Rafael Soriano is Officially a Ray
From the Rays press release:
Soriano, who turns 30 on December 19, established career highs last season in saves (27 in 31 opportunities), innings pitched (75.2), appearances (77) and strikeouts (102) while issuing only 27 walks. Among all major league relief pitchers in 2009, he ranked second in strikeouts (behind Jonathan Broxton of the Los Angeles Dodgers), third with 12.13 strikeouts per nine innings, 10th in appearances and first with a .138 (20-for-145) opponents' batting average against right-handed hitters. Overall, Soriano held opponents to a .194 (53-for-273) batting average (12th lowest in the National League) and .153 (17-for-111) average with runners on base (fourth lowest in the majors).
Regardless of the money, Soriano is going to be fun to watch.
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If that $7 mil bothers you so much
resort to your Brdford/Percy analogy for solace
Actually, I thought about it in comparison to Burrell earlier.
I’m at peace with it. I like Soriano too much to let a dollar figure below his market value affect my enjoyment levels.
by R.J. Anderson on Dec 11, 2009 12:58 PM EST up reply actions
If a lefty is leading off the 9th...
Leave Howell in if he pitched the 8th, or bring in Choate. And let Soriano close it out.
Or just let Soriano pitch the whole inning
Unless it’s like an extremely bad match up like Sonny vs Ben Fransisco
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah....
I see the past 3 season he has around a .680 OPS against lefties. Not bad at all. In a 1 run game, I would probably prefer the lefty/lefty matchup.
I like how we basically cloned J.P. and returned him to his natural skin color with some added velocity.
This is going to be fun to watch.
by R.J. Anderson on Dec 11, 2009 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
But he so 'spensive!!!
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
How dare you try to put a price on freedom
Why don’t you go cut and run with scissors.
I'm a writer.
by Andy Hellicksonstine on Dec 11, 2009 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
God damn it, boy.
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
I went through this with Burrell too, but he seemed to be a more reliable asset.
by R.J. Anderson on Dec 11, 2009 1:31 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe you should just take a break from baseball for a while. Turn the site over to me and lil Gamgee.
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
I've got a delightful pitch f/x chart covering the ring being thrown into the flames of Mount Doom.
by Samwise Sutty on Dec 11, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
JP was doing fine in the 9th before exhaustion set in.
I think its a tremendous advantage for us to have JP to step in when Sori’s been ridden…HARD…a few days in a row.
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
Completely agree...
He went almost 2 months during the middle of the season where he didnt give up a run in any of his appearances besides one performance. He had a sub 2 ERA most of the season. He had never relieved prior to 2008, pitched a ton of high leverage innings, had a short offseason, pitched in the WBC, and finally hit the wall.
It drives me insane when people bitch about his season.
Especially with a mid 80s FB
That’s almost unheard of nowadays
Imagine JP is a less power era, wow
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 1:26 PM EST up reply actions
People disappointed with Howell look at bloody irrelevant things like blown saves.
They seem to ignore the random distribution of runs.
by R.J. Anderson on Dec 11, 2009 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
it's cause he's a soft tosser, don't ya know
by Samwise Sutty on Dec 11, 2009 1:34 PM EST up reply actions
LETS TRADE FOR ZUMAYA
HE THROWS 100+
OR CONVERT A SP INTO A RELIEVER
OR TRADE A STARTER
OR MAKE A BAD DECISION
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
I had a woman clock me at 92
and then handed me a ticket
Girl, please.
Let the $$$ thing go.
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
Paging Eminence Front

IN
GAME, OVER
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
Seriously? How old are you?
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
I know who Raffi is.
The lolwut was why paging me?
Sign lady must die.
by EminenceFront on Dec 11, 2009 1:31 PM EST up reply actions
Because you make good with the funny images.
Mira Sorvino...Paul Walker...T-Pain...Fall 2010...HEADSTONE MAFIA, A LOVE STORY OF REVENGE. "5/5 stars!!!" - DRB User "Andy Hellicksonstine"
Ah.
I will in a bit. About to pwn another final.
Sign lady must die.
by EminenceFront on Dec 11, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
Soriano is officially making 7.25M
I like it, if some of those losers out there can make 10M, this works for me
Also has a no-trade clause until 6/15
www.draysbay.com, www.beyondtheboxscore.com, Twitter @trancel
by Tommy Rancel on Dec 11, 2009 3:02 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It's the White Sox
Their motto is, we make bad contracts the cool thing
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
with the chance to earn another 3M in incentives
Vikings 4 the superbowl
Joe Nelson was a NT last year
we could kick the tires I suppose
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
Lance Cormier was also a NT. Once a player in NT
He becomes a FA and able to talk to any team. I’m sure the Rays will be interested in several players even if it’s just to bring in camp bodies or fill Durham’s roster. Plus there’s always the chance you strike gold on someone else’s trash like Pena, Hinske, Cormier.
www.draysbay.com, www.beyondtheboxscore.com, Twitter @trancel
by Tommy Rancel on Dec 11, 2009 4:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As for a thread, we'll probably open up a non-tender thread sometime tonight/tomorrow am
So we can toss names around and then have a separate one in case Navi/Gross get NT’d as well.
www.draysbay.com, www.beyondtheboxscore.com, Twitter @trancel
by Tommy Rancel on Dec 11, 2009 5:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Navi will be tendered and traded imo
Gross will be NT’d
When a player who is eligible for arbitration is not offered it by the team holding his rights.
If a team has not offered arbitration by the arbitration deadline, he becomes a non-tendered free agent. When a team signs a non-tendered FA, they also get his remaining arbitration eligibility.
I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.
Some "experts" think this is the year where the non-tender market is flooded
Guess we’ll see.
www.draysbay.com, www.beyondtheboxscore.com, Twitter @trancel
by Tommy Rancel on Dec 11, 2009 5:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I originally thought it would be flooded
But now I’m not so sure.
It’s very conflicting given how some deals look like cost cutters & others are plain bad spending.
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 6:07 PM EST up reply actions
Some "experts" think this is the year where the non-tender market is flooded
Guess we’ll see.
www.draysbay.com, www.beyondtheboxscore.com, Twitter @trancel
by Tommy Rancel on Dec 11, 2009 6:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I really need to stop reading the Heater
comment made there—I don’t get it. They wouldn’t go $8mil. for Wagner, but they give this clown $7.25. WHY!!!!!!
Amazing how they go and get the #2 "closer" on the market
And it’s still not good enough lol
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions
But that's why it's the Heater
and we generally ignore it
by Transplanted on Dec 11, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions
Good.
Now, let’s soidify a catcher. I know, easier said then done.
Blah!
by thebaddancingraysfan on Dec 11, 2009 7:06 PM EST reply actions
Only if he's cheap
2009 Rays Baseball: Welp.....we'll try again in 2010
2009 FSU Football: Thanks for the memories, Bobby Bowden
by JMB on Dec 11, 2009 8:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yay! Good offseason moves!
Now if we can just not get Milton Bradley and find a remotely decent catcher, we’ll be doing okay
2009 Rays Baseball: Welp.....we'll try again in 2010
2009 FSU Football: Thanks for the memories, Bobby Bowden
by JMB on Dec 11, 2009 8:22 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I wonder why things are so quiet on the Bradley front
Going into the winter meetings, the Cubs were adamant about having a trade done. Then we hear about a “mystery team” that likely was bogus and now nothing. All day yesterday and today, I havent heard a peep about Bradley at all. Just the typical, the Cubs will make the deal with Tampa Bay if they decide to do so on their terms. I really didnt think it would take this long and it just shows they havent really found a match with anyone, especially with Millwood heading to Baltimore, essentially eliminating them from the options available. I suppose Seattle and Kansas City could still be options, but havent heard anything recently. Most likely, they are working to find a team that would take Burrell, especially if the Mets definately arent interested.
by BossmanJunior333 on Dec 11, 2009 8:46 PM EST reply actions
More then likely, they hate the Rays offer. The Rays have this situation by the balls and unless the Cubs can find another team, there's not much they can do about it.
I could see this trade not happening until as late as spring training.
I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.
Once again I say the Rays are spending 2011 dollars to win in 2010
Bye Bye Crawford, Pena, Burrell, Wheeler (maybe) and Soriano after 2010, but please bring us a WS Title before you go:
Topkin says it here:
Contracts
They’ll resign CC. 2011 OF= CC in LF DJ in CF BJ in RF
Zobrist 1B
Rodriguez 2B
Longoria 3B
Bartlett or Brignac SS
Shoppach C
Joyce DH
by Blue or CONKZILLA on Dec 12, 2009 4:38 AM EST up reply actions
CC is gone in 2011.
The Rays can’t afford CC and Andrew has hinted that many times already. Jennings is your new LF for 2011 with the Rays getting the picks for Crawford’s departure. If you can’t figure that out from the signing of Soriano and the quotes from the RFO than you are not being honest with yourself.
Even if true, so what?
The Rays have been building the system so that they can (and should) turn over stars to keep the team competitive for a while. That is what the Kazmir trade represented, for example.
There is likely to be a fallow period, and there are no guarantees that the returns will always pan out. (Of course, the same can be said for any decisions, whether on big name free agents or on aging stars that are kept.) Nor can we know that the opportunities to get significant returns on players the Rays decide to deal or let go will always be as impressive as a Soriano or (hopefully) a Sean Rodriguez and company. But even if there are star player losses for 2011, it does not mean the Rays will not remain serious contenders, and maybe even find themselves with a better team than in 2010.

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