Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
The latest from Bill Chastain, and my ridiculous attempt to rip him off. (Bill Chastain)
Doesn’t it sound a little desperate to suggest Evan Longoria could start at third base coming out of Spring Training next year? He’s only had one month at the Triple-A level, where he hit .275. Shouldn’t he spend at least the first half of next year at Durham and maybe come up after the All Star break?
–Larry A., Seminole, Fla.
I agree with you on the surface, but the Rays’ explanation seemed reasonable. The powers that be will huddle and discuss whether they believe he is ready for spring. Player development honchos will be included in this meeting, which is critical since these professional evaluators are the guys who have seen Longoria play, this year and throughout his career, and can fairly judge whether he’s ready.
To his credit, manager Joe Maddon said at the end of the season he would not weigh in on the matter by interfering with the process, noting that he remembered being in player development and how frustrating it was to have the Major League club try to throw its weight around in such decisions. Maddon did say the jury was out on Longoria and the odds of him being the starting third baseman are 50-50. The Rays have said they will make this decision prior to Spring Training, so the 30 or so games in March won’t serve as a tryout. If Longoria is ready and pans out, the Rays will have power at both corners, something they have not had at any point in the franchise’s brief history.
Doesn’t it sound desperate to suggest that the Rays should expect Brendan Harris and Akinori Iwamura will be able to match or exceed their 2007 seasons? Both were serviceable (Harris - 25.2 VORP, Iwamura - 15.3 VORP), but neither was the kind of guy you build a lineup around. It’s not like we were on the verge of the playoffs in 2007. What would it really hurt to have Evan Longoria on the Major League roster come opening day?
And don’t even get me started on your ridiculous use of batting average to deem Longoria’s time in AAA a success or failure. Why not point to his .398 OBP or his .888 OPS as successes? Oh, right. That wouldn’t make your outdated point.
Why does it appear to everyone who follows the Rays organization that Brendan Harris is going to be odd man out this next spring? Despite his doing anything and everything that was asked of him this season, he seems destined, even in a best-case scenario, for the utility spot. He clearly outplayed both Josh Wilson and Akinori Iwamura throughout the season, with both his glove and his bat; Wilson was out-classed by Jorge Velandia during his short appearance. Why is Harris getting the short end, despite all of his accomplishments? Iwamura clearly wore down as well through the course of the season, as his average indicates, and Wilson never really posed any kind of threat to anybody’s pitching staff. Why? I honestly don’t expect a published answer, let alone a personal reply. You tend to just answer the obvious, easily answered, non-controversial questions posed. Maybe you should run for public office. I looking forward to any kind of response that you can come up with.
–Ron H., Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Don’t think I’ll run for public office, but here’s what I see: I agree with you. Harris had a great season, and I believe he should start — at second base.
Several scenarios could impact what happens to him in 2008. First, if Longoria becomes the team’s third baseman, the Rays would have Iwamura dangling without a position, leaving him, Wilson, Harris and, perhaps, Ben Zobrist competing for shortstop and second base. I think the Rays did Harris a favor at the end of last summer by watching him play second base, as I believe it’s a position he can settle into. Meanwhile, shortstop is a different animal. In my opinion, a team needs an artist at shortstop, a guy with great range and soft hands who can field ground balls standing on his head. Having such a shortstop is even more important on a team with a young pitching staff, like the Rays.
While some of the aforementioned played adequate shortstop last season, I don’t believe any of them are true shortstops. So I can see the Rays trying to trade or sign a quality shortstop during the offseason. If the team has a new shortstop, with Harris as the everyday second baseman and Longoria at third, I believe Iwamura could become a Ty Wigginton type by spending time at multiple positions. If the team acquires a new shortstop and Longoria doesn’t make the team, Iwamura would play third and Harris would be at second.
One final scenario, which would make for a stepped-up offense, would see Longoria at third, Iwamura at second and Harris at shortstop. Wilson, Velandia, and Zobrist should contend for a utility spot.
Did you REALLY say that Brendan Harris outperformed Akinori Iwamura defensively? Are you SERIOUS? Dude, seriously?? I need to take a second here.
Harris had quite a good season, for sure, but his career OPS of .749 in the big leagues and his very high K rate indicate a player who will likely never be more than a role player. That’s not to say that Akinori Iwamura IS that kind of player, but his OBP was 30 points higher than Harris’ in 2007. To be honest, I’d be interested to see how either of the two players fit into the Rays’ plans beyond 2008.
I’m totally with Chastain that Iwamura, Harris, Wilson, Zobrist, and Velandia will all be competing for the infield spots next season. I disagree, though, that Harris has the leg up on the shortstop spot. This is not meant as a knock to Chastain, I just really think that Zobrist’s defense and OBP capabilities make him more of a viable everyday option in the long-term. BenZo has a lot to prove for sure, but I still like him.
By the way, I love “I don’t really expect you to answer my question” guy. He’s totally awesome.
Everyone knows what the problem was for the Rays last year. It was pitching, obviously. If we can make some trades out of the bullpen and even in our Minor League system, we could pick up a couple of veteran guys in the pitching staff. Who would you want to trade?
–Josh, Lakeland, Fla.
The hard part about trades is you have to give up something to get something in return. In my opinion, shortstop, catcher, and middle relief are the team’s problem areas. Who does the team give up to address these areas? Well, that depends on how strong a player — or players — the Rays want to get in return. In this light, the most marketable player on the team, other than Scott Kazmir and James Shields, is Carl Crawford. Personally, he is one of my favorite players on the team. He works hard, he’s a legitimate superstar and he’s flat-out fun to watch. However, if the Rays were to trade him, they could probably get a quality shortstop or catcher, along with a solid middle reliever in return. And while they would miss Crawford a great deal, finding a veteran left fielder, even though his numbers and performance would likely pale in comparison to Crawford’s, is a lot easier than finding a shortstop, catcher or pitching. Pulling the trigger on such a deal would take some courage, though, given the fact Crawford is a fan favorite and he will likely thrive wherever he plays.
Way to fuel the “Let’s trade Carl Crawford” flame, Bill. You would have to blow me away for Carl Crawford. I’m talking Joe Mauer or Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a lot of other extras in order to make me talk, and even then I might not say yes.
I also think that shortstop and relief pitching are MUCH more dire needs than catcher. Did you decide to stop watching the second half of 2007? Dioner Navarro really came to play after the All-Star Break, so I think making sure he has a solid backup is a priority, but I wouldn’t quite call the entire position a need.
Why wasn’t closer listed? Do you REALLY think Al Reyes is a good option there? He was decent last year, but he’s certainly not a true stopper.
I personally liked how well the rotation did over the last month or so of the season. With that being said, do you see Jeff Niemann coming in and earning the closer role next year? From all the reports I’ve seen, he’s got a big fastball and good slider. His 6-foot-8, 280-lb. presence on the mound would make for a tough matchup for any team trailing in the ninth. On top of that, he can’t seem to handle a lot of innings, so putting him in the pen could save his arm. Who knows, he could turn out like Jonathan Papelbon did.
–Dre’ S., Tampa
I have not heard any talk from the Rays about making such a move, but it makes sense to me. After Kazmir and Shields at the head of the rotation, I think David Price will join the group next summer, leaving the Rays to find two more starters from a group of players including Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine, Jason Hammel, Niemann and Mitch Talbot. It only makes sense that some of these live young arms find their way to the bullpen.
You liked the 5.06 ERA posted by the staff in September? Wow, your standards are low, dude. Personally, I was a lot more fond of the 4.49 ERA in August. But what do I know?
It’s interesting, though, that you would mention Jeff Niemann as an option at the closer position. That has been mentioned here in the past, and I certainly would endorse the move because he seems to have the make-up of someone who would succeed in the role. With the wealth of minor league starting pitching that the Rays have, it would also make such a move easier. Bill is certainly right that there are a number of arms who could find their way into the bullpen.
Good questions today, fellas. And Chastain was only marginally dumb.
Draysbay is reporting that Jae Seo and Tim Corcoran have been granted free agency. I don’t know what the source is, because I can’t find it corroborated anywhere else, but I’ll take their word on it. (Draysbay)
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