. It is easier to tweak a pitchers mechanics and add a few inches to their fastball than it is to help them find the strike zone. This is why it was so perplexing when the Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson said he could fix Victor Zambrano in “10 minutes”.

The Rays and their fans already have too much experience with pitchers that cannot throw strikes. If Edwin Jackson can’t be “fixed” his career as a major league starting pitcher may be short-lived.

*In several of these cases we use the term “pitched” very loosely…cough, cough, Dewon, cough, Brazelbum, cough, cough

Strike Percentage, Active Players with 200+ Innings Pitched [Recondite Baseball]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Andrew Friedman emphasized that the Rays do have some flexibility when it comes to the 2008 payroll. In our 2008 40-man roster projection, we see the opening day payroll at approximately $36 million, which would be about a 25% increase over 2007. It is difficult to tell exactly how much “flexibility” is dependent on the 2008 salaries of Scott Kazmir and Carlos Pena, both of whom are arbitration eligible. [TBO]

“If the right player comes along, whether it be in a trade or as a free agent, that puts us over by a million dollars or two million dollars what our upper limit is, we’ll view that kind of independent of anything else,” said Friedman. “But you also have to factor in that as you do that, you’re just depleting what you can do the next year and the next year. All this money is fungible and it all will go into keeping our own players. It just gets to roster flexibility and how important it is for a lower-revenue team.”

• MILB is counting down the top 50 prospects. Reid Brignac is the first Rays’ farmhand on the list at #32. [MILB]

He spent all of 2007 in the Southern League and while the overall numbers weren’t as good as in the previous year, there’s still a lot to like about the young shortstop. Though his batting average suffered — largely because of a two-month slump — he still had 52 extra-base hits and stole 15 bases. Perhaps more impressively, his defense improved greatly, and questions about his ability to remain a shortstop have subsided. Winning two titles in as many years with Montgomery certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

• The Rays will officially unveil their plans for a new stadium today at Al Lang Field. Governor Charlie Crist will be on hand for the ceremony. [Bradenton Herald]
• The Rays re-signed outfielders Chris Richard and Jon Weber to minor league contracts. Both players were with Durham in 2007. The Rays also confirmed the signing of catcher Hector Gimenez, also to a minor league deal. [tampabay.com]
• Beyond the Boxscore compares Akinori Iwamura’s first season with the Devil Rays with his career averages from Japan. Surprisingly, the numbers are very consistent, except of course for the home run totals. [Beyond the Boxscore]

[THE HANGOVER] Jonny Gomes Never Saw A Pitch He Didn’t Like

Devil Rays

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• MVN’s Devil Rays blog has a new lead writer and a new name, and the only surprise is that there wasn’t already a blog using the moniker. We’ve never met Eric SanInocencio or his wife, but let’s hope that the title is the only portion of the new blog that is based on her TV interests. Among the million things we love about Mrs. Professor, is that she really doesn’t watch a lot of “ho shows” or “chick flicks”. Now the same cannot be said for my buddies Greater James and G-Unit. Those two guys watch more women’s television than a girl after a bad breakup on a Lifetime (Supply of Midol) Network bender. [Rays Anatomy]
• While it is not surprising to see either Vlad Guerrero (6th) and Alfonso Soriano (9th) on the list of players with the highest percentage of swings on pitches out of the strikezone, it is surprising that Delmon Young is not listed in the top 10. In fact, Young is not even the worst on the Rays. Jonny Gomes ranked 3rd in baseball with 55.8% of his swings on pitches out of the strikezone. Apparently a mistake pitch to Gomes is one that is in the strikezone. Those that blame Joe Maddon for not getting Gomes more at bats, need look no further than this stat to understand why he has been unable to ever show any consistency or repeat his 2005 performance. [The Mockingbird]
• Scott Kazmir ranked second in the majors with 10.41 strikeouts per 9 innings and despite being 4th in baseball with 3,609 pitches thrown, he was also 5th in baseball with 6.62 K/100 pitches. James Shields, on the other hand, was among the most economical pitchers in baseball. He was 21st in baseball with 7.70 K/9, but his K/100 pitches was much better at 5.79 (13th). He threw the 6th fewest pitches per inning at 14.9. [Baseball Analysts]
• Delmon Young was a unanimous selection for the TOPPS “Major League Rookie All-Star Team”. Luckily for Young, the award is voted on by baseball managers and not minor league umpires. [Biz of Baseball]