Toronto Blogger Claims to Love the Rays, then pegs them a sub .500 team

by Thejeffg on Feb 18, 2009 3:30 PM EST

I was disappointed but not shocked when PECOTA put the Rays at 3rd for the 09 season, but happy to see a 90+ win prediction and a close race. Obviously anything can happen. One guy who agrees with this is a blogger out of Toronto who wouldn't be shocked to see the Rays win only 78 games, and had some less than favorable things to say about their off season moves:

EARLY AL EAST PREDICTIONS

Now, I'm not attacking Mr. Evans, but I did feel compelled to chip in my 2 cents. I thought this was interesting to get an off beat take on the Rays. We all know Sox fans expect the Rays to fall back this season, but that's an expectation tinged with more than a pinch of hope. Here is a Toronto fan who is essentially calling the Rays this year's Rockies. That's a fresh, original take and all, but what's interesting to me is the perspective. Now that we have a Jays fan's take, we need a Padres fan to tell us why the Rays will disappoint this season.

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

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...Uh.

In baseball, if you aren’t moving you are standing still, and when your second-biggest free agency acquisition is a 40-year-old middle reliever, then you’re just not cutting it in a division shared with the Yankees and Red Sox. Not to mention their second-biggest overall move – a trade of 14-game-winner Edwin Jackson to Detroit for a guy with 92 career major league games under his belt – just might not pay off.

1. What else did we need to sign after adding a DH?
2. Ugh. People really need to stop valuing pitcher wins.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 18, 2009 3:36 PM EST reply actions

I thought you might find this one amusing.

How will we ever make up Jackson’s 14 wins?!?! Surely he was the only person who could have won those games he won.

by Thejeffg on Feb 18, 2009 3:46 PM EST up reply actions

He won them all on his own, you know

Hitting, fielding, defense and relief pitching had NOTHING to do those wins.

Regressing to the mean streets of St. Pete

by stpetelawyer on Feb 18, 2009 6:32 PM EST up reply actions

Didn't his last win come in relief after blowing a lead?

Against Detroit?

I could be wrong though

by staplemaniac on Feb 18, 2009 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

Joyce + Price/Neiman >>>>> Jackson

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Feb 18, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions

Hey viva

I wanted to say the last time I saw you comment that its good to have you over here. Bienvenudo good sir

Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.

by Sandy Kazmir on Feb 18, 2009 11:08 PM EST up reply actions

thank you sir

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Feb 19, 2009 3:45 PM EST up reply actions

It's not just the Rays, his analysis is pretty bad across the board

He picked the Red Sox to win because of some mystical evidence he has that shows it will take the Yankees ‘time to gel’. Because the Jays didn’t replace AJ Burnett, they suddenly went from one of the premier pitching staffs to hopelessly weak. The Orioles finish last, and his reason why is roughly equivelent to ‘because I said so.’ His article is a waste of time.

by kericr on Feb 18, 2009 7:11 PM EST reply actions

Now wait just a second

last year the Rays brought in a new shortstop, a new RF’er (hinske), a new starting pitcher and new relievers and look at how long it took them to ge….wait, what?

Regressing to the mean streets of St. Pete

by stpetelawyer on Feb 18, 2009 10:50 PM EST up reply actions

So you're saying the Jays are the new Rays?

I agree wholeheartedly. Also this suit is not black.

Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.

by Sandy Kazmir on Feb 18, 2009 11:09 PM EST up reply actions

Is this what happens when the Maple Leafs suck?

by steve-o1285 on Feb 18, 2009 11:23 PM EST reply actions

LOLAC!

Laughing out loud at Canadians!

by Thejeffg on Feb 19, 2009 11:04 AM EST up reply actions

Doesn't seem like he is a Jays blogger...

as much as a general baseball blogger. The comment about McPhail led me to believe he is a Cubs fan.

Boom. Outta Here.

by Ryan Gilliss on Feb 19, 2009 3:37 PM EST reply actions

That is the worst logic ever.

If you don’t spend spend spend, then you’re not going to win?

The Rays have the best young talent in baseball. With young talent comes constant improvement. I wouldn’t doubt if half of the team has a better year than last year, and there is also now Price and Burrell.

Meanwhile, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox have aging injury-riddled bodies like Ortiz and Jeter, who while great names on paper are going to be getting worse. Just because they spent a lot of money, doesn’t mean they’re going to improve.

Also, what bugs me about his point is that you can’t make the argument that Matt Joyce is replacing Jackson. Instead, it has to be the pitcher that is replacing Jackson, and chances are, that pitcher will be just as good if not better than Jackson. This way, even if Joyce is a but, it’s not a huge loss. And it doesn’t look like Joyce will be a complete bust, either.

On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Feb 22, 2009 2:29 AM EST reply actions