[THE HANGOVER] The Rays Drop $2.9 Million On Seventh Inning Pitcher

Tampa Bay Rays (29 days until pitchers and catchers report)

The Rays came to an agreement with Dan Wheeler on a one year contract for $2.875 million, avoiding arbitration. The salary will give Wheeler the 5th highest salary on the Rays in 2008, behind only Carl Crawford ($5.25 million), Troy Percival ($4 million) and both Scott Kazmir and Carlos Pena whose salaries have yet to be settled, but will certainly be greater than $2.875 million. In 2007, only four players on the opening day roster had salaries greater than $1 million, including Crawford ($4 million), Casey Fossum ($2.2 million), Ty Wigginton ($1.3 million) and Jae Seo ($1.2 million)*.

Wheeler’s deal leaves the Rays with three arbitration-eligible players (Carlos Pena, Scott Kazmir and Jonny Gomes). The remaining arbitration-eligible cases must be resolved by Friday or the player’s 2008 salaries will be settled by an arbitrator.

With three salaries yet to be determined, the Tampa Bay Rays opening day payroll (40-man roster) now projects to be just under $41 million.

*Both Pena and Reyes had base salaries less than $1 million but earned incentives during the season that pushed their salary above $1 million.

RHP Dan Wheeler and Rays agree to 1-year contract. [Yahoo! Sports]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Rays of Light breaks down six things that must happen for the Rays to post their first winning season in 2008. The biggest point is the first and one that we believe too many people are ignoring when they speak of the Rays new and improved bullpen. That is: Troy Percival and Al Reyes are both old and have a history of injuries. To expect a full season out of both is expecting a lot. Maybe too much. [Rays of Light]

There’s no doubt that Al Reyes and Troy Percival can throw, but there’s also no doubt that at ages 37 and 38 respectively and each with a history of injury, they are much closer to their last pitch than their first.

• Baseball Prospectus lists Dioner Navarro as one of their 2008 “Breakout Candidates”. [Baseball Prospectus]

Navarro has been a completely different player since being traded to the Devil Rays in 2006. At the time of the deal, Navarro had a career OBP of .360. With Tampa Bay, his OBP is .292. That kind of drop-off at 22 and 23 is alarming, and deserves investigation. When you look deeper, you see that Navarro’s decline has been concentrated in his strikeout rate, up about 15 percent, with a concomitant drop in his walk rate… Navarro was one of the worst players in baseball in the first half of 2007, batting .177/.238/.254, with a 36/13 K/BB in 229 plate appearances. To the Rays’ credit, they didn’t bury him, allowing him to remain the regular catcher throughout the season. They were rewarded with a significant improvement in the second half: .285/.340/.475, with a better K/BB (31/17 in 209 PA) and the best power of his career…As a switch-hitting catcher with good defensive skills and the ability to post a .360 OBP, however, he’s a tremendous asset. Navarro, still just 24 years old, is in line to be an above-average player, a five-win guy, for the next three seasons.

• Inside Vandy is running a 32-athlete “tournament” to find Vanderbilt’s biggest star. Why do we care here at RI? Because not only is there a “David Price Bracket”, but Pedro Alvarez is the #1 seed in the David Price Bracket. Alvarez is a power-hitting third baseman that may very well be the Rays selection as the top pick in the draft this June. [Inside Vandy]

The Hangover: Reid Brignac Continues To Struggle In AFL

Scottsdale 7, Peo Javelinas 6 (10 inn.).
Evan Longoria has completed his tour of duty in the Arizona Fall League as he will now join Team USA as they compete in the World Cup in Chinese Taipei. Reid Brignac was the only Devil Ray in action yesterday, going 0-5 with an RBI ground out. He is now 5-42 (.119). After posting what were certainly disappointing numbers for the young shortstop this past season (.260-17-81, .760 OPS), one has to wonder if the AFL is doing more harm than good. It may be time to shut Brignac down for the year and let him get away from the game a little while, clear his head and then start preparing for 2008. Of course, the flip-side of the argument is that a young player needs to learn how to fight his way out of slumps, and the Cajun God of Baseball must be feeling rather mortal these days.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Just to show exactly how vague the definition is of “Comeback Player of the Year”, one of the NL nominees for the players association version of the award is Josh Hamilton, who only had a handful of games above single-A prior to this season. [Cincinnati Enquirer]
• Oh, and this just in…Josh Hamilton was kept on the Reds roster for the entire season and is now a permanent member of the Cincinnati ballclub. Of course we knew that back in March when Hamilton hit a game-winning 500-foot home run in one of his first spring training games.
• Chris Richard of the Durham Bulls, has started a regular off-season diary for the Bulls website. His most recent piece is on the use of human growth hormone from a player’s perspective. One point we disagree about with Richard is the perception of some fans. While there is an element of the fanbase that doesn’t care (a group that we believe is growing because the story is tiresome), we doubt there are many fans that think the use of performance enhancers is good because it produces players that “hit a ball 500 ft. and throw 100 mph.” Hitting 100 on the gun and blasting a tape-measure shot are specials feats in baseball because they are rare. Otherwise, as fans we do understand the frustration that must come from doing it the right way and having to compete for jobs with players that are cheating. But…and this is a Rosie O’Donnell BUT…we do not understand why the players and the players association do not take a more active role and we do not understand why their “hands are tied in politics”. [Durham Bulls]
• DRays Bay is reporting that Jae Seo and Tim Corcoran have been granted free agency. No surprise as both players were removed from the 40-man roster this past season. [DRays Bay]

The Hangover: Will Jim Hickey’s Arrest Open Door For Xavier Hernandez?

Devil Rays (66-96)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The Rays 68-94 record was only 2 wins less than their expected final record. [Baseball Musings]
• Jim Hickey. We guess being the coach of one of the worst pitching staffs ever would be reason to drink, but it is not reason to drive and it is not reason to take your frustration out on the batboy. By the looks of the mugshot, Hickey lost the argument. [Lion in Oil]
• Jim Hickey’s arrest comes only days before the team is to decide whether he and the rest of the coaching staff will be retained in 2008. Hitting coach Steve Henderson is the most likely coach to come back. Before Sunday, we would have assumed that Hickey was a lock to be given at least one more season to work with the staff. However, after his DUI, the Rays may turn to their pitching coach-in-waiting, Xavier Hernandez, who is highly regarded for the work he has done the last two seasons at Montgomery and Durham and with whom many of the Rays younger pitchers are already familiar and comfortable with. [tampabay.com]
• Its difficult to make an assessment of Akinori Iwamura’s ability to play second base, based on one game and especially one play, but when the opportunity arrived to turn his first double play from the middle infield, Mu-Rah was flawless. [TBO]
• Scott Kazmir finished as the Major League leader in strikeouts. Of course that goes a long ways to explaining whe he led the majors with 6,432,867 pitches thrown. [Bradenton Herald]
• Carlos Pena was named the AL Player of the Week for the final week. [tampabay.com]
• Carlos Pena finished with 46 home runs in less than 500 at bats, which makes him the most underrated first baseman in baseball. “If Pena was a Red Sox or Yankee’s player he would finish second in MVP voting. Instead he was underrated.” Actually, if Pena was playing for almost any other team, he probably finishes second in the MVP voting. That is the mark of being underrated. [I’m smarter than you]
• ArmchairGM makes a case for considering Carlos Pena for MVP. [ArmchairGM]
• Carlos Pena is a finalist for the “Pepsi Clutch” award that goes to the clutchiest player. We agree that he is a worthy nominee, but we disagree with the notion that “few people knew of Pena before the year”. Anybody that follows baseball even remotely, knew of Pena as one of the top prospects in baseball a few years ago. [MLB]
• We have a feeling that Delmon Young will finish second in the Rookie of the Year balloting, but it will not be because of his outburst following Saturday’s game in which Joe Maddon pulled Young from the game for not running out a ground ball. Ballots for the award were due on either Sunday or Monday, which means most writers are likely to have already made their selections prior to Saturday. [Yahoo! Sports]
• It was a disastrous season for Korean baseball players. Of course, Jae Seo, Jae Kuk Ryu and Hee Seop Choi were all member of the Devil Rays at one point, so it is kind of like the Chicken and the Egg argument. [Korean Times]
• Greg Norton will have surgery on his elbow. A case can be made that Norton should share team MVP honors with Carlos Pena. If Norton had not gotten hurt the final week of Spring Training and was hitting well to start the season, it might have taken the team a while to call up Pena. [Devil Rays]
• Some of the players believe that the team is very close to competing. [tampabay.com]

“We don’t need much,” All-Star Carl Crawford said. “Maybe another starter and probably a little more bullpen help. Just three players and we’re right there. We’re right at the tip.”

• Marc Lancaster takes a look back at the 2007 season and hands out a bunch of awards, we like to call the Marckie Marcs. Our favorite category is “Veteran of the Year” for a team that has exactly 3 players over the age of 12. And then there is the “Most Frustrating Season”. He should just rename that one the “The Rocco”. He also looks ahead to what we can expect for 2008. [TBO]
• Marc Lancaster can’t wait for next year. We would take it a step further. We would like to replay this season with the group the Rays ended with. Playoff contender? probably not, but definitely not the worst team in the league and maybe a run at .500 would be in order. [TBO]
• Bill Chastain takes a look back at the 2007 season and calls the second half lineup “one of the best lineups in team history”. He also takes a look forward to 2008. [Devil Rays]
• Hey! It’s the off-season. It is time to start reading a million and one articles about how [Insert Team Name] should acquire Carl Craw
  ford and that the Rays would probably give him up for 20 rusty nickels. The Akron Beacon Journal wasted no time. [Ohio.com]

Down On The Farm: Montgomery Makes It Three Affiliates In Championship Series

Montgomery 12, Mississippi 5 (Montgomery wins series 3-1). John Jaso got the Biscuits off to a good start with a 3-run home run in the first inning, and Montgomery broke things open with a 7-run sixth inning, to advance to the Southern League championship series for the second straight season. Mike Prochaska was hittable, allowing 9 hits and 2 walks in 5.2 innings, but only allowed 3 runs. Erold Andrus had a 3-run home run in the 6th inning and went 3-5. Reid Brignac was 3-3 with 2 walks and he drove in 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• The Durham Bulls will use he same rotation for the finals that they used in the the first round of the playoffs. JP Howell will go in game 1 on Tuesday, followed by Jeff Niemann and Jae Seo. [Our Sports Central]
• Heath Rollins will start in game 1 tonight for the Columbus Catfish. Will Kline will go in game 2, followed by Jeremy Hellickson. [Ledger-Enquirer]
  

Down On The Farm: Latest Prospect Hot Sheet Littered With Rays Prospects

Hudson Valley 11, Aberdeen 5.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Five Rays minor leaguers have made the latest edition of Baseball America’s “Prospect Hot Sheet”. Evan Longoria (#6; He’s held his own in the International League), Wade Davis (#12; In many organizations, Davis would be the No. 1 prospect. In a system as rich as Tampa Bay’s, though, Davis has to fight for the spotlight), Ryan Royster (#20; tied for seventh in the minors with a .601 slugging percentage), Jason Pridie (Rising; grades out as average or above in every tool, with the hit tool being the biggest question mark because he doesn’t control the strike zone) Desmond Jennings (Rising; the No. 7 prospect in the Appalachian League in 2006, had a breakout year with Columbus of the South Atlantic League, hitting .315/.401/.465) [Baseball America]
  
• We rarely cite the Raleigh News & Observer in this column because quite frankly the News & Observer rarely mentions the Durham Bulls despite being the only (?) professional sports franchise in the area. Well, now that the Bulls have made the playoffs, the News & Observer has remembered the Bulls and ponied up some gas money to send Luke Decock over to Durham and do a nice feature on Durham’s first-year manager Charlie Montoya. [News & Observer]

At 43, Montoyo still has the wiry build of an infielder to go with the accent of his native Puerto Rico. He was a winner last season with Double-A Montgomery, and the parent Tampa Bay Devil Rays moved him up a notch last winter to help clean up last season’s wreckage in Durham.

• MiLB.com have broken down the bracket and give us the International League playoffs preview. They predict Toledo in 5. [MiLB]

As for the Bulls, who could have figured they’d have this kind of turnaround from a year ago? With Elijah Dukes and Co. causing all kinds of problems on Tobacco Road, this looked like a franchise destined to flounder. But Tampa Bay brought in Charlie Montoyo to manage, and he did a splendid job changing the atmosphere and culture in Durham.

• Jae Seo was named IL pitcher-of-the-week for the third time. [Durham Bulls]
• Evan Longoria won a title with Montgomery last season and has a chance to add two more rings to his collection this season. [Montgomery Advertiser]

The Hangover: Rays Continue To Win With 4th Place In Sight

Devil Rays 9, Orioles 7.
Could the Tampa Bay Devil Rays actually avoid last place for only the second time in their ten year existence?

With last night’s come-from-behind victory over the Orioles, the Rays have moved within 3 games of Baltimore for 4th place in the AL East. And while the worst record in baseball appeared to be a foregone conclusion three weeks ago, the Rays are now only 1.5 games behind the White Sox after making up 6 games in the last week and a half.

There have been plenty of reasons for the recent surge in performance, but most of the credit has to go to the revamped bullpen. The additions made before the trading deadline appear to be the spark that have reinstalled confidence in this young team, with the Tampa Tribune going so far as to call the new bullpen a “strength”.

“Our bullpen’s been outstanding,” RHP James Shields said. “This whole second half I think we’ve been great. It feels good as a starter to go out there and feel comfortable with coming out of the game.”

Even more telling is this quote from Joe Maddon.

“These guys have learned their craft. They’ve waited for their opportunity. The seventh, eighth and ninth innings are a very hectic part of the game and you have to have a special makeup and personality to handle that. … It might take a seasoned veteran in a sense of lesser physical ability but more of a feel for the game to be able to accomplish that role.”

This is something that was lost on the Devil Rays front office in their first two years at the helm. Let’s chalk it up to growing pains. If there is one area where a team should be willing to sacrifice a little talent for experience, it is in the bullpen. On talent alone, none of the new guys (or even Al Reyes) are a pimple on the fanny of Juan Salas or Ruddy Lugo or Seth McClung. Yet all of the veteran arms in the bullpen have clearly outperformed those younger more talented relief pitchers.

And with a more stable (if not great) bullpen, the effects can be felt elsewhere on the team. Starting pitchers no longer feel pressure to work late in games or hand over a close lead. The hitters no longer feel the pressure to build a 6-run lead. And with less pressure on such a young team the change has been deafening.

Deafening…to the tune of 10-3 in the past 2 weeks and a real chance to move out of the cellar in the AL East and gain some confidence heading into 2008.

Rays’ bullpen has become a strength [TBO]
No-name pen makes strides [tampabay.com]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Carlos Pena has broken the franchise record for home runs in a season, by notching his 35th dinger last night. And in true El Gato fashion his home run hit a Gatowalk, breaking a 4-4 tie. [Yahoo!]
• We loved Patrick Kennedy’s take on Carlos Pena’s record breaking home run. We were wondering why Jose Canseco was not in attendance or why he did not delivery a video message to be played on the jumbotron. [DRays Bay]
• Carl Crawford was ejected after a blown-call at first base. While his tantrum was animated, and actually a little comical (in hindsight) we are not sure that the actions deserve a suspension. [TBO]
• Heading into last night’s game the Devil Rays are hitting .325 and averaging more than 9 runs per game since a team meeting conducted by hitting coach Steve Henderson. Including last night, the team is 9-3 in those 12 games. [Bradenton Herald]
• A strong finish by the Devil Rays to an otherwise disastrous season, may not seem significant to most baseball fans, but the importance is not lost on Joe Maddon. [Devil Rays]

“It is definitely a sign of progress, definitely a sign of measured progress,” Maddon said. “I just think finishing strongly — we’ve battled all season, we’ve had our setbacks and problems – and now we’re playing the kind of baseball we envisioned. Finish strong. You go into the offseason with a really good last month like this and you leave with a good taste in your mouth. And you know going into Spring Training, you have this nice little month to build off of. And you know what you’re capable of doing against good teams in a pennant chase.”

• In the real world, it takes the average person a period of time to receive the results of medical tests. However, that does not usually occur in the sports world where teams employ their own doctors and have access to specialists not known to the average citizen. This is why the recent news, or lack-their-of, concerning Rocco Baldelli is particularly perplexing. We have a strange feeling that the news is not good and the team is seeking a second and possibly third opinion before making an announcement. [tampabay.com]

“I still believe there’s a chance to get him back at least possibly to DH at some point,” manager Joe Maddon said Monday. “That may be something we can do; we just don’t know until we get the results of these tests.”

• The Devil Rays much-improved bullpen just got another boost with the return of Jay Witasick who missed more than a month. [Devil Rays]
• Stua
  rt Sternberg gave Joe Maddon yet another vote of confidence. The fact that this team refused to give up on the season when it would have been an easy thing to do, should have erased any of the lingering doubts in the Devil Rays Universe. [Devil Rays]
• Another member of the Devil Rays that many have doubted as to his place in the organization is catcher Dioner Navarro. We have long defended Navi and begged for patience as catchers are notoriously slow developers at the plate. Still, a team will have trouble surviving with a player that is hitting at or below the Mendoza-line and Navi needed to start hitting sooner rather than later. It is beginning to appear as though he is finding a comfort zone at the plate. After hitting .177 before the all-star break, he is hitting at a .272 clip since. [Devil Rays]
• Akinori Iwamura is still adjusting to life as a major leaguer, and is not satisfied with where his game is yet. Even more revealing in this piece is that Joe Maddon admits to making lineup decisions based on how the Japanese media might react. [asahi.com]

“When we first got him, my thought was to hit him lower in the batting order until he got acclimated,” Maddon said. “My concern was if I started hitting him at the top of the order and then tried to move him to the bottom as the season was progressing, that would create quite a stir in Japan for no good reason. So I’d much rather move him up than down.”

• Including Jae Seo, it has been a rough season for Korean major leaguers. [The Korea Times]

Down On The Farm: Jorge Cantu Reports To Durham

Indianapolis 7, Durham 4. Mitch Talbot took the loss allowing 4 runs in 4 innings to drop to 7-8. Jeremy Owens was 3-4 with 3 doubles. Elliot Johnson and Ben Zobrist each hit solo home runs for the Bulls. Jorge Cantu did report to Durham and made his first start at first base going 0-4.

Mobile 7, Montgomery 3. Wade Davis struck out 7 in 6 innings and left with a 2-1 lead, but the bullpen allowed 6 runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Davis had allowed only 1 hit in the first 5 innings before being touched for his only run in the sixth. Tim Corcoran allowed 3 runs in the 7th inning in his first rehab appearance. Evan Longoria was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Reid Brignac was 1-4 with an RBI.

Jupitor 4, Vero Beach 3. Doug Waechter dropped to 0-3 in three single-A rehab starts. On Monday he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. He stuck out 1 and walked none. Sergio Pedroza had 2 of the Rays 5 hits including a solo home run in the 5th inning.

Kannapolis 10, Columbus 9. Woods Fines allowed 6 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 2. Desmond Jennings was 4-5 with 2 doubles to raise his average to .327. Matt Fields was 2-4 with 4 RBI including his 20th double and his 14th home run.

Burlington 6, Princeton 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Uh Oh. Jae Seo was named IL pitcher of the week for the second time in three weeks. He has allowed a total of 2 runs in his last 5 starts. [Durham Bulls]
  
• Joel Guzman keeps tantalizing people with his potential but has yet to show any consistency. He started the season very slow but did hit .327 for the month of June. However, since the all-star break he is only 5-35 and is at .249 on the season. [The News & Observer]

“He’s still a kid (22 years old),” said Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo. “He’s one of those guys that gets to Triple-A real quick. That’s what you have to remember when you see a kid like that struggle. Just be patient and he’s going to do it.

• Yesterday we mentioned that Jon Weber was a recent acquisition by the Rays and playing for the Durham Bulls. We failed to mention how and when he was acquired. Weber is a 29-year old journeyman minor league outfielder that was most recently in the Rangers system after beginning the season in the D-backs system. We originally thought Weber was signed as a free agent, but rather it appears as though his contract was purchased from the Rangers. [In Forum Sports]

Down On The Farm: Justin Ruggiano In AAA All-Star Game Tonight

Bristol 10, Princeton 5.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• On Monday night, three Montgomery Biscuits participated in the Southern League All-Star game. Catcher John Jaso had two singles in two at bats but was also charged with 2 passed balls. Pitcher Chris Mason struck out 2 and walked 1 in 1.1 innings. Closer Dale Thayer was charged with 3 unearned runs in the 9th inning. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Jae Seo was named the IL’s pitcher-of-the-week. He is the fourth Bull to win the award this season. [Durham Bulls]
• Chris Mason loves him so Karaoke, ping-pong and changing his hair color when he is pitching poorly. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• Tonight is the AAA All-Star game in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Justin Ruggiano will represent the Durham Bulls. [Durham Herald-Sun]
• On June 26, Aaron Walker of the Vero Beach Devil Rays, was struck in the face with a portion of a broken bat. His orbital bone and nose were broken and he required 30 stitches in his cheek. There will be no long-term damage to his eyesight, but Walker’s season is over. [The Review]
• Chris Nowak will miss 4-6 weeks after dislocating his shoulder on Saturday. [Montgomery Advertiser]
• During the July 9 double-header, the Vero Beach Devil Rays held “Silent Night”. We understand fans dressing like a mime or a golfer…but a nun tennis player? [MiLB.com]

Down On The Farm: Jae Seo Remembers His Job Is To Get Batters Out

Scranton 2, Durham 1. Wouldn’t you know it. Jae Seo sucks (you know what) with the Rays, gets designated for assignment, accepts it, makes his first start for Durham and looks like Sandy friggin’ Koufax*. Granted it was only 4 innings, but he only gave up 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk. So…as soon as the Rays finish their inter-league schedule and start playing their International League schedule, we say “call him up”!

*not really

Vero Beach 5, Jupiter 0. Mike Wlodarczyk had his best start of the season and may be turning the corner as he has been strong in each of his last 5 outings. This time he pitched 6 scoreless innings on 3 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 5. Rhyne Hughes was 2-4 and is hitting .340.

Rome 8, Columbus 0. After allowing only 2 earned runs in 8 starts, Lewis Rollins suddenly remembered he is not Sandy friggin’ Koufax (he’s still better than Jae Seo). Last night he allowed 6 runs in 3 innings and has now allowed 10 runs in his last 8 innings pitched.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Jake McGee makes Baseball America’s latest “Prospect Hot Sheet”. And the praise could not be any higher.

Question posed to an American League scout: “Do you like McGee?” His answer: “How can you not? You’d have to be stupid not to with the stupid numbers he’s been putting up, the stupid 95 mile-an-hour fastball from the left side . . . It’s stupid. He’s a monster. You get chills just watching him.” We’ll leave it at that. Oh, and McGee struck out 11 in just six innings last week.

• A first-look at the 2007 Hudson Valley Renegades, and a few of the draftees that have already signed with the Rays.

The Hangover: Jason Hammel To The Bullpen…For Now

Devil Rays (off day)
The Devil Rays made an interesting and unexpected move yesterday. With two openings in the bullpen, the Rays recalled Jason Hammel from Durham. Having already dipped into the Durham relief corps and drawing two blanks, Andrew Friedman decided on an alternative solution to the Rays abysmal bullpen. Hammel was having a strong start to the season as a starting pitcher for the Bulls and was considered an option to fill one of the holes in the rotation. Now he is being called upon to shore up the leaks in the ‘pen. And of course by “leak” we really mean holes the size of the Trop.

This move means that the Rays have already seen enough in two starts from Andy Sonnanstine and JP Howell that they will stay in the rotation for the time being. It also means that Edwin Jackson is now officially on notice. If the team truly sees Hammel as a starting pitcher in the long run, they will not want his stay in the bullpen to be an extended one. Moving from the bullpen to the rotation can be a difficult adjustment for some pitchers and for most pitchers it can take several starts before they build up the endurance to be able to pitch deep into games. If Jackson fails to show improvement in his next 2-3 starts, look for Hammel and Jackson to switch roles.

Hammel has proven that he deserved another shot at the majors. Friedman and Maddon needed an arm in the bullpen and they went to Durham and chose the best arm that was available. It just happened to be a starting pitcher.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• To fill the other open spot in the bullpen, the Rays will sign Jay Witasick who was released by the A’s last week. Witasick struggled with his control in Oakland. In 15 innings, he walked 9 batters and gave up 14 hits.
• Surprisingly, Jae Seo has accepted his demotion to Durham rather than become a free agent.
• Dioner Navarro could return to the lineup as early as tonight. And yes, we are aware that Raul Casanova has homered in two straight games, but there is no reason for Navi to worry about his job. Casanova has been a role player in parts of 8 major league seasons. Entering 2007, he had 28 home runs in 960 at bats and a career .233 batting average. That would equate to about 15 home runs over a 500 at bat season. Oh yeah…and he is 34 years old. He is not all of the sudden Johnny Bench.
• Al Keck and Tom Korun of ABCActionNews have a new blog that covers the local sports teams including the Rays. It’s worth checking out. [Sports Talk]
• Scott Kazmir feels that is on the verge putting everything together.
• In two starts Andy Sonnanstine has 15 strike outs and no walks. In the minor leagues he posted a 6:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Only 28 pitchers in the history of baseball have posted a ratio of better than 3:1 with a minimum of 1000 innings pitched. Will The Duke be able to keep up his success as a major league pitcher? Our guess is that if Sonny can stay in the majors for 1000 innings, he will be definitely end his career in the top 30 all-time. Not bad.
• Remember Shinji Mori? The free agent relief pitcher the Rays did sign? We can’t blame you if your memory is a little hazy. He never threw a single pitch in a regular season game. Yesterday he was released by the Rays.