Rays Bullpen Begins Taking Form

Why not James Shields as the closer. At 4.5 mil this year it would be a bargain. After Barlett gets traded the payroll is down in the low 30’s. This keeps Garza in the rotation. McGee can be the 8th inning guy and the above mentioned relievers can fall into place.

My impression is AF will make a profit regardless of team performance. If SP perform, Rays may win 80 games. Otherwise we battle O’s for fifth place. I guess the fan support created this huge dump-too bad. I will not renew my 4 season tickets. I will go to weekend games in better seats below face value.

right before it gets lit up

counter with sore armed JP, one year success Peralta and a couple dufuss’s named Caser

1- Was Jenks offered a two year deal?

2- Was Adam Miller considered in Rule 5?

3- Was Kerry Wood offered a one year deal and the CL job?

at the Process Report before making any dire pronouncements.

http://theprocessreport.com/

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/17/private-businesses-in-tampa-are-going-to-look-into-a-new-rays-ballpark-in-2011/

Friedman is usually the master of the minor league signings, but this year saw Andrew Miller and Rich Hill go to Bosyon—two live arms for pretty much nothing

You act as if our team is garbage and we are doomed. I don’t understand. We have 6 really good starting pitchers, one of the best third baseman in the game and a team that is full of young talent and more importantly heart. We also have a front office that is constantly complimented and respected by the rest of MLB for the moves they make. Do we have holes? Of course we do. We need to find a couple of bats and some bullpen help. AF’s track record suggest that he will get this done. I realize October baseball in 2011 is going to be tough but we are in the ALE, tell me a year in which the road to the post season is not tough. I do know that I will go to every game and watch the Rays play exciting baseball and leave it all on the field. As a fan that is all I can ask for.

but i’m sure if it goes poorly and the bullpen is to blame, this thread will be long forgotten

Bush, Russell, McGee,Peralta, Howell (whenever), and at some point Scuman and Quate

and it’s completed by signing one more guy (Balfour, Rauch, Qualls, etd) and either our 6th starter, or a reliever we acquire as part of a package of trading a starter.

McGee, Russell, Peralta, Sonny, Swindle, Balfour/Rauch, Niemann/Helly or trade pickup

Not flashy, but odds are it will get the job done and then some.

Would really like to see Rauch…although I could get greedy and ask for both. Cost at this point should (hopefully) be going down.

I gurantee the Rays opening day roster will include a legit closer who has more than 8 career saves in his career(, Balfour and that does not include Howell (who probably won’t pitch until May).

I tend to agree. I’d have to think that with Niemann, Garza, Price, Helickson, Davis, and Shields battling it out in spring training for a starting spot, Shields will end up being odd man out. He’s going to have to go somewhere, and the pen seems the most reasonable place for him to end up. Dare I say, with Shields numbers last year, the Rays want to get as much quality use out of him especially if the whispered trade rumors were to come to fruition in say June or July. The bullpen offers him enough quality performance opportunities.

I was unaware, maybe some of you are too

3/16/2010: Wade will undergo exploratory shoulder surgery Wednesday and be sidelined at least three months, MLB.com reports.

I just creamed my pants when I checked out Gomes’ 2010 AA numbers. He should be pretty nifty in the pen.