Rays of Light

The preferred profile for the wanted “super-utility” player is a left-handed hitter who can play first and third and fill in at the corner outfield spots, and likely would be acquired via trade.

Though I’m not sure why they’d want a LEFTY to play first since that’s what Carlos Pena is and the addition of this player would likely mean the end of Joel Guzman’s chances of making the roster, that player they are talking about sounds an awful lot like Frank Catalanotto. Problem is, he makes $3.5 million and plays for another team (Texas), so the Rays would have to swing some kind of trade. I don’t see that happening.

“From the original thoughts that all of us had, we’re a good bit above that number and it’s just the way things worked out,” Friedman said. “It’s the opportunistic approach that we had this offseason.”

I don’t think it’s ever been a question of getting to $40 million and stopping there. I think the team was truly taking the approach that it would spend whatever it needed to spend so long as it remained within the plan - the plan of course being to continue to develop the majority of its talent from within. The money spent on Troy Percival, for instance, was the right move to make and the organization should be commended for being willing to shell out a little more cash than it said it was going to.

t would seem an unusual way to do things, but Friedman said the Rays might decide before 3B prospect Evan Longoria gets to spring training whether or not he’s on the team.

The thinking is that the Rays already know enough about him, that talent evaluations during the spring are often skewed by circumstance and level of competition, and that deciding beforehand would reduce scrutiny (and pressure) on his day-to-day play.

But doing so would seem to make sense only if they decide Longoria, 22, isn’t going to make the team. That way, it eliminates the question from being a daily issue, as well as a potential controversy if Longoria were to put up huge spring numbers.

I have to disagree with Topkin on the point that it only makes sense if he isn’t going to make the team. “It eliminates the question from being a daily issue”? Uhhh, this isn’t the New York media, pal. I suspect that you, Marc Lancaster, and Bill Chastain aren’t going to exactly crush the guy’s spirits with your reporting over the course of Spring Training. You might just be overstating your job a little, don’t you think?

Baldelli said he has been working out and running three days a week with no problems from his previously troubling hamstrings and plans to “turn it up a notch” after returning to Florida at the end of the month. “If I can hit and kind of take it easy running, I think everything will fall right into place after that,” he said.

That’s right. Rocco’s getting ready to “turn it up a notch.” Look out, AL East.

In all seriousness, the return of a healthy Baldelli would be a boon to this team because it simply adds an All-Star-caliber player to an already strong team. Considering how little he was around last season, it’s almost like another big free agent signing.

And for those who keep asking, the Trop can’t be “converted” to an outdoor stadium by removing the roof and some walls because it was built with no drainage or weatherproofing (and would be very costly to do).

WHO ASKED THIS QUESTION?! No, seriously. I want to know. Was it one of you guys?

The Rays say the successful redevelopment of Tropicana Field and its parking lots could generate $5-million a year in new property tax revenues for state and Pinellas schools. If the redevelopment includes retail, millions more dollars could flow into the city and county coffers each year through sales tax payments.

That money, which would not help build a new stadium for the Rays, could be used to build new schools or new parks or pay teachers or police officers more, the Rays say.

Watching this whole thing play out is like watching a politician who is 5 to 10 points down in the polls try to make up ground heading into a primary.

The blend of talent and experience has the manager talking about a .500 season as “a reasonable goal,” but it won’t deter him from taking a back-to-basics approach to spring training. In fact, the potential to crack the 70-win barrier for the first time in Rays history might only serve to reinforce Maddon’s determination to avoid giving away so many winnable games by committing fundamental mistakes.

“I’m going to apply a lot of pressure to the coaches and myself this spring training to make sure we get these fundamentals down appropriately,” Maddon said. “We’ve talked about them for two years; I believe this group is ready to put them into play. I believe this group is ready to take what we’re talking about and execute them. I believe this group will accept constructive criticism well and be accountable for their actions.

As soon as you shoot for mediocrity, you set yourself up for failure. Way to go, Joe. This team - like every team’s goal - should be to win as many games as possible and ultimately reach the playoffs. But, nah, let’s shoot for a third-place finish and the chance to watch Joe Buck annoy the fans of two other teams instead of ours in the playoffs.

Tags: Evan Longoria, Frank Catalanotto, Joe Maddon, Marc Topkin, new stadium, payroll, Rocco Baldelli, Tropicana Field
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