What you sat about Holiday for 2 current players and a prospect theres no way thats true, its gonna take at least 2 blue chip prospects and a current player for us to get Holiday. And dont get me wrong, i love the winning and i love what we have been doing up to this point, but first of all its a 4 game losing steak, after sweeping one of the best teams in baseball, im not that worried about this 4 game skid (unless it doubles, then we get worried) but i really dont think that Holiday is worth giving up the far for. At the begining of the season i remember an ESPN column about “bad” teams and when they will make the playoffs or be real contender, this list included teams like the Reds, Pirates Royles etc and of course the rays. According to the writer, the rays are not suppose to be a true contender until 2009. Its great that we are winning now, but we have only started what will eventually become a dynasty as long as we are smart and dont sell the farm for a player who can only hit home runs a mile above sea level where we all know, the ball carries like no other. So when you go and ask yourself what major deal should we make, ask yourself another question, is it better to possibly make the playoffs this year by adding a big bat or is it better to wait another year and start the new Dynasty that is the RAYS!

When we previously asked about Holliday the rockies said they want David Price. Clearly there is no way that we would do that, Price will be up in August i’m guessing and start his domination and be our legitimate ace in a year or so passing Kazmir. BUT our roation will be Kazmir Shields Price Garza and whoever fights it out for the 5th spot. The earliest any of those 4 guys leave is when Kazmir can leave in 2012. Every Rays fan just drools looking at that rotation. We have no room for ALL of our pitching prospects. Now is the time to make a big move and finally be buyers. I think Nieman still has some value and could be a good 2 or 3 starter anywhere else. It usually takes tall pitchers more time to develop and his last start was very promising. For Holliday I say we might be able to do something like Nieman, Hellickson, maybe even Hammel and an OF prospect. Maybe Ruggiano who I think can pan out to be a good outfielder if he is in the right situation, and it is pretty clear that this is not the place for him to get his chances for some reason. He is hitting .315 in AAA with some decent pop and 14 SB. Ryan Royster is another option since he is one of our better OF prospects. I think Desmond Jennings would have done the trick but he is proving injury prone. Fuentes would be good but our bullpen is already solid enough, the one thing the rays lack is a huge power threat and Holliday would fill that.

I know people dont want to think about giving up Hellickson but we already have 4 rotation spots set and Jackson being a 5th guy is amazing, he could definately fill in as a 3 starter on a lot of clubs. Plus we still keep wade davis who has projected to be a number 2 guy who we can slide in at 5 probably late 09 or start of 2010. Hopefully McGee rebounds from Tommy John and becomes a future dominate arm out of the pen whether that be a setup or closer who knows.

If you look at a rotation of Kamir, Shields, Price, Garza, Jackson and slide Sonny into the pen and get rid of Glover. Then our lineup can look like this.

2B – Aki
LF – CC
RF – Holliday
1B – Pena (even though I dont like him there Madden does)
CF – Upton
3B – Longoria (who will take over 4 next yr)
C- Navvy
DH – Hinske/Floyd
SS – Bartlett

Looks like a legimate world series threat to me!

Not sure the Pirates would want to trade their best player, but they would stilll have an OF of Bay, McCutchen, and Nady. If the Rays were able to get him, I think it would be worth giving up Davis or Hellickson, and some other players. Would Davis, Jackson, and Gomes or Hinske be enough?

I guess that is below market rate, I just don’t know if I’d consider that a bargain.

Not just for Holliday, but Fuentes as well. If he wants Hellickson AND Davis for Fuentes, I would tell him to kiss my ass. I think even one of those guys is too much for Fuentes. Huston Street would be a better optin IMO.

If O’Dowd really asked for Price, I would immediately stop all conversations because he simply isnt being realistic.

This team is already a WS contender. ALl you have to do is make the playoffs, and you are a WS contender…see the Cardinals and Marlins as examples. If you want the best team in baseball, bring up Price sooner then later, trade for Bay, and sign Bonds.

How’s this lineup(and this isnt unrealistic in terms of ability to make it happen)

Upton
CC
Bonds
Bay
Longoria
Pena
Navi
Iwamura
Bartlett

The Rays would only have to part with some prospects for Bay.

Price is off limits. BJ is off limits (Sileo mentioned this today).

For Fuentes, Davis and Hellickson are off limits. Heck I don’t really care about Fuentes.

I’ll do a Davis/Hellickson, Niemann, and Ruggiano for Holliday. Maybe throw in Hammell also if they toss in a low level minor leaguer or something. If he says no then so be it. Off to another day and another team.

B.J. ( giving 50% max), Miller ( FA coming up), CC ( not impressive), Glover ( go away),
Gomes ( needs to find a team where he can play more, .190????), Pena ( slowly working his #’s back up).

As far as I am concerned they are all available for a trade.

Let’s hit while the fire is hot !! Shouldn’t hang on to these players, I appreciate being a long time Rays fan, their contributions in previous years but time to go

Price is not available !!!!!!!!!!! No way!!!!!

we would never part with BJ CC and CP23

If he hit leadoff he would be awesome, plain and simple. Crawford needs to take the first pitch in every at bat and start to develop to the hitter he is supposed to become. Delmon Young is a first pitch swinger as well and its just bad for the team, it allows the pitcher to work deep into the games. Thats why having someone who is solid and has experience like Hinske/Gross in right has been an upgrade. IMOP CC and BJ stay no doubt, but Pena is an inning killer! he swings under almost every fast ball and always strikes out or hits a huge infield fly, Madden needs to move him out of the 4 spot. He is to obsessed with keeping the same lineup but it is not working. Hit BJ leadoff get Pena out of 4 and it might work better

anyone have data on that?

the most overrated commodity in baseball. Fuentes is not going to save this free-fall.

We need a bat, true. Actually we need 2 or 3 bats. But not at a cost which jeapordizes or long term success.

The Rays either need to shit or get off the pot! They have been dumping salary & “rebuilding” & losing since they became a franchise. If we are ever going to compete with the damn Yankees & Red Sox, we need to seize the opportunity when it’s in our grasp. They need to go out & spend some money for a change. I would agressively go after a damn good hitting right fielder. I think they are fine in left & center. CC & Upton will get it going again & they have awesome speed which you can’t coach. When they get on base, they are hell for the opponents & they save atleast a run or two a game with their defense, given their speed & range in the outfield. We obviously have a great young 3B with Longoria. I think they can platoon Bartlett & Zorbist at SS. We got a solid 2B with Aki. Pena is atrting to hit again & is capable of having a great second half & Navarro has been solid all year & will continue to be. We could use maybe one more decent SP & one more solid RP, & definately a power hitting RF. Gross & Hinske are okay out there & okay at the plate, but I think both are better as spot players, or DH, or coming off the bench. Floyd is still a decent hitter, but his knees are shot & he is getting old.

The time is now for the Rays! Go get a RF & another pitcher! Spend some damn money that will continue to draw more fans to the Trop & put more butts in the seats! We may never have a shot like this again because we’ll always have to compete with Yankee & Red Sox money year in & year out.