If I was GM...

by ZBW on May 14, 2009 10:34 PM EDT

(disclaimer: Friedman, if you are reading this, please don't take it personally. I think you are the best GM in the game and we're lucky to have you. I'm just a passionate fan and I'm FRUSTRATED, as I'm sure you are too.)

I just got done watching that horseshit game and need to vent. Here are a few things I would try to do to turn this season around before it's too late:

1. Invest in a team's supply of HGH. Ok, I'm only kidding, but seriously -- the Rays need to get healthy. We need Riggans, Burrell, CC, even role players like Fernando Perez to be 100% healthy in order for this team to win 90 games. Are our pitchers even all healthy? Doesn't seem like it given the significant velocity drop...

2. Find a solution at closer. Percival looks like my half-drunk fat uncle trying to re-live his high school pitching glory days, only he's piching in the bigs. There are many ways to solve this problem, including bringing up Dale Thayer or Jason Isringhausen. Personally, I would rather look to find some help from outside of the organization and solidify a solution for the future as well -- it's going to be a need next off-season anyway. However, no one is really "out of it" at this point, so trading right now is close to impossible. With that said, I'd like to see us at least give Isringhausen a couple opportunities to prove himself -- he can't do any worse than Percival is going to do -- and if that doesn't work why not try Thayer? (ANYONE BUT PERCIVAL PLEASE FOR GODS SAKE)

3. Get Maddon to take B.J. out of the leadoff spot, at least until he starts hitting and we start winning. Put Aki first because he's used to doing it, Bartlett second because he's the most perfect #2 hitter of all time right now, 3. CC (stay hot), 4. Longo (stay hot), 5. Pena (keep hitting bombs) 6. Burrell (his hair always looks like he's in a shampoo commercial) 7. Upton (get hot, earn your way back up in the lineup) 8. Gabe of the day/Joyce (Joyce please) 9. Navarro/Riggans (more Riggans please). There you go, Joe. I still love you though.

4. Bring up David Price. It's time. Pull the effing trigger. Not only would he be any improvement over Niemann or Sonny, but he would add a little excitement and possibly spark the entire team. He would give the fans a little something positive to talk about too, which might not be such a bad thing for attendance!

5. Look at myself in the mirror and say, "Wait, my name is Andrew Friedman. I make fucking solid trades." Then go trade Kazmir and junk (bring Wade Davis up -- he's READY) and for our closer of the future plus a couple other studs. Kazmir still has great value, but it's fading. Fading fast.1. Garza 2. Shields 3. Price 4. Sonny 5. Davis -- Niemann to the 'pen.

Now I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for #5, but let's be honest -- someone is going to have to be traded sometime, and out of the players with value and larger contracts wouldn't you prefer that person be Kazmir and not CC or Garza or Shields or Upton or Bartlett?

This really is just a rant. I don't know if it makes sense, and it probably doesn't, but it sure does make me feel a helluva lot better knowing that if I was GM Percival would be GONE.

Go Rays.

p.s. Longoria is the fucking MAN.

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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Comments

I get what you're saying

but a lot of those are reactionary moves. Wade Davis is NOT ready(he’s walked three batters in every start except for when, and he walked two in that start).

www.raysprospects.com

by Imperialism32 on May 14, 2009 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

Point by point

1. Injuries haven’t been our problem, every team has to deal with some and we haven’t been especially hard hit
2. Agreed to the highest degree. Percival needs to go.
3. Agreed with taking Upton out of the leadoff spot
4 and 5. Price and Davis have pitched poorly(or at least not like you’d expect top prospect to pitch)

I think 2010 will be our year, personally.

www.raysprospects.com

by Imperialism32 on May 14, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Upton batting behind Burrell?

Bj might lap him twice before PTB gets to 3rd

by jsess813 on May 14, 2009 11:25 PM EDT reply actions

Are there any stats to back up the notion that people will perform better in the show than in AAA ball.

I’ve heard people say that Price may pitch better up with the big squad. Does this happen (doesn’t really make sense to me)?

Regressing to the mean streets of St. Pete

by stpetelawyer on May 14, 2009 11:34 PM EDT reply actions

Price will be better because if he's in the majors he won't be throwing his curve/change more than his slider.

It’s still like spring training for him.

by R.J. Anderson on May 15, 2009 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

Does E-Jax have 4 pitches? In the show it’s about winning, in AAA for Price it’s about getting better.

But I also agree Davis isn’t ready.

by nyyfaninlaaland on May 15, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Phil Hughes not ready or more like Ian Kennedy not ready?

Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You'll be an old man before you know it.

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 15, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Will be forgotten...

Bring Price up now… or he will be forgotten…

He already has 4 good pitch types and worked well last postseason…
Why the 5th?

by RaysSection148 on May 15, 2009 12:23 AM EDT reply actions

I don't understand what this means at all.

Who is forgetting Price? And what were his “four good pitch types” in the post-season? All he did was throw fastball/sliders. He threw 98% of those two pitches last year.

by R.J. Anderson on May 15, 2009 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions

While trading Kaz may seem good in theory

what excactly are you looking to get in return from him.

The positions of need right now (RF, C). Not a lot of people out there right now that you could get in return that would contribute immediately. I’m pretty sure St. Louis is going to be getting rid of Colby Rasmus to get Kaz.

Positions for the future (1B, C, DH). Again not a bunch of top prospects that we would take straight up for Kaz and/or that teams would be willing to give up for one guy.

Basically if we traded Kaz right now I don’t think we would get anything more than a couple of decent prospects (most likely pitchers, which while you can always use more pitching, we are fairly healthy right now in that department). So is it worth it to give up on the season for guys that may or may not matter in the future of this franchise.

by Dbullsfan on May 15, 2009 1:18 AM EDT reply actions

How is RF a need?

by Suttree on May 15, 2009 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm pretty confident there ae one or two, maybe more, right fielders that are better than the Gabe's

but this is also another one of my points that even our two biggest positions of need aren’t huge glaring needs

by Dbullsfan on May 15, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

the one thing to be critical of Friedman about

is his handling of the bullpen, not as a whole, but in terms of finding a guy who can close games. When you land a roll player like Percival who’s closed games his whole career but is probably over the hill or at least getting there (when we signed him) you need to have a back up plan. Unfortunately Wheeler has declined so he is not a 9th inning option either. Howell would be good, but he’s so valuable in other spots of the game it is difficult to save him until the ninth. By not having a guy who’s able to step up in ninth it affects the rest of the bullpen and when they are able to pitch and how much they pitch.

I’m not heavily critical of Friedman for the bullpen, I know finding bullpen arms is a crap shoot and even proven veterans can fall apart at any moment, but it’s frustrating to have to carry Percival’s salary when he’s so useless.

by behn on May 15, 2009 8:57 AM EDT reply actions

This is probably more Maddon's fault than Friedman's.

At the time, it was a good signing and they needed to take a risk or two. However, it’s ultimately on Maddon to supervise Percy’s usage. This is why Billy Beane’s gone through about 5 different managers.

by Suttree on May 15, 2009 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the front office has a much larger hand in this then you give them credit...

But I addressed this in another post.

I just don’t see how we can blame Friedman at this point. We all knew that Percy was gonna blow up, but that’s what the Rays had Balfour for. If they both blew up then the Rays had Nelson or Shouse in a pinch. And then JP was hanging around as well.

The problem wasn’t planning, the problem is everyone is getting terrible results at the same time. They could have shelled out an eigth of the payroll to one closer but that has never been a wise move.

by tallyray on May 15, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions