News
Reliever, backstop on Rays' short wish list
With solid pieces in place, Tampa Bay open to tweaking
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
11/19/09 12:00 AM EST
ST. PETERSBURG -- The free-agent season officially begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, and the Rays will be looking to add quality pieces to improve an already solid club.
Based on last season's Opening Day payroll, the projected raises for existing players' salaries and the subtraction of departing player salaries, the Rays should have a payroll of approximately $60-$65 million.
The areas in which Tampa Bay would like to improve are hardly a secret. Tweaking the bullpen with another arm or two -- including a late-inning reliever -- is a priority. In addition, the team would like to boost its play from the backstop position. Fortunately for the Rays, while these are areas they would like to improve, they aren't in dire straits in either department.
A bullpen-by-committee situation existed in 2009 and did well, before seemingly running out of gas toward the end of the season. Under that scenario, Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour handled most of the work leading up to J.P. Howell as the team's closer. Lance Cormier did excellent work in the middle innings, and he could get more significant work in the late going in 2010. Randy Choate did well as the team's designated left-handed specialist.
Will the Rays go out and try to sign a big-name closer? Probably not, and for good reason. First, there aren't a lot of big-name closers to be had. Billy Wagner has been the most prominent name mentioned, due to the veteran left-hander's circumstances. He wants to be a closer and the big-market teams -- Yankees, Red Sox, Angels -- already have closers. On the downside, there are questions whether Wagner is healthy enough. He had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery to his left elbow before making a comeback last season with Boston.
Wagner did pitch well for the Red Sox, recording a 1-1 record with a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. But again, weighing whether to pay Wagner the kind of money he might be able to demand on the open market, there is quite a bit of risk to assume.
TO FREE AGENCY |
• First basemen
• Second basemen
• Shortstops
• Third basemen
• Outfielders
• Starting pitchers
• Relievers/Closers
A more realistic scenario will likely see the Rays spend some money to pick up veteran bullpen help, which they have had some success doing in the past. Howell, Balfour and Wheeler will again be the most likely candidates to get the late-inning work, while hard-throwing lefty Jake McGee could be added to the mix.
Any team looking to improve its catching will face an equally tough task as Tampa Bay, for the simple fact that quality catchers are among the most coveted commodities in baseball.
Incumbent catcher Dioner Navarro had a disappointing season in 2009 as he seemed to regress at the plate and had trouble blocking pitches during the season. However, he is one year removed from being an All-Star catcher, so there is hope he can return to his '08 form, when he handled the catching duties well and was one of the team's best clutch hitters.
The Rays did not exercise veteran Gregg Zaun's $2 million option for 2010 for the simple fact they wanted to remain more liquid heading into the free-agent season. On the day Tampa Bay announced the move, Andrew Friedman, the Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations, said the team has maintained a good relationship with Zaun and had left the door open for his return.
If the Rays are going to make a major change at the catching position by bringing in a quality receiver, it's more than likely that player will come via a trade. Carl Crawford is entering the final year of his contract with the Rays. Tampa Bay and its star left fielder are still feeling each other out as to whether they want to commit to one another for a long-term deal. Should the feeling on either side be that 2010 would be Crawford's final season, he could be the bait to bring in the upgrade at catcher.
Other trade options would include young pitching, of which the Rays have a well-supplied stable.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
