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Continuous Rays thread: fun season (2 Viewers)

Capella said:
So what's the plan for next year? There isn't any mlb talent at AAA except maybe Gillapsie but he's 2018. There is some talent at AA. 

C - Maile????

1B - Miller

2B - Forsythe

SS - Duffy

3B - Longo

LF - who the F knows 

CF - KK

RF - who the F knows. Souza sucks

DH - Dickerson, but he sucks 

Archer

Snell

Odorizzi

Smyly

Cobb

Andriese

Good rotation as always, even if they struggled some this year. Cobb could and probably will be traded  

decent 1/2 in the pen with Colome and Box I guess. 

Lot of holes. Not sure if the other side of the rainbow is anywhere near. 
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I'm not sure what has changed since I wrote this in August. They signed a good catcher who is dead. I guess Souza will get another chance to be awful both at bat AND in the field. So that's exciting. LF is Colby Rasmus and...does it really matter? 

Awful season ahead. 

 
On a positive note, I will say I hope Nick Franklin gets to slide into the Zobrist role of playing everyday somewhere, assuming his second half bat against RHP sticks. They could move him all around and probably will have to to get some more oomph in the lineup. 

 
Capella said:
Hope you're right but I'm not seeing it. Who is going to hit lefties? 
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The offense has pretty fair R/L balance and it's not out of the question to add another right-handed bat.  They need to find a platoon partner at 1B or DH so the defensive bar is set pretty low.  If you need somebody to GIDP against a lefty, Billy Butler is rested and ready.  They also evidently like Jason Coats more than Mahtook as a right-handed OF. 

The problem with platooning all over the place is making roster space for everyone.  Tampa would probably have benefitted more than most from the 26 man roster idea that was floated during CBA negotiations. 

 
Eephus said:
The offense has pretty fair R/L balance and it's not out of the question to add another right-handed bat.  They need to find a platoon partner at 1B or DH so the defensive bar is set pretty low.  If you need somebody to GIDP against a lefty, Billy Butler is rested and ready.  They also evidently like Jason Coats more than Mahtook as a right-handed OF. 

The problem with platooning all over the place is making roster space for everyone.  Tampa would probably have benefitted more than most from the 26 man roster idea that was floated during CBA negotiations. 
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Yea it was a market inefficiency they were able to exploit for a while but the league has caught up. 

The Mahtook/Schaffer purging this offseason just continues to emphasize how badly their offensive player drafting has been. It's unreal. 

 
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I keep seeing how much the Cubs (especially Maddon) really really want Chris Archer, but Tampa won't budge unless Baez or Schwarber, and a top level prospect head east.

That's a deal-breaker for Theo. 

 
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Encyclopedia Brown said:
I keep seeing how much the Cubs (especially Maddon) really really want Chris Archer, but Tampa won't budge unless Baez or Schwarber, and a top level prospect head east.

That's a deal-breaker for Theo. 
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I mean archer is really good and signed to a ridiculous contract. They should be asking that and more. 

 
Grahamburn said:
I wouldn't think the Rays would be interested in moving another starter after dealing Smyly. 
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I don't either. I read an interesting article a few weeks ago about how the Rays should leave Andriese in the pen as he's awesome the first time around, but then that leaves the 5th starter as Chase Whitley which doesn't seem ideal. 

*unless they call up one of the Durham kids in May. 

 
Sounds like they aren't done.  Moving Miller back to 2B and signing Carter seems like a smart play.  Beckham and Franklin are your utility guys.  I think I'd keep Colome though unless they're blown away by a deal?  A Colome/Boxberger back end of the bullpen with the rotation they have could definitely suppress some runs.

 
Grahamburn said:
Sounds like they aren't done.  Moving Miller back to 2B and signing Carter seems like a smart play.  Beckham and Franklin are your utility guys.  I think I'd keep Colome though unless they're blown away by a deal?  A Colome/Boxberger back end of the bullpen with the rotation they have could definitely suppress some runs.
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I don't care for Carter a lot. Think Napoli is better, but (deep sigh)...he will also be more expensive. 

That said, either one will give them RH power which they need pretty badly. 

Also, can Miller play 2B? He was a disaster at SS.  

 
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Either one gives them that much more flexibility and power from that side.  Not that either guy will be getting a long term deal from the Rays, but Carter is also 5 years younger, and seems to have more power at this stage of his career.

Miller's problems at short were of the throwing error variety, iirc.  Maybe the shorter distance will help him?  He has some games under his belt there.  Who knows how well he'd take another move though?  He wasn't thrilled to go to 1B.

Beckham could play there against lefties. 

 
Limp Ditka said:
For a 70 win team, these guys sure do generate plenty of discussion.
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Active, analytical small budget clubs are interesting to watch in the off-season.  Other than Longoria and Archer, the Rays' lineup has a bit of the island of misfit toys look about it but I think the organization has done a good job of balancing youth, budget and quality. 

 
Grahamburn said:
Just trying to give the Hot Stove Sox a run for their money. 
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The White Sox are doing a rebuild with youth which to me is less interesting than the Rays' approach.  There's only so much you can say about Moncada and Giolito because nobody knows how good they'll be including the Sox.  Piecing together a semi-competitive lineup with guys like Rasmus, Matt Duffy and Jason Coats is more of a puzzle.  You mostly know what they can and can't do so the challenge is to put them in positions where they can succeed.

 
Capella said:
I am pretty sure those two guys alone didn't propel them to 95 win seasons. 
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Friedman made some good trades and some of the acquisitions from the Chuck LaMarr era developed.  The construction of the 2017 club is different from the World Series team.  They seem to be treading water until their next wave of young players comes in.  Only Carlos Pena and Iwakuma fit the model of undervalued talent that they're bringing in now (I'm probably forgetting others).

 
Eephus said:
Friedman made some good trades and some of the acquisitions from the Chuck LaMarr era developed.  The construction of the 2017 club is different from the World Series team.  They seem to be treading water until their next wave of young players comes in.  Only Carlos Pena and Iwakuma fit the model of undervalued talent that they're bringing in now (I'm probably forgetting others).
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It kind of is different but the same idea of basing it on pitching and then matchups offensively. 

Obviously BJ and CC panned out. But Zobrist wasn't much then. Aki at 2B, Bartlett at SS, the RF and C situations weren't great either. 

There's more pop with this team but less prominent young talent. 

 
Wieters to the Nats

Team isn't even trying. Can't wait till they call me to buy tickets. My favorite call of the year. 

 
Finally getting around to seeing the Rays in a Spring training game 3/5 against Blue Jays.  Low expectations are a given.

 
Capella said:
Wieters to the Nats

Team isn't even trying. Can't wait till they call me to buy tickets. My favorite call of the year. 
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They certainly stick to their guns.  Surprised they even looked at him with Boras as his agent. 

Apparently the Rays' new market inefficiency is signing guys that can't play due to injury for well below their healthy market value. 

 
The extension Longoria signed five years ago is finally kicking in this year.  He's still well below market value but accounts for about 18% of total payroll.  Wieters would have been a second contract over $10M and wouldn't be a huge upgrade over a healthy Ramos.

 
Eephus said:
The extension Longoria signed five years ago is finally kicking in this year.  He's still well below market value but accounts for about 18% of total payroll.  Wieters would have been a second contract over $10M and wouldn't be a huge upgrade over a healthy Ramos.
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He wouldn't have been but Ramos isn't going to be ready to catch until July. If they were interested in competing they would have moved to shore that up for the 3 months he's gone, and also in case he can't return right away.

Maybe Maile and Casali can match him but they're pretty bad. 

 
Capella said:
Wieters to the Nats

Team isn't even trying. Can't wait till they call me to buy tickets. My favorite call of the year. 
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Serious question - I wonder if the FO ever meets with the folks in sales to get a picture of what customers are saying about the product?  I go back and forth. I'm mostly convince the FO doesn't give enough of a #### to even ask, but another part of me thinks it would be crazy not to take the fan base temperature by simply asking employees about the feedback they are receiving.  Some years I give the polite "no thanks, not interest in a package".  Other times, like 2 weeks ago, I asked the rep who called me if he thought the Padre rotation was capable of leading this team to the playoffs,  

 
tommyGunZ said:
Serious question - I wonder if the FO ever meets with the folks in sales to get a picture of what customers are saying about the product?  I go back and forth. I'm mostly convince the FO doesn't give enough of a #### to even ask, but another part of me thinks it would be crazy not to take the fan base temperature by simply asking employees about the feedback they are receiving.  Some years I give the polite "no thanks, not interest in a package".  Other times, like 2 weeks ago, I asked the rep who called me if he thought the Padre rotation was capable of leading this team to the playoffs,  
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I had a friend actually sell tickets for them in 2015 -- he loathed the job and quit after the season. Anyhow, he said the managers would ask for some feedback from all the no calls, but he wasn't sure how high up the chain it went. 

He did say however that he got a LOT of complaints about the team's performance. He said at times it was like a sports radio call-in show. 

 
This FO is going thru the motions at this point.  It's completely different than it was 8 years ago.

 
Capella said:
I had a friend actually sell tickets for them in 2015 -- he loathed the job and quit after the season. Anyhow, he said the managers would ask for some feedback from all the no calls, but he wasn't sure how high up the chain it went. 

He did say however that he got a LOT of complaints about the team's performance. He said at times it was like a sports radio call-in show. 
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Yeah, I imagine it would be a ####ty job.  Which is why i usually just save me and the rep the time and go with "not interested".  Occasionally I'll slip in the "would you pay for this product - have you seen what the projected rotation is??" Shtick just so the reps have some ammo if asked.  

 
I do like the Norris signing. Big upgrade at catcher, particularly if he can hit like he did a few years ago. 

Appears the opening day lineup will be:

Dickerson

Kiermaier

Longoria

Miller

Morrison

Souza

Norris

Beckham

Mallex!

rotation seems set, Cobb may be hurt and the bullpen is a mess. Guess we'll see :shrug:   

 
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Opening Day tix here...doubt I go to many more weekend games unless it's a Summer Concert Series (which they need to beef up in a big way).

 
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