Former Vandy great David Price is living the high life but vowing to avoid the traps into which many

He accepts all the responsibilities as well as the trappings that go along with his current state of affairs — such as the guy in the black, hooded sweatshirt.

“Last year when we were in Philadelphia, a teammate and I were going to Ruth’s Chris and two guys ran after our cab for about three miles,” Price says. “Then one of the guys tried to sit with us at our table. The manager came up and asked, ‘Are you expecting a third to your party?’ I was like, ‘No.’ He said, ‘I didn’t think so.’ When he went back up there the guy had already run out the door.

“He was in black sweatpants and a black hoodie and he just wanted to get my autograph. ... That was a little weird.”

NESN: Canty: Rays Moving to Southern CT or NJ?

The Tampa Bay Rays may not be able to afford staying in Florida much longer. NESN baseball analyst Peter Gammons reports on MLB.com that the Rays eventually could be forced to move to a more profitable market.

With spring training drawing closer and teams putting the finishing touches on rosters, Tampa Bay faces a bigger challenge than filling in its second-base hole. While the Rays have enjoyed success against big-market teams such as New York (Yankees), Philadelphia and Boston, their on-field success has not translated into revenue.

“There are smart people in the Major League Baseball offices wondering if there’s hope of even discussing a potential move of the Rays to New Jersey or Southern Connecticut over certain protests from the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Phillies,” writes Gammons on MLB.com.

Keith Law: Top 100 prospects

NO.  PLAYER
1 Jason Heyward, OF, ATL
2 Stephen Strasburg, RHP, WAS
3 Carlos Santana, C, CLE
4 Buster Posey, C, SFO
5 Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
6 Desmond Jennings, OF, TAM
7 Martin Perez, LHP, TEX
8 Dustin Ackley, CF, SEA
9 Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX
10 Jesus Montero, C, NYY
11 Brian Matusz, LHP, BAL
12 Starlin Castro, SS, CHC
13 Neftali Feliz, RHP, TEX
14 Domonic Brown, RF, PHI
15 Wade Davis, RHP, TAM
16 Aroldis Chapman, LHP, CIN
17 Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, TAM
18 Casey Kelly, RHP, BOS
19 Aaron Hicks, RHP, MIN
20 Brett Wallace, 1B, TOR
21 Logan Morrison, 1B, FLA
22 Tyler Matzek, LHP, COL
23 Jenrry Mejia, RHP, NYM
24 Michael Taylor, OF, OAK
25 Zach Britton, LHP, BAL

Scouting reports for the top 25 should be free, I think.

Village Voice: deMause: Jersey Rays: Pipe Dream or Just-Barely-Conceivable Pipe Dream?

Make that Jersey RWowws.

There are, however, two possible scenarios where a third New York franchise might just be feasible, if you squint just right. First off, the owners of the Oakland A’s are currently involved in a squabble of their own over territorial rights, seeking to relocate to San Jose, which the owners of the San Francisco Giants point out is officially their territory — albeit only because of an aborted Giants move to the South Bay way back in the ‘80s. One possible outcome of this Bay Area battle is for MLB commissioner to sit both sides down and negotiate a price for indemnification of their relinquishing their grip on San Jose. Once that precedent is set, if the price is low enough that when translated to New York dollars a team could relocate here without having to sell off all their best players to pay it ... but that’s a big “if.”

The alternate route: New Jersey or Connecticut could file an antitrust lawsuit against MLB, charging that the whole “territorial rights” canard is an illegal conspiracy to deny them the right to relocate a business to their state. Yes, baseball has an antitrust exemption, dating back to a bizarre case involving the owners of the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League, but plenty of scholars believe it’s on shaky legal grounds, which is why MLB has tended to try to avoid allowing challenges to get as far as a courtroom. In fact, the last legal challenge to the antitrust exemption was put forward by the state of Florida in the early ‘90s, after MLB refused to let the Giants relocate there — a suit that was later settled out of court by the granting of a new expansion team to Florida.

That team? The Tampa Bay Rays. At least somebody would be happy about the irony.

Report Concludes Rays Need New Stadium, Lots More Community Support

A group tasked with keeping MLB in Tampa Bay long-term pleaded with communities on both sides of Tampa Bay to cooperate for the greater good.

The ABC Coalition’s final report did not address any specific locations for a new stadium, but suggested several possible neighborhoods.

Brewers laugh at notion of playing in Orlando

It didn’t take long for the Milwaukee Brewers to rebuff a story by WFTV-TV in Orlando that the team could possibly relocate to Florida.

“The reporter or whoever else is putting that out there should do his homework,” said Tyler Barnes, VP of Communications for the Brewers. “It’s irresponsible. We just finished ninth in attendance, we have one of the best ballparks in baseball and an owner who is totally committed to the [Milwaukee] area.

“That report is beyond hilarious. I needed a good laugh today, and I got it.”

Man Killed, Students Hurt, Speedometer Frozen at 80 mph

Officers said Andrew Bellatti, 18, was going 80 miles-per-hour when he illegally crossed the double yellow line to pass another car and headed straight into oncoming traffic. The red Ford Mustang he was driving slammed into a Dodge Caravan, seriously injuring a 17-year-old Steele Canyon student and killing his father who was driving.

“The first vehicle swerved out of the way that was traveling eastbound, the second vehicle collided head on with the Mustang,” CHP officer Brian Pennings said. “The speedometer was frozen at impact, it was frozen at 80 miles an hour.”

Andrew Bellatti was the Rays 12th round pick of the 2009 Draft.

Czech 16-year-old Havlicek signs with Rays

For a minute there...I thought this might be MLB’s master plan to get that ball back from Mientkiewicz.

Stepan Havlicek, a 16-year-old pitching prodigy from the Czech Republic, has signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, the US Major League Baseball club announced Wednesday.

Havlicek pitched for the Czech junior national team and struck out 13 batters in 11 1/3 scoreless innings during the European Junior Championships last August in Bonn, Germany.

The Rays said Havlicek would likely attend some portion of spring training, which begins in late February, and would play in Major League Baseball’s Australia Academy later this year.

The training would help determine at what level of the minor-league developmental system Havlicek might start in his quest to someday reach the roster of the Rays, who lost to Philadelphia in the 2008 World Series.

Rays are in no hurry to promote Beckham

The Babe Ruth Watch, I can see. Who would want to buy a Dewon Brazelton watch?

Remember the B.J. Upton Watch? The Delmon Young Watch? Heck, there was even a Dewon Brazelton Watch.

Sickels: Tampa Bay Rays Top 20 Prospects for 2010

Desmond Jennings & The Aces.

1) Desmond Jennings, OF, Grade A: Borderline A-, but my gut is saying to be aggressive with this one. A perfect leadoff hitter with blazing speed, great strike zone judgment, low strikeout rate, and enough power to make the pitchers respect him. Only worry is that injuries may recur.

2) Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Grade A-: For many years, I was the most famous baseball-oriented graduate of Hoover High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Jeremy Hellickson has changed that. Roy Oswalt type if he avoids injury. I love the guy.

3) Wade Davis, RHP, Grade A-: I love this guy too. If Hellickson could become Oswalt, Davis could become John Lackey.

4) Matt Moore, LHP, Grade B+: Strikeouts may be fascist, but apparently I have an inner authoritarian because I love strikeouts. Command problems preclude an A-, but the sky is the limit on Moore’s potential.

5) Alexander Colome, RHP, Grade B: borderline B+. Excellent stuff, just needs to sharpen his command and transition to full-season ball.

...I love this system.

Not just the amazing aggregation of talent at the top, but the way they run the system really impresses me. The Rays can pick good college guys with developed skills. They can pick raw high school guys and turn them into players. They have an effective Latin American operation. They don’t push guys too fast: they are particularly conservative with the high school arms, letting them percolate enough at each level. They are the Anti-Mets in that regard, and it really seems to work for them.

TBO: Mooney: The King of Swing

A look at Jaime Cevallos, the man who invented Zobrist.  (Z-Medica Corporation perks up)

Rays manager Joe Maddon, as forward a thinker as there is in baseball, said he can see players using swing coaches in the offseason but isn’t sure the game will become so micromanaged that you will find one in every clubhouse.

“I think it’s headed in that direction, but in a different way,” Maddon said. “I think you might see two hitting coaches on a team, one for the mental side, one for the physical side.”

Cevallos said that for swing coaches to find their way into major league baseball, it’s going to take more than a breakout season from Zobrist. It’s going to take, as he said, someone to swim away from the shore of centuries-old conventional thinking and commit himself full time to the Cevallos way of hitting.

It’s going to take an unbelievable monster of a season.

“What I’m looking for is major changes,” Cevallos said. “I won’t be satisfied until I produce the first 80 home run guy with a .400 average. Someday I’m going to work with a guy who’s going to change the game.”

Top Catching Talent Under 26yo in AL East

Short Read.

They place both Montero and Romine in the top three for under 26yo catchers in the East.  Is Montero really considered a catcher by anyone these days?

Jesus Montero / New York Yankees (AAA/Scranton)
Height/Weight - 6-4/225 / Born - 11/28/1989 / Bats/Throws - R/R
Stats - Fangraphs / Baseball-Reference / MinorLeagueSplits

As with Wieters, Montero is considered a very advanced offensive prospect, garnering comparisons to some of the game’s best sluggers and drawing raves for his natural power and ability to square up on the baseball. Some scouts have even graded him as an 80 on the 20-80 scale for hitting and power. After destroying advanced A-level ball to the tune of .356/.406/.583, Montero was well on his way to similarly dominating AA pitching (.317/.370/.539) before breaking his middle finger and being shelved for the remainder of the season.

DRaysBay: An Interview With Jesse Spector

Jesse Spector, the best to happen at the NY Daily News...since Phil Pepe was stopped from running St. Catherine of Genoa bingo starting times in Clubhouse Confidential!

E.H: Being one of a very small group of newspaper writers who actually encorporates more advanced statistics into your work, how much do you think those writers who shy away from the advanced stats could learn by broadening their horizons?

J.S: I think it’s important to remember that not every reader is comfortable with advanced metrics, and if you’re writing for a newspaper, you’ve got to include statistics that casual fans will be able to identify with—the newspaper has a responsibility to its entire readership, not just the baseball fan. I think that’s an area where the secondary and tertiary stories of the day can really benefit, though; the casual fan is not going to be as interested in these stories as they will the main and the column, so why not get some more seamhead-type stuff in there?

But the writers have to be comfortable with it, as well. Just as I was really playing guessing games with your questions about what the Rays will do, and when we might see some of their prospects, I doubt Bill Madden, who deservingly will go into the Hall of Fame this summer, would be the guy you’d turn to if you wanted to talk about WAR. That’s not his game, just as getting the inside scoop and breaking news on trades isn’t my game.

A Q&A with Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Operations Assistant Erik Neander

R.J.: The Pat Burrell signing brought with it questions about whether his power would translate to a park that normally constricts righty power; how much time and energy do the Rays put into research projects like this so that they don’t end up with a situation akin to Adrian Beltre in Safeco?

E.N.: We do our best to account for as many variables as possible, parks included.  We’re constantly working to improve our methods, though we are probably closer to not having any of the answers than we are to having all of the answers.  It’s very difficult to calculate context neutral performance.  Of course, I could always cherry pick and point out that Burrell’s ISO at Tropicana Field was only .009 below his ISO at Citizen’s Bank Park in 2008.

R.J.: Staying on Burrell, obviously he had a poor season, but do you think people still have a misconception about how batters’ production reacts after becoming a full-time DH?

E.N.: Pat went through a lot during the 2009 season and experienced several firsts, including transitioning to the DH slot.  I can’t speak for how Pat’s conversion from LF to DH specifically impacted his offensive output, but quality work has been published that suggests it’s more difficult to hit when you aren’t playing the field.  Given Pat’s track record of offensive performance, we’re excited to see what he can accomplish in 2010.

Thanks to Donleo.

projo.com: For some ex-players, it’s harder to walk to walk away from game

WOTN: Joe Nelson, George Lombard, Ryan Cameron, Phil Siebel (a few days ago, the answer was Indianapolis)

Sporting News: Rays preparing for all-or-nothing 2010 season

Rays president Matt Silverman told the St. Petersburg Times that a payroll in excess of $70 million will work for this season. However, it could be reduced significantly in 2011 and beyond.

The Rays’ recent acquisition of closer Rafael Soriano, who agreed to a one-year, $7.25 million deal Friday, boosted the 2010 payroll even higher.

“We extended last year, we’re overextended heading into this year,” Silverman told the newspaper. “We’ll see the effect of this in the future. But for now we’re focused on what Rafael can add to us in 2010.”

MLB.com: Non-tendered catchers to be eyed

The Rangers are keeping a close watch on catchers who might not be tendered a contract by the Saturday deadline.
...
Two catchers who might attract the Rangers attention are Dioner Navarro of the Rays and John Buck of the Royals. The Rangers are looking for catching depth because of the uncertainty surrounding catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

There are catchers on the free-agent market, but the top ones have been getting two-year contracts. Jason Kendall agreed to a two-year deal with the Royals on Friday while Ivan Rodriguez did so earlier this week with the Nationals and Brian Schneider did so earlier this month with the Phillies.

The Rangers have interest in Rod Barajas, who was their starting catcher in 2004-06. But he is also looking for a two-year deal.

“I don’t think you’ll see us go there,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.

Annual Non-tender Day thread coming up later, once it’s become Saturday on the east coast.

The Peter Golenblog: The Younger Alternative to Wagner now a Ray ?

Balls! Idiot! It can only mean one thing...Golenbock!

Finally, what to do with Pat Burrell, who has joined Ben Grieve and Vinnie Castilla as those most often cited as “the worst Ray of all time.” Grieve, who looked at more called strikes than any batter in history and never uttered a word or made a facial expression in disgust, and Castilla, who came to the Rays and decided to make as many errors as he could and strike out as often as he could in order to get his ass traded somewhere else, were horrible.  Burrell, who hit thirty home runs four years in a row before coming to Tampa Bay, struck out as often as Grieve for his $8 million, hit fourteen home runs, drove in sixty, batted crappy, and was a downer in the clubhouse.  Reports of his drunken behavior did not sit well with the front office either, which is why the Rays would consider trading him for Milton Bradley, the second-most disruptive player in baseball.  Bradley can switch hit, and he’s not a bad outfielder.  Burrell was too slow to play the outfield, which is why the Rays made him a DH.  And as a DH, he was a dismal failure.  If the Rays had batted anyone else at DH, they’d have won five or six more games.

DRaysBay: An Interview With Dave Cameron

EH: It was a fantastic sight to see this year, but there’s a minute chance that Ben Zobrist leads the league in WAR again next season.  Where do you think his true talent level lies?

DC: Special hitting coach or not, I don’t see the physical strength required to maintain a .250 ISO over a long period of time, so I expect some regression in his power.  The plate discipline is for real, though, so even if slugs .450 instead of .550, he’s a good hitter.  Defensively, he strikes me as a good second baseman rather than a great one, so I’d project his UZR for next year to be between +0 and +10.  That probably makes him a +3 to +4 win player.

EH: Lately there has been a lot of talk about a salary floor and in baseball, with Red Sox Owner John Henry speaking out in favor of it and ESPN’s Keith Law in opposition. Those in favor feel as if it would greatly increase the competitive balance, while those opposed think it would hurt lower market teams far more than help them.  I feel as if a team like the Rays would be hurt by the implementation of a floor; what are your thoughts on the issue?

DC: A salary floor is a terrible idea.  It would reduce the incentives for filling a roster with low-salaried, home-grown talent, forcing low revenue teams to pay market rates for free agents or expensive veterans in trade.  The whole point of a good economic system is to create incentives for individuals (or teams, in this example) to do what you want them to do.  MLB should want teams investing in their player development, and a floor would lower the return on that investment.  There are better ways to stop owners from taking the revenue sharing money and sticking it in the bank.

Thanks to DenDu.

Braves Trade Soriano to Tampa Bay Rays

The Atlanta Braves traded relief pitcher Rafael Soriano to the Tampa Bay Rays a week after Soriano accepted Atlanta’s arbitration offer.

The Braves will receive right-hander Jesse Chavez.

Latests buzz from major league baseball’s winter meetings - Jon Heyman - SI.com

The Braves have traded reliever Rafael Soriano to the Rays, SI.com has learned. The deal will be complete after medical data is reviewed.

Soriano will approve the deal. He accepted arbitration, but the Braves didn’t have a spot for him after signing Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito.

DBayRays: Exclusive Interview With James Click Coordinator of Baseball Operations

Pick to Click! (shades of a defunkt WLIR)

TR: Obviously, you have internal methods of calulating defense. But what are your thoughts on UZR, +/- as well as the fielding independent pitching statistics like FIP and tRA?

JC: There is a variety of this family of statistics, each of which is seeking to answer a very similar question. We do our best to understand how each of them works, what data they use, how their data are collected, what they assume and what they don’t, and how we can best use them to our advantage, either individually or in concert with other information. It’s great to have so many options from which to choose, especially when none of them are fielding percentage.

TR: Along with fielding independent stats, what are your thoughts on batted ball data? How reliable do you find this data?

JC: I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I’m going to repeat this point because it is a key one: with all data, we must understand exactly how it’s collected and what it’s trying to tell us. With batted ball data, it’s a start, but whenever the bat makes contact with the ball, there are not four discrete outcomes; the results are much more continuous. However, sometimes broad strokes are all you need. We use these data to improve our decision-making, but we’re always looking to improve the quality of information we collect.

Philly Burbs: Burrell traded to Mets

Can’t find a second source on this one…

Former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell has reportedly been swapped twice this morning, eventually landing with Phils division rival the New York Mets.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded the slugging left fielder to the Chicago Cubs then the Cubs dealt Burrell to the Mets. Names of other players involved in the deals were not immediately available.

Update from Ben Shpigel’s catalog...

Despite Philadelphia-area report, Pat Burrell IS NOT a Met. Totally bogus, says one team official.

Brewers sign catcher Gregg Zaun

Gregg siggns!

UPDATE at 1:30 p.m. CT—Done deal. One year contract with a club option for 2011. One quick note after chatting with Zaun on the phone: He has been given assurances by Brewers officials that he’ll be the regular catcher in 2010. “I’ll have to earn it every day, of course,” Zaun said. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Henderson: Here’s one Hall of Fame vote for steady (and clean) Fred McGriff

and the only vote...so far.

His teams made the playoffs five times and he has a World Series ring. He twice led the league in homers – once with Toronto and once with San Diego. Three times he was in the top 10 in MVP voting.

His misfortune was to play in an era where team chemistry took on an altogether different meaning. I know sports heroes disappoint us every day (see Woods, Tiger), but I’d be stunned beyond all comprehension if it ever came out that McGriff juiced.

For one thing, he never had the quantum jump in power totals like so many in the Juice Era did. McGriff never hit more than 37 homers in a single season. Barry Bonds, on the other hand, hit 73 homers at age 36 – after hitting 34 bombs at age 34.

I suppose diet and exercise could explain it.

I think there ought to be special consideration given to those who we’re reasonably certain didn’t cheat. I realize that’s totally arbitrary and cleanliness exists primarily in the minds of the voter, but it’s also the type of judgment we’re supposed to make.

Rays acquire C Kelly Shoppach from Indians

The Tampa Bay Rays are closing in on a deal for Kelly Shoppach of the Cleveland Indians, according to major league sources.

Shoppach, 29, hit .214 last season for the Indians, with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. He appeared in 89 games.

Marc Topkin reports its a done deal for a player to be named later

DRaysBay: An Interview With Jonah Keri

Keener than your average Joe Keener...Jonah speaks.

EH: You’re a big proponent of baseball adopting more uses of instant replay, but that doesn’t seem likely with Selig still in office. Realistically, how long do you think it will be until baseball joins the 21st century and uses the advances in technology to improve the quality of the game?

JK: The next time I correctly predict what Bud Selig will do will be the first. I will say you have to look at this the way you would any piece of collective bargaining. I would guess that if Selig pushes for replay, that means he needs to make a concession to umpires. Same way you’d think that stricter drug testing would be a slam dunk, but it requires/required owners to make it palatable for players.

I will say this, though: It’s just another in a long list of short-sighted (non-)decisions by the most overrated Commissioner of any major sport who’s ever presided during my lifetime. When Bud Selig makes his Hall of Fame speech, I look forward to jeering him with chants of “1994”, followed by me breaking down and weeping. Then throwing monkey feces at him.

Tampa Bay Rays GM Andrew Friedman Talks with DRaysBay

TR: Without naming names, a few GMs are on record as saying they don’t buy into defensive metrics or they still believe in fielding percentage. You, yourself, have said fielding percentage is the most overrated stat in the game. How is there still that kind of divide among peers with the amount of information that is not only public but held privately throughout an organization?

AF: Baseball is a tough game and there is no one path to success.  Teams have won in many different ways, with different organizational philosophies.  Evaluating defense is one of the more difficult things that we do and we know that the numbers cannot tell you everything.  We try to have a sound process that makes sense and to stay open-minded to many sources of information.

TR: As one of the more sabermetric organizations in baseball, how do you feel about the publicly used stats like Defensive efficiency, UZR, Dewan’s +/- and so on?

AF: This is a good time to be a baseball fan as there is a ton of data in the public sphere with a lot of validity.  In a general sense, some of the publicly used methods are similar to what we do internally; of course, we also have trained eyes whose evaluations play an important role in our process.

TR: In addition to defensive metrics, PITCH F/X has revolutionized the way we analyze pitchers. With one of the pioneers of PITCH F/X, Josh Kalk, part of the organization, what are your thoughts on PITCH F/X?

AF: PITCH f/x can be a great source of information.  The key is using it correctly, and in harmony with the other tools we have to evaluate players.  With the amount of available information, the challenge often has less to do with finding more knowledge, and more to do with figuring out how to use it properly.

Thanks to SY8.

Smith: Report of Carl Crawford wanting out of Tampa Bay is false

Oh, but who to believe! (and to think...I put a hold on my Bonus Eventus search for this)

With trade rumors already circulating about All-Star leftfielder Carl Crawford, now there’s an apparently false, unattributed report from the NY Baseball Digest that suggests Crawford wants out of Tampa Bay.

The NY Baseball Digest report, citing an unnamed source, stated that Crawford is upset with the Rays over picking up his 2010 option and allegedly backing out of an agreement to negotiate his potential long-term deal.

The report just doesn’t seem to have any merit, as it doesn’t match up with what both sides have been saying all along (and as recently as this week).

Crawford’s agent, Brian Peters, said earlier this week that they were still looking forward to working on a potential-long term deal with the Rays. That’s exactly what Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said when they picked up Crawford’s $10 million option on Monday, that both sides were “very interested.”

Whether the two sides can work out a deal remains to be seen. But Crawford has shown his interest, and there have been no indications of any animosity from either side.

MLB.com Ichiro claims third Silver Slugger Award.

Here’s why Ichiro proved to be an easy choice: He hit .352, with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. His batting average was second in the AL to Minnesota’s Joe Mauer, who also won a Silver Slugger Award, and he led the Major Leagues with 225 hits, 13 hits ahead of fellow Silver Slugger Award winner Derek Jeter.

WHAT!? This is an OUTRAGE! How can Derek Jeter win another—oh? Oh, it’s one of those? Nevermind.