I know it’s a little early to talk about this, but it will be coming up this offseason. Jason Bartlett is arbitration eligible again after the year, and the Rays should think about signing him long-term. He’s proven himself to be quite valuable to the franchise, and he’s found his comfort zone at the plate. The problem is that the Rays also need to cut payroll next year, and have a shortstop in waiting with Reid Brignac.
Brignac is having a so-so season so far in Durham, but is very nearly ready for the big time. But with Bartlett playing at the level he is, it’s hard to take him off this team. While Brignac might have more power, I feel that Bartlett is the far superior all-around shortstop.
Personally, I would like to see the Rays sign Bartlett to a 4-year deal this offseason for somewhere in the $24-28 million range. I think he’s one of those guys that you want to keep in your organization for as long as you can. He definitely has earned a big raise this year, and taking him off the team could prove costly. Taking Brignac’s value as a solid shortstop that major league-ready, you could land a piece or two that you really need. We all know that Tim Beckham is now the SS of the future, but Bartlett is the man right now, and he needs to stay put.
Who knows? Maybe we can add a valuable young relief pitcher or two for Brignac. When I say that, I mean that we trade for someone like Kevin Cameron from the A’s-a young, high-upside reliever who stays under team control for a while. That’s just an example though. The offseason will have a lot of tough decisions ahead, and we could see a reasonable amount of change. But I think Friedman will be very wise, and decide to keep Bartlett. He’s the sure thing, and Brignac is still just a question mark.
What do you guys think?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
trade kaz after this year to lower payroll,replace with price and davis (sonny may go to long relief; could be effective coming in after flamethrowers; question is do you keep Brignac for 2b or not?