Tampa Bay Rays Offer Type-B Free Agents Brian Shouse & Gregg Zaun Salary Arbitration; Designate Jeff Bennett for Assignment

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 7:52 PM EST

No big loss with Jeff Bennett if he's plucked off waivers. Could've been useful, turned out not to be. Such is a scene in the life of a right-handed middle reliever.

The bigger news is the Rays could stand to gain a pair of second round picks if Gregg Zaun and Brian Shouse decline salary arbitration and sign elsewhere. This also gives Zaun the chance to return if he accepts or if the two sides reach an agreement. He doesn't hit for a high average, home runs, or produce runs (in the sense of RBI, he gets on base which is about a zillion times more important in real person world) so arbitration may not be kind to his type. Shouse appears to be he more risky of the two, but we'll see.

Apparently no decision has been reached on Russ Springer, he too could bring the team an additional second round pick.

The deadline to tender players under team control is December 14th. The events of today sure don't look good for Dioner Navarro and Shawn Riggans.

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Good luck, Riggo. Good riddance, D-No.

Into the Wall : Sarcasm for the Soccer Guy

by ReasonableDoubt on Dec 1, 2009 7:55 PM EST reply actions

Like it for Zaun, would of been okay with Springer

but Shouse….the fuck

I really hope he doesn’t accept

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 7:57 PM EST reply actions

Last season only two of 74 accepted or some crazy number like that

by sternfan1 on Dec 1, 2009 7:59 PM EST up reply actions

2 is right but it was out of 26 I believe

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:02 PM EST up reply actions

Shouse only has a 4.5 ERA with no saves.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 8:02 PM EST up reply actions

But Shouse is 41, coming off an elbow injury, and likely to get ~1.75-2 million in arbitration.

Hard to see someone giving him that on the open market. With four picks, and possiblity another one from Zaun in the first two rounds, the risk seems to outweigh the potential reward.

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:02 PM EST up reply actions

I hope there is some sort of understanding that he will decline.

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:06 PM EST up reply actions

You hope, I pray

He sure seems like the 2 of 26 type

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by FreeZorilla on Dec 1, 2009 8:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Do you attend bible study with Ben?

by sternfan1 on Dec 1, 2009 8:19 PM EST up reply actions

Better chance of catching me in bible study with the front office

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by FreeZorilla on Dec 1, 2009 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

They can trade him if he accepts.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 8:23 PM EST up reply actions

I would question any team that would give something up to get Shouse at that price

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by FreeZorilla on Dec 1, 2009 8:47 PM EST up reply actions

So the Mets or Giants it is.

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

If he accepts

It’s because his agent has told him nobody else is willing to pay that much.

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"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Dec 2, 2009 12:48 AM EST up reply actions

So December 7th is the deadline for Gross and Navarro?

Vroom vroom party starter
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by Imperialism32 on Dec 1, 2009 8:00 PM EST reply actions

For all non-free agent arbitration eligible players.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions

Misspoke the other day when I said the 14th

but I’ve seen multiple times today the contract tender deadline is the 12th.

The 7th is the deadline for FA’s offered arb to accept or decline.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Dec 1, 2009 8:53 PM EST up reply actions

I keep mixing up the dates too.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

I believe so

Navi is so gone, maybe we can trade him for some project player. Package him and Gross for some minor league reliever

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions

It makes sense to keep Zaun over Navi

Zaun hits Righties good and Shoppach mashes lefties. Choate is not better than Shouse or are we keeping both?

by raysrule44 on Dec 1, 2009 8:06 PM EST reply actions

screw them

if we NEED a loogy, give me Swindle

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:09 PM EST up reply actions

Um Choate held lefties to a .385 OPS last year while making like 650K...

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:09 PM EST up reply actions

Not that he will make much but I guess Choate will be non tendered

if Shouse comes back.

Damnit Shouse, retire!

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:11 PM EST reply actions

Mariners and Rays seem to be the 2 teams going after Zaun

some one tell the Mariners that Zaun needs Shouse to come with him please!

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:14 PM EST reply actions

Just random thought

I would love to see Rich Harden out of the pen

by raysrule44 on Dec 1, 2009 8:31 PM EST reply actions

That would be nice.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 8:32 PM EST up reply actions

We would wear out other teams /tiger

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Would be awesome but he is going to want to be a SP

and teams like the Orioles will give him a chance

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 8:35 PM EST up reply actions

Can't wait to see him in Boston.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 1, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions

Or the Red Sox.

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 8:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

This is just so unlike the Rays

something tells me they have some kind of agreement that will Shouse wont accept arbitration.

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 9:01 PM EST reply actions

A lot of teams have oral deals like that

But they’re not enforceable. IIRC, a few years back the Pads had a wink wink deal with Chan Ho Park, and he accepted and they got screwed with a huge salary.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Dec 2, 2009 12:52 AM EST up reply actions

Speaking of Chan Ho

He was not offered arb (I think) so I’d love to see him in the Rays pen.

I'm a Brett Favre honk so FUCK YOU!

by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Dec 2, 2009 8:45 AM EST up reply actions

For the players whose options were bought out, if they accept arb, do they still receive the buyout?

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by FreeZorilla on Dec 1, 2009 9:07 PM EST reply actions

Well, I'd personally like to see us sign and trade Shouse

since I believe the Mets (not sure) need a “lefty specialist”, if you can consider Shouse that, but he technically is a lefty specialist. Love to see him, Gross, Navarro, and like Chavez, Ashley, or Ramiraz packaged to the Mets for Josh Thole. Imagine a catching situation of Shoppach, Zaun (if he resigns), and Thole waiting in the wings.

by TBRaysfan009 on Dec 1, 2009 9:09 PM EST reply actions

don't think we will trade for another C

Shoppach will give Bailey 2 years of arbitration which should get him to AA/AAA and we can just sign a 1 year stop gap(or keep Shoppach for a 3rd year)

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 9:11 PM EST up reply actions

2 years of developing*******

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

In what world is Bailey getting to AA/AAA in two years?

Coming back from Tommy John surgery, he’ll split time at C/DH in either Princeton or Hudson Valley, then probably play in Bowling Green in 2011, and start the 2012 in Charlotte. Maybe he finishes 2013 in Montgomery, get some time in Durham in 2014, and if they need a catcher, he debuts sometime in 2014. That’s really the best-case scenario to me.

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by Imperialism32 on Dec 1, 2009 9:36 PM EST up reply actions

damn

I really hope it doesn’t take that long.

Give me a CC long term deal, please!

by joeybw on Dec 1, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions

That would put him at 22 or 23 years old which is about right.

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by Tommy Rancel on Dec 1, 2009 9:51 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

The Rays have been very slow with their promotions

Considering Bailey is a) a catcher and b) coming off Tommy John surgery, they’ll probably be even slower.

2010: Either Princeton or Hudson Valley, probably splitting time as C/DH. Ty Morrison was a 4th rounder who played at Princeton in his debut season and then again this year, but Bailey’s not as raw so he could be more like Lobstein, who signed late and was sent to Hudson Valley. Either way, he’ll probably only be in short-season ball for one year(as long as he hits decently)

2011: Bowling Green, almost certainly for the entire year. I can’t think of a single big prospect who hasn’t spent an entire season at the low-A level for the Rays(Davis, McGee, Cobb, Rollins, Kang, Beckham, Jennings if he hadn’t gotten hurt, etc). They don’t promote anybody out of this level mid-season(they gave guys like Marquis Fleming and Josh Satow the bump really late in 2009, but those guys are peripheral prospects and just promoted because Charlotte was going to the playoffs and Bowling Green wasn’t.

2012: He’ll start at Charlotte, but here the Rays have shown a willingness to promote guys mid-season(Davis, McGee, Hellickson, unfortunately there haven’t been any real big hitting prospects coming through the system. Longoria was a special case and Jennings got hurt in the FSL so they’re bad examples. Reid Brignac was given a late-season push from Visalia to Montgomery back in 2006(28 games for the Biscuits). Assuming success, Bailey could get bumped to Montgomery.

2013: At this point it’s just absurd to guess. They gave Wade Davis the equivalent of a full season in Montgomery(2nd half 2007 and 1st half 2008) and did the same thing Jeremy Hellickson. Brignac spent the back end of 2006 and all of 2007 at Montgomery. So Bailey would probably spent some time at Montgomery, and depending on how he does, could end the year with Durham.

2014: Starts at Durham.

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by Imperialism32 on Dec 1, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions

Longoria

I'm a writer.

by Andy Hellicksonstine on Dec 1, 2009 11:39 PM EST up reply actions

I mentioned him

He was a college guy(not to mention the #3 overall pick) though so I’m not sure it’s worth comparing them, especially at the lower levels. Longoria did play the equivalent of a full season in Montgomery, though.

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by Imperialism32 on Dec 1, 2009 11:53 PM EST up reply actions