Apologies for the lack of a real recap on this one. As those of you with kids probably know, you can never be sure when you might need to be on daddy-duty for an extended period of time.
It was a fantastic performance all around by the Rays – except for Benny Boo-Boo’s 2 errors, of course – and the kind of game that gets you feeling better about the team.
Feel free to leave your comments on last night’s game here.
Tags: Marlins
June 26th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Here are some notes from CBS Sportsline on the game:
* It was the third time Tampa Bay scored exactly 10 runs in an inning.
* Crawford has had three other two-homer games in his career, all coming between May 26 and June 30, 2006.
* Longoria had three hits for the third time this season.
* Hermida’s third-inning single stretched his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games for the Marlins.
* The teams play a rare 12:10 p.m. start to end the series Thursday.
* De La Cruz’s ERA climbed from 6.00 to 21.00.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:18 am
That’s the kind of game you don’t mind the errors. Just hope it doesn’t become a habit. Hope this means the bats are coming alive. Shields finally got some run support. Hope CC can keep up the pace.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Sweeping the Marlins is a beautiful thing. It would be nice to sweep the Pirates as well, and then head back home for a sweep of the Red Sox. In all likely hood, though, we will probably take 2 out of 3 in Pittsburgh, which will be just fine. I’ll be at Monday’s game, and can’t wait to see what happens. If we take 2 out of 3 against Boston, then we would more than likely at least be tied for the lead in the AL East. Nobody thought we’d be still in it at this point.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Looks like we need to cross McGee off any trade talks for this season and next. He’s headed for Tommy John’s house, and he won’t be back to form until probably 2010. By then, he could end up being a useful piece of our team, but that will remain to be seen. The kid has great stuff, but we won’t get to see it for a while now.
Also, Buster Olney apparently thinks we are the sleepers who will end up with Sabathia if he becomes available from the Indians. A package of Sonnanstine, Houser, Dale Thayer and J.T. Hall might do the trick. But my question is what would the plans be for Sabathia past this year? Price will probably definitely be ready for the rotation in 2009, Kaz just signed a big extension, Shields and Garza are going to be around for a while, and Jackson-well, who knows what could happen there? While I would be ecstatic to have what could be the most dominating rotation in the majors, I wonder if the Rays would really pony up big money for someone like Sabathia? If they just acquire him and hope to get the 2 draft picks for him, then that obviously adjusts the trade proposal for him a bit. If that were the case, then I think you hold onto Sonny, and throw Hammel out to Cleveland instead. Sonny could end up being a valuable swingman for the bullpen at some point if he falls out of the rotation. What do you guys think about Sabathia? And what do you think we’d have to give up for him?
June 27th, 2008 at 10:37 am
With el Gato’s impending return, a roster adjustment will be needed. Looking at the current roster, what leaps off the page is the six OF/DH players. There is no need for so many, so who goes? I vote to trade Gomer, even if only for a player to be named later or a bag of bats. I think Gabe Gross has more upside than Gomer, although I know that Gomer’s “gamer” attitude is appreciated. This attitude, however, has not translated into consistent performance results. The Rays are no longer bottom feeders and cannot continue to carry Gomer’s downside. I vote to keep Ben Zobrist, as the Rays do need a quality backup middle infielder and Ben seems to be growing into this role.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Bill, I agree all the way. Besides, we traded a player with some upside to get Gross here, and Gomes-performane wise-has been pitiful this year. Zobrist does provide us the opportunity to rest Bartlett when his shoulder is barking, and also can be used as a pinch runner. As we have all said before, nobody doubts Gomes’ heart and hustle, but his performance has been very poor this year, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better any time soon. Time to see him go. I am rather anxious to see what happens now.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:34 am
A.J., you are trying to acquire a Cy Young winner, arguably the best pitcher in the league and certainly among the top 5, just 27 and a horse, for a bag of journeymen and spare parts. And I say that as someone who really likes Sonnanstine and who thinks Houser has a chance to be a useful lefty reliever in the majors.
Sonnanstine is at best a good back of the rotation starter. Houser is an AA pitcher who is on nobody’s top 100 list of prospects. Hall is a 24 year old who did nicely in high A this year and was just promoted. Otherwise, his minor league career is undistinguished and is another after thought on nobody’s top 100 list. And Thayer is a 27 year old reliever who has had a very good minor league career but remains nothing more than organizational filler. That package cannot be tweaked to bring back Sabathia, even as a rental. Cleveland would be better off with the 2 draft picks when Sabathia left than with that package.
If the Rays want Sabathia, they will have to start with Brignac, Jennings, Hellickson or Davis in a package with 2 or 3 other higher ceiling prospects or a major leaguer like Sonnanstine. Maybe the Indians would consider something like Sonnanstine, Niemann, Brignac and Rollins to start.
The package you suggest might get Paul Byrd, or maybe Nady for RF from Pittsburgh, although you would substitute someone like Talbot for Sonnanstine in that sort of deal. Even that is questionable though.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Bob, the thing you are forgetting is that Sabathia is just a rental player. With rental players, everyone knows that they don’t bring back the blockbuster-type prospects anymore. Nobody gives up their top prospects for a rental because they don’t want to mortgage their future. The Rays wouldn’t do it, either. Besides, Sonnanstine is a proven winner everywhere he’s been, Houser, as you said, could be a great left in the pen soon, Thayer has been lights out in the minors and could help them, and Hall gives them a versatile young OF with plenty of upside. Just because guys don’t show up on the Top 100 lists, doesn’t mean they can’t be valuable. Let’s not forget that we acquired Joel Guzman, who was supposed to be a superstar, and we know how he has been. I’m not saying that my package would be set in stone, but it would be a great starting point. Now, if the Rays were to want to sign Sabathia to a long-term deal, I would say that the deal would look more like this: Sonnanstine, Talbot, Jennings, and Jaso.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I mentioned that Sabathia is a rental, and it does not change things one whit. The Rays are not getting him for the flotsama and jetsam you are throwing out there. If the Indians cannot get at least one top prospect plus more they will not deal Sabathia and will instead take the two draft choices when he leaves.
As for your evaluation of the players you mention, Sonnanstine is my favorite Ray this year, but I still know he is not more than a back of the rotation starter. Being a proven winner is a meaningless phrase; he did very well in the minors and has been erratic in the majors. As for the others, they are eminently replaceable spare parts. Hall is a corner outfielder with very mediocre power and no particular outstanding tools who did well in high A at age 24. That does not translate to high upside. I did not say Houser would be “great” in the bullpen; I said he might be “useful”, and that is a big “might be” given that he is still in AA ball.
Fortuitously, BP has a discussion between Sheehan and Carroll today on the Sabathia situation. Here is a brief quotation from it:
“WC: So far, we’ve been more focused on Sabathia and determined that his market value is pretty high. While every team has different moving parts, I think it’s safe to say that the Indians are looking for a couple top prospects and one or two lesser prospects. It’d be ideal if one of those prospects was major league-ready… so we’re looking at the Santana return, right?”
If you subscribe, you might read the whole thing to see, among other things, the kinds of prospects they suggest might be offered by other teams. I think if your proposal is the starting point, the Indians would simply hang up the phone and stop talking to the Rays at all.
June 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
1st place going into the series. Like it. Hell of a road trip. Gonna be a packed trop. Need a bunch of Rays down there.