Evan Longoria has been sent to minor league camp to begin the year at Durham. (TBO.com)
My take on this later on tonight. For now, use this thread for comments.
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reader(s)
March 24th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
The good news- We ARE assured of keeping him the extra year, and Longoria will get the chance to rake at AAA… Or if he has a real slump, it shows that Friedoco did the right thing, at least when he comes back we know he is definately ready to go
The Bad- Our Lineup doesn’t really look all that scary…
Floyd and Gomes have struggled some in the spring, and I’m not sure what to make of Aybar yet, he is steady I guess… only Crawford, Upton and Pena would scare me, and with that teeter totter rotation we have to start with, I think the Rays are going to have to fight to stay within striking distance…
The unknown- Is Longoira and the rest of the Rays going to think, “wow we are still cheap skates” Will Longora hold this against us later on??? He doesn’t seem the type….
I again, will agree with Friedco and the babysteps metality we have had from the start, and at least we can put this baby to bed until Memorial Day…
Go get em Evan-
March 24th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Business decision!!!
March 24th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
What a joke. I understand that the Rays can’t go get a Johan or Arod like the big market teams, but to send down a guy thats clearly ready just for an extra year at cheap salary isd just plain dumb. This organization is a joke, and it’s really a shame too because they have so much talent. But hey the owners get to save maybe 5- 10 million dollars in the long run, so its all worth it right?
March 24th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
And what message does this send to guys like Crawford and Upton when there getting to there free agent years. There gonna think, hey this team cares more about money then winning. It’s one thing if you cant go and sign big free agents, but if you can’t sign/pay your own players, especially good ones, then you shouldn’t be franchise.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Good move. In time, we’ll all look back and realize what a smart move this was. Think competing for a decade, not just 2008.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
The joke is fans who cannot get beyond the obvious and who get suckered into worrying about “messages” by media types who have no capacity for analysis and who therefore can use only the language they understand, trying to read tea leaves and crystal balls to get messages.
There is no need to insult the intelligence or maturity of the players who understand the complexity of these decisions. Only children get resentful over these sorts of things. As for messages, there is only one message the Rays are sending. That is that they think sending Longoria down is best for the organization and for Longoria. They may have misjudged (I don’t think they did) but they have considered many different aspects of the situation and decided he will do better starting the year in Durham and the team will benefit as well.
It is simple minded to think that the only issue is saving money. In the first place, it might not actually save money, and the organization knows that. Secondly, to the extent that keeping control of Evan for an extra year entails a lot more than simply saving money.
Finally, the Rays have sent many messages and have for the past two years. They have sent very clear and precise messages that their intention is to build a contender for the long haul, built on a solid substructure and not built to take one shot at a title only to flame out. More indirectly, every move they have made, from public relations to talent acquisition to broadening the base of scouting and fan interest to overhauling the organization itself and formulating and implementing a clear and far-sighted plan betokens a powerful message. But for too many, these messages are either dismissed or forgotten the moment the Rays do anything, however minor (and keeping Longoria in the minors for a month or two is less than minor) that the fans dislike.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Longoria will be up before you know it…time will fly by as we 1) win some fun games, 2)pray the real Action Jackson takes the mound, and 3) we stop worrying about total bullpen meldowns on the scale of last year (remember the PAIN?). I also suspect that next off season will see Longoria signing a massive, longterm deal.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Wouldn’t it be something if Longoria was called up on the same day my daughter is born? Could it be fate?
March 24th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
If so, have you picked out a name?
March 24th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Her name is going to be Angelica. :)
March 24th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Congratulations Scott. Is she your first?
So even if she arrives the same day as Longoria, there will be no commemoration of the simultaneous arrival of two such important people?
March 24th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
This comes from Rotoword:
Rays reassigned 3B Evan Longoria and SS Reid Brignac to Triple-A Durham.
As would most teams put into the same situation, the Rays are lying and saying it’s not about the money. But that’s the only reason not to go with Longoria right now. It is a good one: if he’s kept down for two months, not only will he not be a free agent until after 2014, but he won’t be arbitration eligible until after 2011. Still, the Rays have handled this badly from the start.
March 25th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Congrats again Scott, but on to less important AAA matters, lets just trade for Marlon Byrd then give him to the cubs straight up for matt murton already (Lord knows we dont have any expendable win-now bait).. Murton can hit .330 vs. the Lefties (Giving Floyd 2/5 days off on avg) and has played with Floyd for a full year while showing to be open earred toward vets. Lord knows if Floyd plays 130 games angels will fall out of the sky, so Murton will most likely be able to get into a rythm with 350+ab’s post about 25 hr’s per 600 ab’s, .360 obp, and as a cubs fan I can tell you there is nothing better than associating every red headed (ginger) with matt murton, Bob Brenley, former WS winning mgr. calls every group of two or more red heads to be the matt murton fan club. Where could we go wrong, other than defense and OPS+ vs. Righties where we appeared to be screwed completely.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Well I’m back in the US to hear the news of ‘Evan Longoria has been sent to minors” The first thing I thought was he must not have played well while I was gone. NO! the stats say “not so”. Then as I read every ones comments I hear lots say this is about MONEY and I say that the DRO has shown to spend this year so why now? Then I read how this is the best for him even if he doesn’t know it and they say he is the best 3rd baseman in camp and hitting for power and fitting in well. Playing like a man who would be in his 5th spring training. Now I wonder how we are going to do with Kaz, Benny Z & Rocco out without any hitting avg from right field with less than Avg fielding. Why???? say we will evaluate him this spring and decide later in camp only to say he’s the best and way beyond his years and mature, fits in, has his head together, best at 3rd in camp, a supper star but because he has not shown failure in his carrier we will send him down. Why can’t they just say we are sending him down so he will not be a free agent until after 2014, and he won’t be arbitration eligible until after 2011. That’s what’s best for the RAYS. I can buy that but not the rest of the BS. Good to back in the mist of things and can’t wait to get back to the Trop.